Let us devise a grand social experiment. Let us conspire to hijack an entire nation, an ancient culture of people with a strong national identity, a population in the tens of millions across a land mass in excess of 100,000 square miles. Then, let's destroy the existing infrastructure; from the factories and schools to the roads and bridges, we'll just bomb them out. Once we have accomplished this, we should draw an arbitrary line across the map of this nation -- not along existing land features lest the rainfall might be more on one side of the mountain range than the other. We will just impose an arbitrary dotted line down the middle.

On the one side of this devasted land, we will introduce Communism, unashamed centralized government, no hybrid concessions, no piece-meal patchwork, but a proud, true workers' paradise in the classic Marx and Lenin traditions. On the other side of this arbitrary boundary, we will leave these poor unfortunates to their own devises, with free market forces to prevail on their own.

Then we should leave this cauldron to simmer for a couple of decades and let's see the comparison of Capitalism and Communism, side by side.

But wait - we already did all that. It was called Post-WW2 Germany. Ravaged by the years at war, Germany was brought to her knees and divided between the Allied Powers; with Russia introducing Communism on the East side of the map and the U.S. and Britain establishing Democracy and Capitalism on the West. Roll the calendar forward a few decades and we see West Germany standing among the economic powerhouses of Europe within a few decades, while unemployment and stagnation were still rampant in Eastern Germany.

Attention all college students! Whether it's the History of Western Civilization or a Political Science class, or any other discipline where you may be asked for a comparison of Communism and Capitalism, you do not always have to yield the field to your liberal college professor. Take this "social experiment" concept and rework it into your essay in your blue notebook. Add every characteristic from your class lectures about Capitalism and about Communism, the centralized vs decentralized economies, whatever your professor tossed out. Really make it clear that you were listening to all his glorification of Communism and denigrating Capitalism. Mark down all the fine details within this framework. Then sum it up with the WW2 Germany clincher. If you kept your intentions veiled until your summary, it always brings them up short. But they really can't flunk you because you have made your point, and answered their question, and cited all the proper historic support for your position. And good luck to you!