Socialism Does Not Work....even in Second Grade

Although I have always been impressed with the intelligence of my children (as most mothers are), I never realized just exactly how smart they were.  Now I know that Carson is not the typical second grader.  At the beginning of the school year, his teacher requested that each month each parent send in 25 snacks for the snack cart from which each child would get to choose from each day.  And yes, the word "each" was extensively used in the last sentence for a reason.  Of course, the system sounded workable.  The kids were excited to have such an array of snacks to choose from daily, especially if they have a health conscience mother who continually sends in carrots and apples.  The cart was full of cookies, crackers, fruit chews, chips, etc.,etc.....That was in the beginning.  Before the end of the second month, Carson came home with his teacher's request for more snacks because the cart was running low. What? How could this be?  If everyone fulfilled their obligation and sent in their monthly contribution, then this should not happen.  From the first month on I, being the avid BJ warehouse shopper, sent in boxes of 48-50 snacks instead of the required 25. I did so repeatedly, yet it soon became a weekly habit for Carson to ask for more snacks.  I asked Carson exactly why I needed to send 50 snacks every month when I should be several months ahead.  His response was "Mom, alot of mothers don't send in snacks at all and the kids still get to choose from the cart."  "How is that working out for you guys?" I asked.  Obviously it wasn't. He then let out a barage of complaints of how unfair it was.  He asked me the same question I had asked him, "Why do we have to send in snacks for all the other kids when their moms don't?".  I realized quickly what a valuable lesson this was for a second grader. He was learning first hand why socialism doesn't work.  He witnessed daily kids taking and taking snacks they didn't deserve.  He listened to his teacher threaten to put an end to the snack cart if more mothers didn't start participating.  He watched me purchase more and more snacks to make up for those who didn't.  He finally told me to stop.  He said he would rather be responsible for taking in his OWN snack each day.  Amazing!!! The understanding of individualism at such an early age could not have been taught any better.  My only remaining question is if my second grader caught on to this so quickly, why don't more, as Carson would say, grown ups get it?