“Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. The same thing happens with socialism” (or “Socialism is like a mouse trap. It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free”) is a political saying that has been printed on many images. The cheese is free, of course, because it is the bait used in the trap.
 
“Socialism is like a mousetrap, exept the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free…” was posted on Twitter by Mitch McKaig on March 31, 2016. “Socialism is like a mouse trap. It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free. #ncga #ncpol” was posted on Twitter by Joel Ford on October 7. 2018. The saying probably originated on an image.
   
“Mice experience death by mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. It’s the same with socialism” was posted on Twitter by Jay Love on November 23, 2018. “Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free.  It’s the same with socialism” was posted on Twitter by Freedom of Thought on November 19, 2018. This version of the saying also probably originated on an image.
     
“There is always free cheese in a mousetrap” is a related saying.
   
         
Twitter
Mitch McKaig
@mitch_mcnasty16
Socialism is like a mousetrap, exept the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free…
10:03 AM · Mar 31, 2016·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Joel Ford
@joeldford
@FlashpointWCNC The Democratic progressive trap:
Socialism is like a mouse trap. It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free. #ncga #ncpol
11:25 AM · Oct 7, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Robert E. Heiler
@reheiler
Once the mouse sees why the cheese is free, the mousetrap doesn’t work.
Same thing with socialism.
4:09 PM · Nov 6, 2018·Facebook
   
Twitter
Marc Balay
@MarcAlanBalay
Replying to @kayleighmcenany@dbongino and @RonDeSantisFL
The promise of Socialism: You will be given that which you have not earned.
The reality of Socialism: That which you have earned will be taken from you.
Socialism is like a mousetrap. The mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free.
4:46 PM · Nov 6, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Bai Mohrguns
@BaiMohrguns
Socialism is like a mouse trap ....
It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free.
(This is shown on an image from TURNING POINT USA.—ed.)
#MAGA #Trump2020 #KAG
5:54 PM · Nov 6, 2018·Twitter Web App
   
Twitter
Esteban Cruz
@EstebanCruzer
@Ocasio2018 Socialism is like a mouse trap. It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free.
(This is shown on an image from TURNING POINT USA.—ed.)
9:06 AM · Nov 7, 2018·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter   
Alex Staudt
@astaudt94
Socialism is like a mouse trap. It works because the mouse doesn’t understand why the cheese is free
8:40 AM · Nov 13, 2018·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter
Jay Love
@TahoeJason
Mice experience death by mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. It’s the same with socialism.
1:15 PM · Nov 13, 2018·Facebook
 
Twitter
Clif Wright
@Clif_Wright
Mice experience death by mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. It’s the same with socialism.
2:20 PM · Nov 14, 2018·Facebook
     
Twitter
Freedom of Thought
@FOThoughts
Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free.
It’s the same with socialism.
8:08 AM · Nov 19, 2018·Facebook
 
Facebook
Freedom Free For All
December 14, 2018 ·
Mice die in mousetraps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free…It’s the same with Socialism
-Josh
   
Twitter
WOLFEAGLENETWORK
@WolfeagleUSA
Mice die in mouse traps because they do not understand why the cheese is free. 
The same thing happens with socialism.
4:19 PM · Dec 28, 2018 from Phoenix, AZ·Twitter Web Client
 
The Independent (Southern Utah)
Socialism has never worked
Socialism has failed everywhere and every time it’s been tried. Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free.
By Howard Sierer -June 9, 2019
(...)
I’ll take a market economy’s bounty over socialism’s “free stuff.”
 
Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free.
   
Google Books
We Will Not Be Silenced:
Responding Courageously to Our Culture’s Assault on Christianity
By Erwin W. Lutzer
Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers
2020
Pg. 202:
A final warning from an unknown source is quite apropos with regard to socialism: “Mice die in mousetraps because they do not understand why the cheese is free.”
 
Twitter
James Plowman
@plowmanj3
Mice die in mousetraps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. The same thing happens with socialism.
9:57 PM · Oct 17, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
     
Facebook
Republican Party of Dane County
October 22, 2020 at 5:22 PM ·
Mice die in mouse traps because they don’t understand why the cheese is free. The same thing happens with Socialism. Don’t believe in unicorns
 
Twitter
American Girl
@_americangirl45
Mice die in mouse traps because they do not understand why the cheese is free. The same thing happens with #socialism #communism
4:26 PM · Oct 24, 2020·Twitter for iPad