Socialism: the denial of individual property rights; such rights are vested in society as a whole – in the collective, with production and distribution controlled by government. It can exist by force or by vote; the differences are superficial. It has never been, nor ever could be, successful; it can only lead to economic paralysis and/or collapse.
Fascism retains the semblance of private property, but the government holds total power over its use and disposal.
Welfare Statism exists in much of the world, including the U.S. It is not socialism: private property is not socialized and is meant to be preserved. But it still seeks control of said property’s use and disposal. Thus, its fundamental characteristic is fascist.
All of the above forms of government are Statist/collectivist that violate individual rights; the difference is a matter of degree. And Welfare States will always trend toward socialism. Using the U.S. as an example, we have gone from over-taxing the rich – without any regard for their contributions to the economy and individual wealth – to demonizing them to doing everything possible to achieve economic equality at their expense. This is accomplished, in part, by irrationally re-defining individual rights to include material goods and services.
“Social Justice” proposals are collectivist in nature and are intended to replace the historical concept of justice which respects individual rights. Such proposals are attempting to minimize economic class distinctions and to control industries (e.g. with environmentalism and regulations) – characteristics of Socialism.
Margaret Thatcher became British Prime Minister in 1979 and saved her country from Socialism. She said “Marxists get up early in the morning to further their cause. We must get up even earlier to defend our freedom.” It is individual freedom and private enterprise that yields economic progress. But most of our Republican politicians fail to sufficiently defend freedom. That has to change if we are to stop going down the path toward Socialism.
The regressive Left in this country are evil and dangerous as they attempt to fundamentally change our political system. Led by Bernie Sanders, their proposals include Medicare for all, the Green New Deal, free college tuition and elimination of student debt, a $15 minimum wage, a housing guarantee for all, a national rent-control standard, and an aggressive wealth tax on the rich. These are all designed to create economic equality at the expense of those who have most succeeded in life – those who help support all others. They completely undermine individual rights, create class conflicts and appeal to those motivated by envy/hatred. They hold “needs” as a moral standard; and needs turn to “wants” turn to “demands” turn to “rights”.
Bernie Sanders may call himself a “Democratic Socialist”; but as one writer put it, that is a “Communist’s lie”. He and other politicians of his ilk have supported the policies of multiple socialist/communist governments. He agrees with Karl Marx that Capitalism (as he misdefines it) must be destroyed; that the individual (who apparently can know no objective truth) must be compromised for the sake of the collective and the common good; that emotionalism must rule over reason.
Does that not terrify you? Evidently, it does not terrify the majority of millennials. They can’t possibly understand the true meaning of Socialism. Let’s hope they gain that understanding before they vote in November. And It behooves Republicans to better accommodate them on social issues (e.g. gay marriage, abortion, drug policies).
