Socialism is a morally bankrupt philosophy. Its foundation is envy and its primary tool is theft — taking money from people who earn it and giving it to those who did not.
Just so there’s no misunderstanding, I have no problem with socialism that is mutually agreed upon. If a group of people decide to live in a communal setting, sharing everything and holding all their possessions in common, sharing all they earn and produce, I have no problem with that. It’s a particularly hard situation to make work satisfactorily, as evidenced by the lack of communes today, despite many of them being founded by collectivists in the 1960s. But I think folks should be able to give it a try, if they want.
No, the socialism I detest is the involuntary socialism beloved of governments — socialism at the point of a gun. The only way to make socialism “work” is to force participation by unwilling persons. This is how socialist governments all over the world operate.
Communists in particular believe in the principle: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” I maintain that there is nothing fair or moral about robbing one person to pay another, no matter how “needy” the latter may be. Theft is theft and theft is wrong.
Socialsts believe, apparently, that theft is OK as long as it’s been voted on — like three wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
Socialism says that some people must sacrifice so that others may benefit. This is the same theory behind throwing a virgin into the volcano or cutting the still-beating heart from someone’s chest to appease the Gods. Some people benefit, some have to pay. Voting on and institutionalizing the process does not make it any less wrong.
Now, if the leaders would care to ask for virgin volunteers to jump into the volcano or ask that young lads come forth and volunteer to have their hearts cut out with a stone knife, and volunteers do these things willingly, I have no problem with that. Many people are, by nature, altruistic and would make those sacrifices for the benefit of others, but the decision must be personal, and not up to the government.
“But what about the poor people,” you might ask. Well, there’d be a lot fewer poor people if government wasn’t sucking up 40-50% of everything we Americans produce. And poor people will always be cared for by not-poor people. Even during the Great Depression, people didn’t starve to death. We had soup kitchens and private philanthropy to help people get by.
But socialists aren’t happy with getting by. They want what others have; they are driven by envy. They view as “unfair” any system in which some have more than others. For them, it’s not about poor people, it’s about inequality. So they steal from those that have to give to those that have not. Simple as that.
Socialism is a morally bankrupt philosophy.