Socialism*: 1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods


2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

I have included the above definition because it is always good to understand the topic of discussion. The definition of socialism as given by Merriam-Webster while correctly presenting the concept does not reveal the inherent malevolence of the idea or more importantly the ideal. Since the purpose of this discussion is to point out socialisms flaws it will be good to understand the difference between it and other political systems and ideas.

Socialism is one of those ideas that on the surface seems positive towards quality of life and appears benevolent in its goals. However, like many ideas that initially sound good, once the reality of the concept is truly grasped in its totality there are inherent problems with establishing and maintaining that reality.

Many have been cultured to see Socialism as some benign method of providing aid to those in need. Many stanch socialists would readily tell you this is indeed their prime motivation and no doubt be sincere in their belief, yet they are incorrect despite their intent. Socialism is not a viable method or system, it is merely an ideal who’s tenets are impossible to implement as a unified and organized form of governance.

To be fair, this is marginally true of most forms of governance from democracy to dictatorships. No form of political rule yet conceived is perfect in its execution. The goal is not perfection but stability and consistency in the application of law to support individual freedoms and rights. In totalitarian systems, the support of individual freedoms would be minimal in the extreme and are usually contrived or only found in the lip service used to present a false face to the world where needed. In a Democracy the level of individual freedoms and rights of individuals can vary depending on the form of democratic rule and the strength of the rule of law. Generally the greater the scope of individual rights and freedoms the greater the economic benefit and quality of life. Quality always comes at a greater cost and greater freedoms and rights require a constant and consistent review through a system of checks and balances. In the United States this is performed by the three branches of government, Executive, Legislative and Judicial. While it can be argued the American system provides the most freedom to the individual, few would make the case it is the perfect system. This is actually by design as the American system is an admitted experiment, meant to be capable of change and growth. While the original concepts persist, their definitions and interpretations are under constant attack and defense, and herein lays both the greatest weakness and strength of our system.

There are many variants and flavors of democracy employed across the globe, I will not go into each, nor their differences except to point out that most use a parliamentary system, and many attempt to incorporate socialism into their mix. Suffice to say that while the United States is still a relatively young nation compared with the rest of the world, it has the distinction of having the oldest continuously operating successful government and constitution in the world. While the growth of democracy in the world is welcome, the forms it takes do not always provide the greatest level of individual rights or freedoms. In some cases and locations, centuries of culture may make it very difficult for the population to grasp the concept of individuality never mind live in a free society.

Socialism is not a political system of government, neither for that matter is democracy. Democracy is a “manner” of governance which favors social equality and individual freedom, the form of Democracy taken determines the level of individual rights the society has. Likewise socialism is a concept as defined above and how it is applied is arbitrary and dependant on the level of control those in power wish to exert on the populace. Once enabled though that level generally moves in the direction of total control rather than lesser.


When comparing Communism, who’s history has exposed that political systems requirement for totalitarian oppression and penchant for mass murder in order to achieve control over the population, a constitutional republic such as that in the United States is as close to utopia as has been so far envisioned. So far being the operative term. I do not differentiate Communism from Socialism just as I would not differentiate one dictatorship from another or one armed robber from another. One despot is the same as another or whatever system they allege to be ruling under.


*http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism