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Online Bigun

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Why socialism always fails
« on: July 15, 2017, 01:35:42 pm »
Why socialism always fails


Mark J. Perry

Slightly more than 20 years ago, I wrote the article “Why Socialism Failed” and it appeared in 1995 in The Freeman, the flagship publication of the Foundation for Economic Education. I think it was the first essay or op-ed I wrote for a general audience following graduation in 1993 from George Mason University with a Ph.D. in economics. Note that the title of the article (“failed”) implied the past tense, as if I perhaps assumed the failures of socialism were so apparent and obvious (I called it the Big Lie of the 20th century) that it would be forever considered only as a discredited system of the past, and never as a viable option going forward into the future! Of course, at the time many parts of the world were moving away from collectivism and central planning and towards free market capitalism – the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and China was opening up its economy and re-established the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1990, etc.


Given the recent resurgence of socialism, especially as it is now being embraced by young Americans, I thought it might be a good time to re-visit my 1995 essay to review why socialism: a) failed in the 20th century, b) is failing in the 21st century (e.g. Venezuela, see photo above), and c) will always fail. And that’s because it’s a flawed system based on completely faulty principles that aren’t consistent with human behavior and can’t nurture the human spirit.

Much more at link: http://www.aei.org/publication/why-socialism-always-fails/
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Online Bigun

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2017, 01:36:56 pm »
The strength of capitalism can be attributed to an incentive structure based upon the three Ps: (1) prices determined by market forces, (2) a profit-and-loss system of accounting and (3) private property rights. The failure of socialism can be traced to its neglect of these three incentive-enhancing components.
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Online LMAO

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2017, 11:27:30 pm »
Socialism is one of those pursuits with good intentions. But good intentions cannot overcome  math or the law of economics.
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Offline INVAR

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2017, 12:09:36 am »
Why socialism always fails?  It keeps running out of other people's money and eventually it runs out of other people altogether.

Which tends to happen when guns placed by the state to the heads of the producers results in famine and/or mass graves.

Morale of a nation is usually reduced to about the same as it is in a forced labor camp.
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Fart for freedom, fart for liberty and fart proudly.  - Benjamin Franklin

...Obsta principiis—Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people. When the people give way, their deceivers, betrayers and destroyers press upon them so fast that there is no resisting afterwards. The nature of the encroachment upon [the] American constitution is such, as to grow every day more and more encroaching. Like a cancer, it eats faster and faster every hour." - John Adams, February 6, 1775

Offline goatprairie

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2017, 04:00:30 pm »
One of the arguments socialists use to convert ripe, easily influenced people is the " everybody relies on everybody else" theme.
True enough...nobody can live the good life without cooperation from other people. Therefore (according to the socialists) since we all rely on each other, nobody should have a lot more than other people. Nobody, as Comrade Barack instructed us, built anything by themselves. Government should decide who has what and how much.
But if we follow that argument to its logical outcome, then nobody would have any right to ownership of anything they have. The simple fact is society works best when people are allowed to own their own property and government infringes on their lives AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE!
If people want to voluntarily pool their resources with other people and try to live in communes or whatever, they are free to do so.  But to compel others to join their arrangement is a crime. 
The country works a lot better when everybody pulls their weight.
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Offline anubias

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2017, 05:30:15 pm »
But Norway...

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Offline goatprairie

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2017, 08:33:13 pm »
Quote from: anubias on July 16, 2017, 05:30:15 pm
But Norway...
Heh,heh....some time ago when I was still working I asked one of my co-workers who was nearing retirement which country he'd love to live in if he could choose.  The guy, who had traveled extensively,  said Norway. I asked him why.  He said because the gov. does so much for the average citizen.  (By the way this guy was a hard liberal).
I then asked him if that's where he was going to retire.  He replied no.
I asked him why not if the gov. did so many things for its citizens.
He said because it was so expensive to live there.
I scratched my head a little puzzled and then asked him why he thought it was so great if it was so expensive to live there.  A little exasperated he said because the gov. does so much for the average citizen.
I then replied but that you said it was a great place to live. Why don't you want to move to that great country where the gov. does so much for the people.
He then stomped away irritated with my impertinent questions about the "wonders" of Norway where the gov. does so much for the average citizen, but it's too expensive to move there.
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Online Cyber Liberty

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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2017, 08:50:38 pm »
I guess it's a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there.  Like Florida.
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Re: Why socialism always fails
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2017, 09:13:17 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on July 16, 2017, 08:50:38 pm
I guess it's a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there.  Like Florida.

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