Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote:

"Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality.
But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty,
socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude."

In this, he sums up in a very simple way why Socialism, in all it's various forms, has been such an abhorrent failure. In order for thereto be both social and economic prosperity for a society, the people cannot be restrained in their lawful and everyday intercourse. In Socialism the terms "fairness" and "equality" are misnomers. Fair or equal for who? A small minority or minorities who need to be seen as victims? Socialism puts restraints on individuals based on a distorted,and sometimes perverted, interpretation of "fairness" and "equality"."Obamacare" is very good current example. Even though Socialism is portrayed in the media and by Leftists as compassionate, that compassion is a boldface lie. Socialist Compassion is slavery. If we Americans are forced into the soft tyranny of "Obamacare" regardless of the fact that approximately 70% of us would rather not participate,that is a small step towards slavery. The difference between this modern slavery and the slavery of 19th century and beyond is that with modern slavery the slave owner is the government.

When individuals are free to do as they please the way democracy and capitalism allow them to be, societies prosper and grow.

"Death To Socialism in 2010"

--
Zampolit Boris Sukavich Blokhayev
Commissar, 1st Chief Directorate for The Party™ Approved Margarita Research and Operations
Grand Inquisitor, The Reformed Church of Latter-Day Climatology (The Goremons)

Zampolit Blokhayev wrote:When individuals are free to do as they please the way democracy and capitalism allow them to be, societies prosper and grow.

Correction, Democracy is not a synonym of liberty. You mean a Republic. Yes, indeed, a Democracy and a Republic are alike in many aspects; however, it is important to know the one huge distinction, and this is why our Founding Father's chose a Republic.

In a Republic, sovereignty is in each individual. In a Democracy, sovereignty is in the collective (majority rules). Democracies are incompatible with liberty and individual rights; and this is why collectivists prefer, as Marx and Engels did, a Democracy because it is collective in nature and easier to achieve collectivist agendas. Therefore...

When individuals are to do as they please the way a republic and laissez faire allow them to be, societies prosper and grow (as we proved in 150 years of our settlement and the first 50 to 75 years of the United States' existence).

Okay?:-)

Comrade Statist-in-Chief,

Thank you for pointing this out. You are correct.

The best description that I have heard of the United States is that we are a "Constitutional republic whose whose foundation is based on democratic principles.". Unfortunately, this description is far too long winded for the simple minds of American Socialists.

However, let us not digress from the point that de Tocqueville was trying to communicate. That is, to put it simply, Socialism equals Slavery.

--
ZB

Comrade Blokhayev,

You are welcome. Naturally, I agree, collectivism (with its 101+ varieties) equals slavery. Perhaps Alexis de Tocqueville confused our Republic with a Democracy? I do not know, nonetheless, Democracy in America is a great book by de Tocqueville. I encourage all to read it. I love how de Tocqueville observed that there was little crime in the United States and that criminals, while having little fear of a nearly non-existent government presence, had much to fear of the People, hence, self-government. He marveled at how well such an undirected and non-professionalized system could work so well. As Jefferson said, "Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." Plus he wrote, "I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves: and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion."

And the reason We the People changed was...?