Pop Quiz:
What economist said: “If a socialist understood economics he wouldn’t be a socialist”?
What world leader said: “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”?
What philosophe said: “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.”?
What American economist said: “Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”?
What religious leader said: “The historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency.”?
Answers at the end of the post.
For those who practice self-abuse we recommend that you read the platform of the Democrats Socialists of America. A bottle of anti-depressants should be at the ready.
Over the course of history there have, from time to time, been blueprints offered up for the “advancement” of the art of governance. Herewith are several examples:
The Magna Carta
During the reign of King John a group of rebellious barons forced the King to sign the Magna Carta. Among the provisions in that document were clauses providing for a free church, reforming law and justice, and controlling the behavior of royal officials. One of the charter’s 63 clauses tasked the barons with choosing 25 representatives to serve as a “form of security” intended to preserve rights and liberties that had been enumerated. It guaranteed that government, royal or otherwise, would be limited by the written law of the land. These provisions were the first tentative steps of what became popular self-government.
The American Experience
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were the logical extension of the principles set forth in the Magna Carta. So far the Broadway show known as the United States has had a very successful 250 year run. Sadly there are an over abundance of ill-informed critics seeking to rewrite the script.
Das Kapital
The magnum opus of the pseudo-intellectual Karl Marx has all the characteristics of a dystopian diary written by a self-indulgent adolescent who has no meaningful experience in the real world. The sort of adolescent who will, like Griffin John, shoot up a local elementary school. Or on a larger scale his adherents have gone on to kill 40 million people in the USSR and 80 million people in the People’s Republic of China. The inevitable result is an authoritarian/totalitarian ruling class that ignores the niceties of a limited government and individual liberties.
The DSA Platform
The DSA platform published in 2026 is a collection of soothing bromides that have no direct or indirect connection to reality. It reads like the notes of a therapist who treats only AWFULs and Karens. The platform has no identified attribution of authorship but it is reminiscent of the old observation about the origin of the camel…a horse designed by a committee. It would not be surprising to learn that the author is Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
Those who embrace this collection of meaningless platitudes are real life Oompa Loompas who buy into the Willie Wonka fantasy world where you “can take a sunrise, sprinkle it in dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two then mix it with love and make the world taste good”. Simple ideas for simple minded people.
Here are some examples of the DSA’s wisdom/naivete…
Ending Poverty
The number one goal of the UN’s Agenda 21 is ending poverty and the DSA is fully on board with that delusional exercise. Our crack research staff did an in depth survey of the last 15,000 years and has determined that poverty has always been a part of the human condition. It is worth noting that there was a dramatic drop in the rate of poverty after the advent of free enterprise. What the bleeding hearts fail to consider is what actually causes poverty.
LBJ did his best to reverse the decline of poverty by pushing government programs that encouraged the single parent household, a leading cause of property. The legalization and increased use of drugs also contributes to poverty. At this moment in history however we have a growing systemic cause of poverty…an aversion to actuaaly going to work. It is more relaxing to merely live in the basement with Mom and Dad picking up the tab.
Immigration
The DSA bewails the “unaffordability” of housing and the higher unemployment levels for minorities, The wringing of their collective hands requires a complete lack of knowledge of the basic laws of supply and demand. They want “expanded protections for immigrants” and a change in immigration enforcement policy. The Biden Administration’s open door policy had two deleterious effects: (1) an increased demand for rental properties which caused a dramatic increase in rents, and (2) an increase in unemployment among new entrants to the job market especially young Blacks. Any person with an understanding of basic economics would have foreseen these adverse impacts…unfortunately this does not include America’s foremost economic authority AOC.
Business Ownership and Control
The DSA wants public and worker ownership of businesses. This is, of course, a pipe dream worthy of Tattoo. Perhaps we should set up a test case…turn the management of Amazon or Walmart over to the public or the workers. Maybe we would witness a miracle but the likelihood is the same as Abigail Spanberger having an original idea. If nothing else the inevitable collapse of those successful enterprises would usher in a renaissance of small businesses across the land.
Environmental Justice
There is a major problem right from the get go with this inane wet dream. What would be the working definition of “environmental justice”? Let’s turn that question over to the collective genius of Elizabeth Warren, AOC and St. Greta of Thunberg at the risk of setting human thought back several millennia. This is true because these three ignorami have less than no understanding of how the environment works. All three of these towering intellects still believe that the actions of humans have a measurable impact on the climate.
Free Everything
The DSA wants free public colleges, free healthcare, affordable housing, expanded public services, forgiveness of student loans.and public financing of elections. It should be noted that there is no discussion about how we will finance this cornucopia of goodies. Our favorite Nazi Bernie Sanders wants a marginal tax rate of 100%. Let’s assume for fun that the 100% tax rate kicks in at $500,000. How much additional revenue would his plan generate for the exchequer? Exactly zero dollars as all salaries would be capped at $500,000. No one will work for more because they will not be getting no more. We are betting that the benighted Senator from Vermont has failed to factor this data point into his redistribution scheme.
Or perhaps they plan to put Rumpelstiltskin in charge of the Federal Reserve…presto, problem solved.
Why do members of Gen Z and Alpha so willingly embrace concepts that have never worked? The answer, I fear, is that they don’t plan to ever work.
Answers to the pop quiz:
What economist said: “If a socialist understood economics he wouldn’t be a socialist”? Fredrich von Hayek
What world leader said: “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”? Sir Winston Churchill
What philosophe said: “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.”? Alexis de Tocqueville
What American economist said: “Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”? Thomas Sowell
What religious leader said: “The historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency.”? Pope John Paul II