Definitionisms
| System | Ownership | Control | Description | Freedom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free market capitalism | private | private | The individual is paramount. You keep what you earn. The market is defined by voluntary exchanges among citizens. Provides the highest degree of economic mobility, and the lowest levels of income inequality.The state’s role is restricted to preventing citizens from using force or fraud against each other. |
Greatest |
| Socialism | private | private control under a parasitic state | The state takes from producers to give to the unproductive, which allows the state to grow, gain power, and skim off the top to support itself. Some economic mobility, with the concomitant risk of successful individuals being labeled as greedy. The system is highly susceptible to fraud, and cannot be sustained without force. | ↓ |
| Corporatism (AKA: crony capitalism) | private | private control under a parasitic, manipulative state | The state takes from producers for itself and special interests. Anyone interested in succeeding must therefore join or curry favor with the state to be allowed to get on the money train. Force and favoritism are built into the system, which is highly susceptible to fraud and corruption. | ↓ |
| Fascism | private | state | Private property and private enterprise exist for the furtherance of the state. The remnants of private ownership enable the state to blame problems arising from state control on businesses and businesspeople. Force extends into non-economic sectors of society. | ↓ |
| Communism | state | state | The state is paramount; the individual is valued only to the extent that he contributes to the state. Virtually no economic mobility without government approval and connections within the state apparatus, and therefore the highest income inequality.The state ensures that all problems — real or invented — are blamed on individuals and individualism. Force is central to controlling every aspect of society. |
Least |
You want to know what fascism is like? It is like your New Deal!
Benito Mussolini
Socialism is the idea that violent force is an appropriate response to peaceful, voluntary exchange.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) October 14, 2015
If you are smart and a socialist you are not honest. If you are honest and a socialist you are not smart. If you are smart and honest you are not a socialist.
Socialism penalizes those who create to support those who do not. Capitalism prioritizes merit and accomplishment.
Socialism denies the keystone of freedom: Private property. Capitalism cherishes it.
Socialism creates scarcity. Capitalism creates plenty.
The sine qua non of socialism (in any of its flavors) is force. Capitalism allows freedom to flourish.
Socialism breeds income inequality. Capitalism creates opportunities. If you don’t like income inequality, you must support capitalism — it’s the only system known to work.
Proponents of socialism often tout free
stuff, such as medical care, education, food, housing, etc. Therefore, in evaluating socialism, you have to ask yourself:
- What are these free goods and services are going to cost?;
- Because the money has to come from somewhere, and the government does not create wealth, where is the money coming from?; and
- What freedoms must we surrender?
Proponents of socialism also commonly claim that socialism should be the goal because most people want free things. But this is why democracies are called mob rule. Just because the majority of the voters want something, if what they want is illegal, it is wrong to provide it to them. Usually, the money to pay for all these free
things involves theft from productive citizens before it can be given to non-productive citizens. And along the way, the government takes a huge bite.
Want great health care? Get the government completely out of the health care business.
Want quality education? At lower levels, re-institute discipline and impart actual information. At higher levels, get the government completely out of our colleges and universities. At all levels, get the federal government out of the education system.
Want food? Want housing? Get a job. As the Bible wisely puts it in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Want living wages? Stop importing millions of workers from other countries.
If the U.S. loses what little remains of the freedoms we have historically enjoyed, that will be the end of our country. And if our country goes down, you can kiss freedom goodbye around the world.
Free market capitalism and the United States are the planet’s only hope for freedom and prosperity.