In a talk I recently gave, I stated that socialism has failed every single time it has been tried. I was asked if I linked socialism with totalitarianism. I affirmed it did. I was then essentially asked about what is often called "democratic socialism."
The truth is, there is no such thing as "democratic socialism." Sweden is usually touted as an example of Bernie Sanders' claim of "democratic socialism." The truth is, when Sweden became a wealthy country it experimented with socialism. After a few years Swedes realized socialism removed incentive to produce and began to erode the country's economic position. Therefore, Sweden returned to a market economy although they did retain some of the social programs enacted under socialism. Socialism in Sweden did not work.
Venezuela, it is true, enacted socialism under Maduro, by a vote of the people. Promised "heaven on earth," the Venezuelan people voted for socialism. It all seemed to work for a time, then the wheels came off. As in every other effort to install socialism, Venezuela discovered that when the government ran out of "everyone else's money," the only way to maintain governmental power was through force. Venezuela under Maduro became a totalitarian state forcing socialism on the population. Like Sweden, Venezuela was once an economic powerhouse. Based on its oil, the country was one of, if not the richest, in South America. Under socialism it is now one of the poorest.
Everywhere socialism has been tried it has failed. Socialist governments retained power only by the barrel of a gun. Not only has socialism failed, it produced governmental mass murder wherever it has been tried. Russia, China, Cambodia, and Germany slaughtered millions to retain control.
Germany? When was Germany ever a socialist nation? The NATIONAL SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY began in 1919-20 and came to power in the 1930s. Like the Soviet Union and China, the Nazis were SOCIALIST. The ONLY difference is the "wedding" of nationalism with socialism. Nazi and Fascist regimes are simply socialism with a strong emphasis on nationalism. Bolshevik communism/socialism saw itself as a world-wide phenomenon and expected a world-wide proletarian revolution to overthrow capitalism. ALL SOCIALISM IS RADICAL LEFT-WING and fails every time.
Why does it fail? It is because socialism and progressivism is rooted in the same wrong-headed view of humanity. Progressives and socialists see humans a good. All that is needed to reveal their goodness is to eliminate the social and cultural ills that create situations where they MUST "act out."
Therefore, eliminate poverty and there will be no need to steal. Eliminate inequality in wealth and restore peace. Eliminate "oppression" and humans will not hate, or lie, or harm others.
That human beings are essentially good is the greatest falsehood every given. Human beings are depraved wicked beings and have been since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Perhaps depravity isn't total. Even the most wicked do some good things, but one immoral act or thought cannot be rectified by all any or all good deeds.
That's why socialism won't work. Human beings are inherently selfish and seek to blame everything and everyone for their problems. In socialism only the governmental leaders comprise the one percent and no one else has much of anything.
If you think socialism is an attainable utopia, consider the Venezuelans who were once rich now scrounging food in dumpsters. Consider the Russians who carried brief cases everywhere they went hoping to find something--even toilet paper--to buy because socialism couldn't provide even the basic necessities. Russians lived for more than 70 years on a COVID-like shut-down!!! Consider the Chinese students with their little red books in hand killing China's intellectuals and businessmen.
No, socialism never works. It can't. It is based on the greatest of lies: humans aren't gods and they aren't good.
