A common-sense critique of socialism

There are none so certain as those who know nothing.

Introduction

Scammers play to our perceived needs or wants. Do a search or make a purchase online and you will be inundated with offers that will “fix” whatever ails you, and they have testimonials to prove it. So many of the products are flim-flam offered by con men who know how to use our desires to trick us.

Socialists are experts at this game, and young Americans are their target. What I have written here is a warning for those who are reasonable and open minded.

Socialism is not what it appears to be, and you need to know the truth.

Leftists, such as Hasan Piker, Senator Bernie Sanders, and others are exploiting our baser instincts to advance a treacherous agenda and fomenting a revolution. The Bible and principled leaders have pointed out that envy and covetousness are reprehensible and destructive because they create discontentment and conflict between people who would otherwise get along.

But these two disgusting human traits are the tracks upon which socialists promote their agenda.

Socialists’ rallying cry is “egality” as the only “just” form of society; but as it is impossible to achieve equal wealth for all, they crush societies with equal poverty for all, except, of course, the leaders. The overseers of socialist states such as China, Russia, Cuba. and North Korea all live, not surprisingly, in the opulence of kings! It may come as a surprise to you that Hasan Piker, the communist influencer who has called for capitalist blood to run in our streets, (nice guy, huh?) has purchased a house worth 2.7 million dollars in California! You really cannot make this stuff up!

He truly fits the pattern of the typical socialist: “Poverty for thee, wealth for me!” Oh, and Bernie Sanders? He has three houses. Do you?

I expect most Americans desire to improve the country, and there is always room for improvement. That was the goal of the Founders who declared their independence from Great Britain for the purpose of forming “a more perfect union.” They knew better than to expect a perfect outcome, but they sought beneficial change. The question is how to best achieve that goal.

I am quite certain that adopting socialism, which is merely a toxic mutation of monarchism, and which we rejected in our Revolution, is a colossal step backwards. America, in spite of its shortcomings, remains a beacon of hope for millions around the world.

Sadly, America is more polarized than it has been at any time since the Civil War. Some suggest that we are in a cold civil war, which is tragic! It may be that the greatest problem is the refusal of so many to listen to the other side’s perspective. The Left’s ongoing intimidation of conservative and pro-American voices is unconscionable.

A person with good intentions will seek to understand where their opponents are coming from; but as we witnessed in the riots of 2020, the leftist combatants would not explain themselves nor hear their opponents. Millions of young Americans today have heard little or nothing from a conservative perspective and have been hindered from doing so; yet they have made up their minds having heard only the socialist’s arguments.

The killing of Charlie Kirk has closed the door even further as many who love America’s freedoms are afraid to speak up. Professor Allan Bloom warned of this in his 1987 bestseller, “The Closing of the American Mind.” The Bible calls such a closed mind, foolish. If you do not know the issue well enough to articulate your opponents’ arguments to some degree, you are probably being deceived.

There are really only two possible reasons why socialists work so hard to keep young Americans from hearing opposing arguments: they believe these young people are not smart enough to handle the argument, or they fear that they will lose the debate. Suppose you were on trial and the only person allowed to make his case was the prosecutor? Would that raise some concerns in your heart?

It would be unfair on its face and would be thrown out on appeal. So it is if you hear only one side of the socialism/capitalism debate. It is explicitly unfair. As the Bible points out, the first person to present his case appears right until his opponent presents his side! You need to hear both.

Changing your coffee flavor or shoe brand does not require much thought. Transforming your country from its very foundation demands serious consideration. There are a myriad voices calling upon Americans to vote for those who would radically transform America into a socialist country. Have you noticed that inherent in that demand is the fact that in America you can vote for change while in socialist countries the citizens cannot?

How ludicrous to even imagine a communist country voting to become capitalistic! Anyone foolish enough to make such a suggestion would almost certainly be imprisoned or executed. Once a country has gone socialist, there is no going back. It is quite amazing that we are even having such a debate in America, considering the overwhelming evidence of socialism’s failures and oppression.

Utopia does not and cannot exist because flawed people run every government and constitute every society. The Bible tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked,” and “there is none righteous, not even one.”

That description cannot be honestly disputed.

I would suggest that with socialism on the ballot in many states this November, every citizen should inform him or herself thoroughly regarding the real-life consequences of each form of government rather than simply taking the word of critics. If you have never lived under socialism you might want to listen to the testimonials of the many who have escaped it to kiss the ground of America in gratitude.

A little research will reveal that multiple millions of people worldwide hunger for the liberties of America, and are restricted from coming, while those desiring to move to a socialist country could probably be counted on your two hands, and they are truly free to go! The millions of people from every point on the globe who slipped across our borders illegally during Biden’s presidency is ample evidence of that fact.

The fact that ardent socialists are on the ballot in multiple states indicates that the communists have been far too successful in their strategy to defeat America, which they launched some seventy years ago. One of their goals was to infiltrate and take over both major political parties. Now consider that New York Mayor, Mamdani, AOC, Rashida Tlaib, as well as Barack Obama and many others are all Democrats and are endorsed by socialist/communists.

The Communist Party USA has backed the national Democrat Party ticket for many years, suggesting that the Democrat Party is now run by communists! Know this: if you support local Democrats, you are thereby also supporting communism in the United States!

Every patriotic American must know this and act accordingly.

Examining life under socialism will reveal that the choice you make in the next election may well mean the difference between freedom and slavery, life and death for you and your family. It is that serious a matter! The facts of how difficult life becomes under socialism is precisely why its proponents limit their followers’ exposure to that information. I am skeptical of anyone who inserts themselves between me and information. You should be too. God, Himself, does not force Himself upon us but invites us to, “Come now, let us reason together…”

I invite you to consider the following evaluation of socialism. It may provide you with a better understanding of why people are fleeing socialistic countries, why those countries always limit their citizens’ ability to leave, and why a free country, such as America, in spite of its weaknesses, is still the best place on earth to live! Socialism, by every metric, is not paradise, but bondage and misery.

The Situation in America.

Whether it is true or not, young Americans are generally considered the least informed of any generation in history, yet they are often angry in their certainty that America is the worst country in the world. It is said that those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it; and the frighting reality is that young Americans appear unaware of the disaster known as communism and how that ideology conquered and enslaved millions of people in multiple countries in the 20^th Century.

Young people are easily influenced by their peers to the point that they often go along with the crowd without serious consideration of where they are going. Some activities have little risk, but others are deadly. Apparently, too few young people have mothers who ask, “If all your friends jumped off a cliff would you join them?”

The epidemic of young Americans accepting socialism as better than American free enterprise capitalism is unprecedented and alarming. No economic system is without problems; but capitalism is hands down the best, having demonstrated the ability over the last century to raise hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

Revolutions are nasty things. People die; and often, a lot of people. What the Left, sometimes called “Democratic Socialists,” proposes for America is truly revolutionary, completely dismantling America’s culture and economy; and you ought not join them without careful consideration. It should be noted that when America’s founders chose to revolt, they had the integrity to state clearly their grievances and their desire for self-rule.

Socialists sell their product with platitudes and promises, but history teaches that after dozens of attempts they have never fulfilled those promises. Youthful enthusiasts say, “We’ll do it right this time!” Our reply is “Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twenty times,” I don’t think so! The pledge that “We’ll do it right this time!” is a nonstarter.

Socialism cannot be done “right.” 

We will address that shortly.

Socialists attract a following with promises of free stuff.  Any thinking ten-year-old would smell a rat there, but somehow American young people naively believe them. There is no such thing as a “free lunch.” There are always strings attached; and a little skepticism would go a long way here. The question should be, “what is the catch?” What are we giving up? What is the real cost of the “free lunch?”

Make no mistake: it will cost you something, much more than you realize or would want to pay if you read the small print. Socialism cost the lives of millions in the Twentieth Century, and the price tag hasn’t changed. Millions more across the world are still paying with their lives and liberty as they struggle under the heel of socialism.

For good reasons, there is no perfect economic system, and utopia is impossible. The question is “Which system provides the best pathway to a minimally comfortable living for the most people?” A quick on-line search of major socialist countries reveals the following:

• Approximately 20% of Chinese are “middle class” and around 5½% enjoy “upper class” status. The remaining 75% live in poverty.
• Russia has approximately 80% of its population living as peasants, and around 20% as middle-class.
• Cuba boasts virtually no middle class at all, and those who live moderately well do so as beneficiaries of gifts from abroad.
• And, if you have paid attention to events in Venezuela you know that it has been a disaster in every way.
• Care to examine North Korea?  I didn’t think so.

Contrast that with America, the land attacked as “oppressive.” Seventy percent of our population lives as either middle or upper class, and most of those who are considered lower class have cell phones, televisions, internet access, and microwave ovens. They are also free to move about at will, and they live as well or better than many of the middle class in Russia or China.

Prosperity in America generally follows hard work, so that might be a problem if one is allergic to work. Americans have historically accepted the principle that nothing of real value is free. It is a “Christian thing.” Labor is not only the best and most moral way to accrue wealth; it is rewarding in itself. There is significant satisfaction derived from putting in a good day’s work. Wealth accumulation in America may take time, but because it is earned legitimately, it also brings a sense of accomplishment.

Are there instances of exploitation of workers in America? Of course! It happens everywhere; The only issue is this: who is doing the exploiting? In America it may be a business, which you may escape by switching jobs. Under socialism it is the government that exploits you, which you cannot escape.

A word to the wise: Fishermen would never catch fish without bait, but the bait is not a gift for the fish! All the promises of the Left, as good as they may sound, are not intended for your benefit. They are bait!

Democratic socialism is an oxymoron. It does not exist. A democracy requires a minimum of two political parties, while socialist countries create one-party systems restricted to communists. They disingenuously boast of nearly 100% support for their candidates, which is true as it is dangerous or fatal to oppose them!

Socialism cannot fulfill its promises for a variety of reasons.  We will list some of them and then develop each more fully.

1. It is radically atheistic. All socialist countries persecute Christians.
2. It operates top-down. Virtually all power resides with a very few individuals.
3. Its operational principles contradict human nature and laws of economics.
4. Once it has been instituted there is no known case of it being defeated by its citizens.
5. If socialism is so wonderful, why must they build walls to keep people in, and why do so many of their residents wish to move to the US?
6. Incentives to work hard and do one’s best are eliminated, leaving virtually everyone in poverty and misery with poor quality products.

Further Development.

1. Socialists are belligerent in their atheism. Socialist countries generally limit or disallow the public practice of any religion, but they especially hate Christianity.  Christianity declares the supremacy of God and the accountability of all, including governments, to Him, as well as the dignity of man as image-bearers of God.

Christianity declares each person to have infinite value before God and  accountability to Him first.  William Tyndale, in his 1530s English translation of the Bible wrote in its flyleaf, “The Bible is for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  Socialism is a government for those who run the government.

Genuine Christians refuse to give ultimate allegiance to anyone other than God, making them difficult to subjugate.

1. Having eliminated God from culture and government, socialists give the “State” ultimate authority. They also claim the prerogative to determine “Truth.”  Their word is absolute to the extent that they control the culture, the media, and even life and death.  When socialists refer to the “State” one should understand that they mean themselves, the authorities, not the citizens.  To be an enemy of the “State” means that you oppose them.
2. Eliminating God removes the hope of Heaven and for a better existence after death. Socialists prioritize the material world, promising utopia now and exploiting people’s fears that if they don’t get all they want now, they will never get it. The devaluing of human life that attends socialism leads to the easy sacrifice of the individual for the sake of the “State,”
3. Utopia, the perfect society they promise, is simply not possible. The fundamental requirements of a perfect society have never been met even in small communities; and after witnessing endless violence and suffering for 6000 years, it is delusional to think that the imperfections, to say nothing to the major failures of mankind, will simply melt away when socialists gain full control. Every socialist country in the world maintains prisons and police forces with good reason.
4. One of the tragic ironies of socialistic countries is that in the Twentieth Century, in the name of creating utopia for the people, these governments slaughtered hundreds of millions of people! “They have effected a cure but have killed the patient.”
5. Profit and wealth are despised by the socialist; but the problem is not actually with profit or wealth, but with the person who controls it! The socialist covets what the entrepreneur or businessman has earned by hard work.  The biblical commandment, “Thou shalt not steal” is meaningless unless there is a God-given right to own wealth or property. One of the first words a child learns to say is “mine,” showing an intuitive awareness of the principal of property rights.  No one, including the government, has the right to take that which belongs to a citizen without constitutional authority, such as limited, authorized taxes.  The US Constitution places restrictions on that authority.  Without the right to property, one cannot secure one’s own life!
6. Socialists declare all wealth to be the property of the “State,” meaning that in practical terms, it is theirs, and they decide how it is to be distributed. How convenient! They don’t do the hard work of creating wealth, but they get to spend it.

2. Socialist societies operate top down, meaning that all the power resides in the central government. Like traditional monarchies, socialist governments coalesce around a single “head” who holds nearly absolute power. Just as one could have lost his head for resisting the will of a British monarch, so it would be suicidal to oppose Xi in China, Putin in Russia, or Kim Jong Un in North Korea.
   1. An honest comparison of socialism and monarchies would suggest that the two have much in common. The royalty and lordly classes achieved their status through bloodshed just as their more modern socialist counterparts have done.  America fought its Revolution to free itself from such tyranny. Why would any American now choose a system that is even more tyrannical?
   2. Many believe that the efficiency with which dictators can bring about change is worth the risk they pose. However, whatever good socialists promise evaporates under the tyranny they inevitably establish.  It is true: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Mankind does not handle power well.
   3. Democracies are notoriously slow to change, but they do eventually. The benefit is in the fact that harmful policies are generally averted. Furthermore, if the government does implement a faulty policy, it can be reversed. No individual can thwart the will of the majority if they have the Constitution behind them and go to the polls.
   4. Those who favor socialism, due to frustration over feeling powerless, do not understand that in turning to socialism they are jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Socialist leaders have virtually no incentive to listen to the people. Democratically elected leaders who refuse to listen to their constituents often find themselves unelected.
   5. No one will take care of you like you take care of you. You should never give anyone, especially an anonymous bureaucrat a thousand miles away, power over the most important aspects of your life.

3. Socialism contradicts human nature and the laws of economics. Marx declared that following the destruction of capitalism, from the “ashes” would rise utopia.  This new economic model would be without hierarchical structure, and everyone would spontaneously do whatever is necessary for the well-being of all without coercion.  It would be a classless society.  If you believe that. . . .
   1. Pride and Selfishness are not learned behaviors. The Bible declares them to be inherent in man’s nature. They cannot be ignored but must be countered. The fact that there has been virtually no time in history when there were not wars raging somewhere is a testament to the intransigence of man’s corruptness. Organized police forces of some kind have been the norm for every culture from the beginning. Socialism’s promise of a blissful utopia (“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”) without oversight or coercion, is naivete of the most dangerous sort.
   2. Wise leaders understand that people are motivated by both “carrot and stick.” Rewards and punishments are necessary elements of every thriving culture. Socialists boast that they will succeed using neither. They claim that once socialism is instituted, everyone will contribute their best and most diligent efforts while contentedly accepting whatever the central planners provide for them. As we have been told recently, “You will own nothing and be happy!” Such is a doomed and evil hypothesis. No individual will labor long and hard to receive the same or less compensation than another person who has done little or nothing. Strict oversight and coercion become essential under socialism because the “carrot” of rewards for harder work is not permitted. Incentives work because we intuitively understand that if we work harder, we should receive more!  Anything else is intrinsically unfair.
   3. Visit any major university economics department and you will discover that socialism as a viable economic system has been relegated to the dustbin of history. The experts have determined that it cannot work, period.  Marx’s failed theory remains alive only in the isolated and impractical ivory towers of theoretical academia and in the minds of the petty tyrants of America’s Democratic Party.

4. Once socialism has been established, it is virtually irreversible. Consider the conditions in Russia today, well over a hundred years since the Bolshevik Revolution.  A communist, Putin, still holds the reins of power with deadly efficiency.  The same holds true for China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Cuba.  The only exceptions have been where outsiders have been able to exert enough influence or military power to deliver the citizens, as in Venezuela and East Germany.  Cuba’s only hope for relief and liberty is intervention by the United States.
   1. Socialist regimes often refer to themselves as “Democratic Socialist” states, but they have no resemblance to democracy. They create a one-party system, allowing only the Communist Party, and supply the only candidate for supreme leader.  A citizen doesn’t just run for office.
   2. By taking control of every part of the economy, to the point of determining how much each person earns, socialists effectively eliminate the ability of anyone to accumulate enough wealth or power to oppose them. It is with a certain skepticism that the West hears of wealthy businessmen in Communist countries being found guilty of certain “crimes” and being summarily executed.
   3. Many contracts in America, such as real estate or financial investments, have an opt-out period which allows the investors a certain length of time to change their minds and exit the deal. If we recognize that buying a house has the potential of being a bad decision that requires a cancellation option, how much more serious is the fundamental transformation of a nation from free-market capitalism to communism? No “opt-out” option is ever allowed.

Two generations ago, when marriages were considered permanent and divorce immoral, the officiant would remind everyone that it was not wise to enter the union “unadvisedly.”  If a person was unwise to hastily commit oneself to a relationship for thirty or forty years, how much more important it is to understand that socialism is permanent and will dominate your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, forever.

Do you get the picture?  The citizens will live without hope of ever being free!  It is also difficult or impossible for an individual to leave a socialist state. North Korea boasts that escaping its borders is now impossible. A rather dubious cause for boasting!

5. If socialist states are so wonderful, why must they erect barriers to keep their citizens from leaving in the first place? And the flip question: If America is so bad, why is it the most popular destination for people world-wide seeking a better life?  And why must America erect barriers at our borders so that we can properly vet the millions who wish to come here?  Biden’s open border policy was foolish, but it proved that tens of millions of people from around the world view the United States as the best place on earth to live. They are not wrong about that!

6. Socialists boast that they will eliminate incentives, because, as they believe, incentives encourage inequality and corruption. Inequality exists, period, and cannot be eliminated, even with force. Deal with it!  A simple observation of people reveals that some people are tall while others are short.  Some people are good at math while others excel at art.  Some people need eight hours of sleep while others can do well with four.

1. To the point, capitalism accepts that some people enjoy taking financial risks and may do so repeatedly, being creative and innovative. These chance takers and change makers are the foundation of America’s spectacular contributions to the world in virtually every sector of society: from art to medicine to music to technology.  Others are far more content to take the security of a nine-to-five job, even though it provides a smaller reward.  American capitalism makes allowances for both and flourishes by doing so.
2. Such differences cannot be ignored and ought to be respected. Capitalism does just that!  It is because of these differences that we have a hundred varieties of coffee, more makes and models of cars than we can keep track of, and a greater variety of restaurants than we can ever visit.
3. There is a downside to it, of course: the public may choose one style of watch, hamburger or phone over another and thus propel one brand to great success while another fails. Under capitalism, when the unpopular brand fails, the government does not force us all to subsidize what no one wants.  The seller eats the loss himself, learns from the experience, and if he is so inclined, tries his hand at another venture. He suffers the loss alone but might reap a great reward if the public appreciates his product. Under socialism, everyone suffers from the failures the government forces them to subsidize.
4. Why should people who risked nothing and created nothing determine how wealth that others have sacrificed and labored to create, is spent? And what makes them so qualified to do so?  Whoever said that socialists are wiser and more compassionate than others?  Well, they do, of course! (Just ignore their killing fields!).
5. Over 90% of start-up businesses in the US fail, losing their initial investment and sometimes more. Contrary to the messaging of socialists and Leftists, most people who own their own businesses in America are not millionaires; and most of them paid a great price for the chance to succeed or fail.  With their risk-taking and 70–80-hour work weeks also came the possibility to succeed big-time.  It is only right. And everyone benefits: Best products. Best prices.  This is American free-enterprise capitalism.  More choices and no coercion.  You determine your own fortune or failure, not a bureaucrat in Washington.

Other considerations:

Beyond the obvious issues with socialism itself, one must ask whether Americans, especially older Americans, many of whom fought in wars to protect the country’s liberties and prosperity from socialism, will quietly allow socialist revolutionaries to take their homes, automobiles, jobs and wealth without a fight?

There is a reason why efforts to transform countries into socialism have always turned violent. Most people enjoy their freedom, their families and their possessions,  especially Americans who have experienced the greatest personal freedom in the history of the world.

If a product is good and beneficial, the salesperson need not lie to make the sale. Given time, people will figure that out. However, lies, deception, and coercion have always been part of the socialists’ strategy for gaining power in a country, indicating that Marxism is not at all the wonderful panacea they claim it to be.

Conclusion:

Every economic system has flaws, and some people are left behind regardless of which system is in place. However, the differences between American capitalism and socialism are stark. Both systems provide for the creation of wealth; capitalism, of course, creating vastly more. America allows for tremendous personal freedom while socialism permits virtually none. The real issue is who decides how that wealth is utilized.

Under capitalism, those who work hard and take great risks, sometimes losing everything, generally keep more of what they earn to spend or invest as they see fit. Under socialism, people who have not created wealth and do nothing productive themselves, make those decisions.

It is not surprising when a two-year-old child runs into the street. They do not know or understand the danger of traffic, and they often get angry when you carry them, against their will, to a safe place. Can the young Americans running to communism not see the reality of what communism has done to millions of people around the world over the last century? Strangely, these young adults, also get angry when wiser Americans seek to inform them of the dangers inherent in socialism.

Those of you who promote socialism or are open to its replacing capitalism here, do you not understand that most Americans love the liberties we have: to live where we choose, launch a business if we are so inclined, do whatever work we are gifted to do, or spend the money we have earned as we like? Try those things in a socialist country and see how it goes!

Seriously, are you really that jealous of the little more that some other Americans have?  And the “super rich,” if they didn’t steal it, what difference does it make to you?

As bad as it is that so many young people are unaware of the dark side of communism, it is made so much worse by the fact that they are willing to drag the entire country into the quagmire and hopelessness of that system. President Reagan was correct when he named Russia the “Evil Empire.” Every communist nation is led by evil people who brutalize their citizens. These are simply the facts of the case, and as John Adams noted, “Facts are stubborn things.”

Communism has proven that it is not a program you try for a year or two and then discard when you discover it does not work.  Once socialists have gained control, they reveal a total lack of scruples. There are always blood baths, and it is not always someone else.  If you resist or even appear to be a threat, they will deal with you decisively. Resistance becomes futile.

And for those of you who believe that you have a bright future because you are participating in establishing communism, you should be aware of the purges which have been common to socialist countries. Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Hitler all found it “necessary” to eliminate many in their inner circle and vast numbers beyond because they were considered threats to the “State,” or, in other words, to themselves.

“Buyer beware” is an appropriate warning to Americans who are tempted by the sweet promises of socialism. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably not true.” And so it is with socialism.  If you favor it but are unfamiliar with the arguments of Hayek, Von Mises, and Solzhenitsyn, you are uninformed and do not know what you are talking about.

America! Beware!

Copyright, Thorin Anderson, Sept. 2026

*The title of this article was derived from a 1975 book by Robert Kofahl, “Handy Dandy Evolution Refuter” published by Creation Research Center.  Socialism, like evolution is based upon a rejection of God and the Bible. Consider the parallels: Evolution relies on the notion that life arises from non-life, and socialism declares that peace will blossom from violence. Both defy logic and reality.