YEAH, BUT … I’M NOT THAT KIND OF SOCIALIST
Inevitably there are those socialist proponents who declare that their brand of socialism is not like the others. While trying to distance themselves from past Marxist attempts, they claim to be a kinder, gentler sort of socialist.
They say things like:
- “No, we don’t believe in that kind of Marxism. We’re just trying to give everyone a better life in a society where everything will be more fair, equal, and just.”
- “Our socialism has a small s, not a big S.”
- “We’re the ones who have discovered a vastly better, new and improved, more enlightened way. So don’t lump us in with _______ (the Soviets, Germany, North Korea, Cuba, etc.).”
But is this true? Is it even possible? The reality is, the more any brand of Marxist ideology is actually applied, the more that attempt becomes identical to every other Marxist endeavor.
Attempting to alter the reality of Marxist ideology by championing a “socialism with a small ’s’” is like saying, “Don’t worry about that poison—it’s a poison with a small ‘p.’”
Is there a spectrum of beliefs within socialist ideology? Yes, sort of. But no, not in reality. How so? All collectivist ideology must be understood in the context of the proverbial slippery slope. Some people may, in fact, have a different starting point on that slope. But it is the same slope, with the same result. So, no matter where they begin, everyone always ends up at the same place—the bottom (cp. Ps 73:16-20).
In addition, those who claim a kinder, gentler Marxism (e.g., “Democratic Socialism”) fail to admit or acknowledge that, even though socialist undertakings rarely, if ever, start with full totalitarian oppression, they always end there (if not stopped before it is too late).
But why? How?
The main reasons for this can be summed up in these three truths:
- Socialism/Communism is always progressive
- Socialism/Communism is always focused fully on power
- Socialism/Communism always involves the entire population (collective = everyone)
Therefore, given enough time, every Marxist endeavor increasingly accumulates more and more power over everyone until it eventually becomes a fully oppressive regime. It not only centralizes all control and gives full power to certain elites, these more-than-equal-“equals” gain their power and elite status by demonizing elitism and by praising, preaching, and promising equality. Does this sound familiar?
Whether socialist advocates realize it or not—or will admit it or not—complete control of the masses is always the overarching goal of Marxism. Always, and without exception. In other words, socialism and communism—by definition, in practice, and therefore in reality—are always all about power, about obtaining total power over all of society. Marxism is all about the “total” in totalitarianism.
This is why describing a person who is tumbling down the slippery slope as only halfway down is misleading at best (and bald-faced lying at worst). It is just a matter of time before he realizes his assured destiny at the bottom.
Nevertheless, countless people still lie to themselves, and to others, by proclaiming: “Yeah, but … I don’t want to be at the bottom,” or “Yes, but my brand of socialism won’t end up the same way every other attempt in history has. Why? Because we put the word ‘Democratic’ in front of ‘Socialism!’” or “We emphasize ‘Democratic’ over ‘Socialism.’”
Is it not self-evident that all societal collectivisms require everyone to adhere to the collective? Yes, of course. Again, this is true by definition, in practice, and in reality. No one has ever been able to “opt out,” except by being murdered or imprisoned.
Do some socialist attempts begin with partial participation, and/or partial control by the government? Sure. However, as we have learned, socialism is progressive. And so, bit-by-bit, and segment-by-segment (e.g., healthcare; “gun-control;” increased government oversight), they incrementally increase control until the State has total control. As a result, the individual has no power, and no freedom. Therefore, if the government has 100% power, then the individual has 0%. This is the goal and outcome of Marxism.
So, while a sudden and complete power-grab (such as a revolution) is obvious to everyone, the more common, subtle takeover scheme of socialism is to steadily increase taxes, to chip away at personal rights (e.g., free speech), and to increasingly tear down traditional values. Of course, this always makes thing worse.
Yet, instead of taking responsibility and making the right corrections, the much needed “solution” is: to increase taxes even more, to take away even more individual rights (e.g., gun ownership), and to increasingly blame and shame those who hold to traditional and biblical values. Does this sound familiar? In so doing, the government progressively and forcefully takes all money, wealth, freedom, and power away from the individual and gives it to the ever-expanding State (e.g., “statism”).
This seizure of power also occurs in bigger chunks, as with free healthcare, free college tuition, etc. The “free” part, of course, is yet another lie. Not only are these things far from free, the costs and the burden on certain people constantly escalate, eventually enslaving individuals and crippling nations.
While government handouts and entitlement programs sound good (in theory), and can offer some temporary benefits to some people (which often greatly harms them in the long run), they are usually ploys where some individuals pay for other individuals. What is more, all of the money and power is always first given to an increasingly inefficient government.
Notice how healthcare, education, etc. are often described as “rights.” However, within a socialist system, these “rights” always require forcing an added burden on to certain individuals. In other words, one group of people is forced to work more—and to give up more freedom, power, and money—to pay for the “rights” of others. Those in the latter group also increasingly decline in motivation, work, and personal responsibility. Yet this is commonly called “justice” or “equality.”
Ultimately, whether it happens all at once or over a period of time, the final score will always be:
State: 100%
Individual: 0%
Coming up with clever re-wordings of Marxism through linguistic engineering or putting other words before and after “socialism” or “communism” does not change the reality of this ideology, nor the ultimate outcome. And those who do this are not only deceiving themselves, but others as well (2 Tim 3:13). Don’t forget that Vladimir Lenin, the so-called father of communist Russia, referred to Marxism as “Social-Democracy.”
Socialism and Marxism, no matter what name it masquerades under is no minor error. Its deception has and will always end in horrific death and destruction for multitudes of people.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
[Proverbs 16:25]
*Excerpt from Jesus Was A Socialist? The Life or Death Truth Everyone Needs To Know About Jesus & Socialism now available at Amazon and Hope For Life
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