"Socialism is the doctrine that man has no right to exist
for his own sake, that his life and his work do not belong to
him, but belong to society, that the only justification
of his existence is his service to society, and that society may
dispose of him in any way it pleases for the sake of whatever
it deems to be its own tribal, collective good."
- From The New Intellectual
"The essential characteristic of socialism is the denial
of individual property rights; under socialism, the right to property
(which is the right of use and disposal) is vested in 'society
as a whole,' i.e., in the collective, with production and distribution
controlled by the state, i.e., by the government. Socialism may
be established by force, as in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
- or by vote, as in Nazi (National Socialist) Germany. The degree
of socialization may be total, as in Russia - or partial, as in
England. Theoretically, the differences are superficial; practically,
they are only a matter of time. The basic principle, in all cases,
is the same."
- From "The Monument Builders"
"There is no difference between the principles, policies
and practical results of socialism - and those of any historical
or prehistorical tyranny. Socialism is merely democratic absolute
monarchy - that is, a system of absolutism without a fixed head,
open to seizure of power by all comers, by any ruthless climber,
opportunist, adventurer, demagogue or thug. When you consider
socialism, do not fool yourself about its nature. Remember that
there is no such dichotomy as 'human rights' versus 'property
rights.' No human rights can exist without property rights. Since
material goods are produced by the mind and effort of individual
men, and are needed to sustain their lives, if the producer does
not own the result of his effort, he does not own his life. To
deny property rights means to turn men into property owned by
the state. Whoever claims the 'right' to 'redistribute' the wealth
produced by others is claiming the 'right' to treat human beings
as chattel."
- From "The Monument Builders"
"There is no difference between communism and socialism,
except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism
proposes to enslave men by force, socialism - by vote. It is merely
the difference between murder and suicide."
- From "Foreign Policy Drains U.S. of Main Weapons"
"Both 'socialism' and 'fascism' involve the issue of property
rights. The right to property is the right of use and disposal.
Observe the difference in those two theories: socialism negates
private property rights altogether, and advocates the 'vesting
of ownership and control' in the community as a
whole, i.e., in the state; fascism leaves ownership in
the hands of private individuals, but transfers control
of the property to the government. Ownership without control is
a contradiction in terms: it means 'property,' without the right
to use it or to dispose of it. It means that the citizens retain
the responsibility of holding property, without any of its advantages,
while the government acquires all the advantages without any of
the responsibility. In this respect, socialism is the more honest
of the two theories. I say 'more honest,' not better -
because, in practice, there is no difference between them:
both come from the same collectivist-statist principle, both negate
individual rights and subordinate the individual to the collective,
both deliver the livelihood and the lives of the citizens into
the power of an omnipotent government - and the differences between
them are only a matter of time, degree, and superficial detail,
such as the choice of slogans by which the rulers delude their
enslaved subjects."
- From "The New Fascism: Rule by Consensus"
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