Socialists have all sorts of ideas about how to spend other peoples’ money, including yours no matter how much or little you might have.
This is why socialist regimes ultimately collapse, they always run out of resources. Having abundant natural resources, like Venezuela, only delays the inevitable and means the greater amount of wealth destroyed.
Socialism, by definition, cannot tolerate private property. Everything of importance must be subject to control and direction from a central economic plan.
It doesn’t matter what name they are giving themselves, socialism, democratic socialism, national socialism, fascism, etc, all of these programs have one thing in common: institutional hostility to private property.
By their very nature socialists cannot leave people to make their own choices because, again by definition, choosing how to spend your time, talent, and treasure goes against central economic planning.
So, those advocating for more socialism and political-bureaucratic control over economic life cannot support or defend a constitution designed to secure people in “their persons, papers, houses, and effects” and prohibits people from being “deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law”.
The two cannot coexist. You either have private property or central economic planning, never both.
Those who believe in private property with some exceptions for a compassionate welfare program are either deluding themselves or trying to delude you. The more an interventionist regime churns on the more the rights of private property erode. And, since bureaucracies inevitably squander the resources they are given, they constantly need to access ever-increasing swaths of other people’s property just to sustain their administration and basic programs.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe in charity and consistently give ten percent of my income to charitable causes. I put my money where my mouth is. I support robust, overlapping and intersecting, social safety nets to help the less fortunate…so long as they are voluntary.
In other words, like James Madison, the supposed father of the constitution, I recognize that charity is no part of the legislative duties of government. As governments get involved in the welfare business and put more resources under political-bureaucratic management, private charities get crowded out.
It should come as no surprise that private organizations that offered community based charity and support began a period of sustained decline starting in 1969, just a few years after the welfare state ramped up in the United States.
And yet the poor are still with us. So what did all that government spending buy? It purchased a huge bureaucracy and spurred an industry that agitates for more government interventionism and wealth ‘redistribution’.
In other words, it made private property even less secure and also slowed the rate of decline in poverty within the US. You read that right. Poverty was already rapidly declining across the board in the United States due to economic growth until the Great Society programs of 1964 put a regulatory drag on the economy and paid more people to not work. You get more of what you subsidize.
Now, unsatisfied with the havoc they’ve wrought thus far, socialists want to take command over religious institutions as well.
Consider these social media posts where the very existence of homeless people is being used as a pretext to hijack church properties.
Never mind the fact that most homeless people have mental health and substance abuse problems that contribute to their inability to maintain a residence. Never mind that the destructive behaviors of many homeless people will lead to the devastation of these religious facilities. Never mind that American governance is premised upon a separation of church and state.
Never mind the hypocrisy of expecting someone else, and never themselves, having to sacrifice in the name of charity. For the socialist, no amount of giving is ever enough. There is always another justification for stealing other people’s property and all evidence, reason, and principles fly out the window amid these excuses.
One of these socialist agitators also happens to be a “gun control” advocate. Not only does she want the state to requisition private property, she also wants to remove her potential victim’s capacity to defend against crime and encroachment.
This is not coincidental. Remember, socialism and private property cannot coexist. In order for socialism to function no one can possess the means to resist the plans of central authorities. This is why aspiring tyrants always seek to disarm their populations, it is a necessary precondition to expropriating their property.
This is antithetical to the whole purpose of government in the Enlightenment tradition.
The American Declaration of Independence summed it up clearly in stating that governments are instituted to secure rights. While life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are nice platitudes they are, in actuality, intangible.
To make securing rights operational requires understanding the importance of private property. Without “intersubjectively ascertainable” boundaries a security provider cannot know where or what they are protecting.
In the same way that the relative scarcity of economic goods cannot be discovered without private property titles exchanging through money prices in unfettered markets, so too must security providers have private property to inform the where, what, and how of their protective operations.
This remains true for individuals just as much as it does for companies, communities, and countries. Private property enables the boundaries of conflict free social and legal order with much greater consistency than the arbitrary dictates of politicians and bureaucrats.
This is also why the great economist Ludwig Von Mises stated that the entire program of liberalism, the political-economic system giving rise to the greatest advancement of living standards in the history of humanity, is condensed as the single word: property.
When it comes to improving the quality of life for everyone, including the less fortunate, private property and the free exchange thereof is essential. Maintaining the integrity of private property against the constant inclination of political encroachment is in the interest of everyone looking to secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity.
Maintaining the foundations of a free society demands not only private property but also a population actively engaged in self-government. It is only when the power of purse and sword remain in private hands that central economic planning and abusive political authorities can be circumscribed.
Speaking the truth of sound political-economy is just one preliminary component for stemming the ideological tide of socialism, interventionism, and the welfare-state. Ultimately, cultural norms valuing the integrity of private property, and the free exchange thereof, must be upheld with the force of law.
Here too, the average citizen must be actively involved. This is the real purpose of the Second Amendment. Not merely being about self-defense or waiting for government to grow tyrannical before taking up arms, the Second Amendment is the vehicle by which the people secure a free state. It is the mechanism of citizen based law enforcement, territorial integrity, and constitutional order.
Yet there is a long way to go before the preponderance of the population understands just how important the integrity of private property is to their own well-being and freedom. Advancing liberty, like training in the martial arts, is a way of life. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
It requires dedication, patience, and consistent practice. The results are not always obvious.
That is why my daily practice begins with meditation, exercise, inspirational reading, and journaling. It keeps me steadily on the path for the long haul.
Visualizing possible outcomes through thought experiments is the technique that enabled geniuses like Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla to create massive breakthroughs in their fields. It is what all success coaches teach whether it be in sports, business, or even self-defense.
The Esoteric Buddhists have been using visualization to advance their mind science for centuries. It is what enabled the ninja to persevere through extreme circumstances and samurai warlords to build their strategic campaigns.
I’ve taken a bit of the Japanese Mikkyo tradition and made it available for improving the quality of my thoughts, emotions, and mindset. It is simple and doesn’t require changing your religion.
It’s a matter of contemplating and appreciating the qualities of a larger than life character. Imagine a character powerful enough to overcome any challenges life throws at you. Consider the possibilities of a powerful weapon that can instantly cut through delusion, human pettiness, and all irrational doubts.
This is just one superpower you can acquire through a simple, yet profound, visualization practice.
Learn more. Here.