Has Socialism been Forgotten?

“There can be no doubt that most socialists here still believe profoundly in the liberal idea of freedom and that they would recoil if they became convinced that the realization of their program would mean the destruction of freedom.” (The Road to Serfdom , Friedrich Hayek)

In 1944, Professor Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom, is said to have been one of the main scholarly works to refute the basic tenets of socialism and put classical liberal economics back on the map of many academics and politicians in the West. Today socialism has widely died down and few experiments with it are still ongoing. As the world globalizes, the predominant form of economics, liberalism, overtakes the globe with fierce rapidity risking to leave most of its people, who do not profit from such abrasive capitalism, in destitute conditions. This blog addresses some of the moral issues at hand and makes a recommendation.

It has been said that as purchasing power parity climbs, so does freedom. In this sense, freedom seems to be elastic. Elastic in the sense that one can work 5 extra hours a day to earn more freedom or take a stock-market gamble hoping to receive a big freedom payoff. It has been said that if a cap is put on one’s earning powers or if one is forbidden to engage in market competition, one is imprisoned by the “despotism of physical want” . From this perspective, the restraint becomes apparent and the whole system of socialism is invalidated on moral grounds – it limits freedom as most of humanity currently sees it.

Capitalism fuels individuality and competition- intuitively it leaves human behavior unscathed. In other words, it allows one to be fully human. And the permission to be fully human seems to be more benign than the encroachment of a centrally planned authority upon one’s life. Today, to be free is to be least entangled with the outside and most affixed with the inside. What’s mine is mine; what’s yours is yours. The problem with this system, although unobtrusive, is it plays into human nature- a dark one it is. It does not attempt to remove civilization from its natural course of “survival of the fittest”. It does not challenge humans to be anything but selfish. It is agreed by most scientists today that humans are dictated by a “selfish gene” operating from a human’s body-machine. Renowned scholar, Richard Dawkins, explains that the sole purpose of the gene is to reproduce itself and therefore one’s natural instinctive forces pushes one to focus mainly on one’s survival and needs.

The goal of socialism for many is to eliminate the great disparities that exist between different classes in order to create a harmonious society seeking to establish equality. It seeks to work exactly against human’s most powerful instinct: selfishness. Genuine socialism appeals to altruism and devotedness towards the group as opposed to oneself. In that way, it may be said that one is focusing one’s energies without rather than within. Socialism therefore seeks to remove human society from the jungle of capitalism where the weak and unfortunate are trampled upon and forgotten, to a place where sharing and unity are instilled.

The problem with implementing a socialist system is that if even a large minority of those who are submitting to the system do not support it or feel as if their “rights” are being subjugated, it surely will falter. They will obviously attempt to be free-riders and will not work for the collective welfare. If socialism is imposed rather than embraced, a tyrannical overseeing is logically the only way it will have any continuance. In that case, F.A. Voigt was astute in his observation, “Marxism has led to Fascism and National Socialism, because, in all essentials, it is Fascism and National Socialism.” All experiments which we have seen in our modern world with “Communism” or “Socialism” in large scales (an entire country), have been nothing short of utter Fascism. North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Soviet Union and all other communist states all went down the absolutist paths. That’s simply for one reason: if they allowed for a popular decision, a capitalist system would certainly be voted for and their “communist” regimes revoked.

Socialism under a totalitarian system smothers freedom and in that sense, Voigt and Hayek are correct. Socialism must be a choice by those enlightened by it. Those who choose to live in an egalitarian and profit-sharing society can establish these communities as small havens for socialism to prosper as an alternative lifestyle. To my knowing, intentional communities are the only viable course for socialism. An intentional community according to the Fellowship for Intentional Community (http://www.ic.org [1]), is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives, and other projects where people strive together with a common vision. Intentional communities generally have similar visions of equality, self-sustainability, non-violence, and voluntary simplicity.

There are many examples of intentional communities which have failed and dismantled in the past. The process of establishing a cooperative community is certainly laborious and requires a high level of organization and commitment from all members. Nonetheless, there are many success stories. Twin Oaks for example, an intentional community in Virginia, has been established now for 40 years and adheres to principles of non-violence, egalitarianism and ecological awareness. Their website is http://www.twinoaks.org/ [2]. They are self-supporting economically through their businesses which include hammocks, furniture, tofu, and indexing books. In their community of about 100 members, each member receives equal healthcare, housing, food needs and spending money. There are many other examples of thriving intentional communities of different sizes and focuses. In addition, there are many looking to spring up. This database allows any prospective or existing groups around the world to advertise their initiatives http://icdb.org/ [3].

The world might not be ready for socialism and Hayek’s point is indeed a valid one, if socialism is installed in a mass-scale, it will taper off instead of effusing its core values- as exemplified by the Soviets’ global influence which gradually dwindled away. Most men want to possess and overtake; they want to acquire and dominate. The majority of women want the same; perhaps with a bit more sophistication. In our world where liberal economics is taking a seemingly eternal stronghold, it is time that progressives took a stance for equality and collective growth. It is time that young pioneers of the 21st century begin a new wave of support and building of intentional communities.

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