[RKV]

Long and informative article on the resurgence of populist socialism. MONEY QUOTE: "Men need myths -- and until capitalism can come up with a transformative myth of its own, it may well be that many men will prefer to find their myths in the same place they found them in the first part of the twentieth century -- the myth of revolutionary socialism."

[Clemenza]

As long as half the population is on the left side of the bell curve, and responds to populist idiocy that "I am a failure because the rice are taking it all", socialism will continue to thrive.

[CarrotAndStick]

Socialism will be alive as long as stupidity is popular.

[Semper Paratus]

Socialism may not be deat but Bolivia soon will be.

[JimRed]

According to the American left, the right people haven't tried it yet. That would be them, I guess.

[stopem]

Revolutionary socialism revival coming soon to a city near you.

Unfortunately the socialist libs are gaining strength thru the people they are supporting.

[keats5]

"Why isn't socialism dead?"

Because we live in a fallen world.

[Mikey_1962]

When you look at the history of Socialism (and a bloody one it is)you have to come to the conclusion that Socialism is as Socialism does.

And what it does is confiscate existing wealth, and institute policies that make future wealth almost impossible except for those instituting the Socialist policies.

[Psycho_Bunny]

As long as humans experience a period of needy immaturity in their life cycles, socialism will have a voice.

It is not until a person becomes mature and fully self-reliant that the inherent evil of socialism becomes apparent.

 

[6SJ7]

Bolivia needs these companies to tap its natural gas resources, because it is unable, at least at present, to operate the natural gas fields on its own.

Another Atlas Shrugged moment in the making.

[ClearCase_guy]

Men need myths -- and until capitalism can come up with a transformative myth of its own...

Capitalism is a philosophy of individual success, not group identities.

Socialism has myths of triumphant groups inheriting the earth. There is some power in that sort of myth. Capitalism's myths are of the Horatio Alger sort. But the academics try very hard to ridicule that. The great American industrialists of the late nineteenth century were all pilloried as "Robber Barons".

Everyone -- even many Conservatives -- wants to drag down the people at the top. Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Ken Lay, Martha Stewart -- they don't have too many friends. Achieving the dream of success under capitalism really puts a target on your back. Building a glorious myth out of that is hard.

But Ayn Rand did it, so it can be done.

[KC_Conspirator]

The reason its not dead is because its a religion to the left.

[Sam Cree]

Why Isn't socialism dead?

Good question, but the answer is that it's not dead because it offers total power to those at the top. My opinion is that's what Hillary sees in it, for instance.

[Peach]

Socialism is making a resurgence. In this country. And if the Democrats take the majority in 06 and 08, capitalism will be for all intents and purposes finished in this country.

[cinives]

the reason socialism will never die is two-sided:

on the one side, people are jealous of those with more and crave security from want

on the other side, is the power to control others by fostering the illusion.

[TBP]

Socialism is the best way for the rich and powerful to go on exploiting and controlling the poor and the middle class. It prevents you frm getting where tehy are, whcih is why the rich make the best socialists.

[taillightchaser]

Socialism isn't dead yet because the hildabeast is still living.

[William Terrell]

Socialism isn't dead because the system gives great power to the government officials that administrate it.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Ignorance among a majority of the populace, is bliss for those in the nasty business of imposing socialism upon them.

[TChris]

This is the first I have read such a thorough analysis of Socialism as, essentially, a religion. That is precisely what it is, a godless, secular religion based on a repeatedly disproven myth.

Sorel also perverts the faith of Christianity to make his comparison. To reduce the Christian faith to a "myth that Christ will one day return and usher in the end of time" is an intellectually lazy construct of convenience. If the belief in the second coming of Christ was all Christianity had to offer, I dare say there wouldn't be many Christians in the world.

But the myth is all that socialism has to offer most people. Those who better understand it know that socialism creates a famously wealthy ruling class, so they likely have more realistic, though certainly more selfish, reasons for promoting it.

[FormerLib]

Why Isn't Socialism Dead?

Because one critical difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.