One article inspired my posts on individualism vs collectivism. This morning, I read a warning to the droves of young people being wooed by Bernie Sanders and his utopian message. It does a great job detailing just how ugly collectivism can get but it doesn't really address why.
Socialism/communism/whatever-you-want-to-call-it comes with a compelling draw, especially to the downtrodden. If you're poor and hopeless, of course you're going to respond favorably to a "Robin Hood" who blames the rich for your woes. It's not that hard for Robin Hood; he just has to find enough people with hungry bellies and get them to look in the windows of those drinking champagne while he whispers, "Rise up!"
Robin Hood might be a power-hungry despot just using revolution as a means to an end but then again, he might be sincere. But when you realize the real reason why these revolutions all end in tyranny, you have to ask what difference does it make why Robin Hood wants revolution.
So why do all of these collectivist experiments eventually slide into oppression? Simply put, because of you... and me and everyone else. Human nature must be one of the most reliable forces in the universe. You might not be able to consistently and accurately predict what an individual will do in a given circumstance but you can do it with the masses.
Yes, the revolution's foot soldiers can be inspired to rise up and crush the bourgeoisie, but when they're finished, they get disenchanted when they realize they're no better off than they were before. So, if Robin Hood wants to keep his own place, now he has to keep the mob from killing him... he restricts their speech, movement, association and assembly, he limits their resources, and most importantly, he takes their guns.
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