Socialism is a theoretical, not a practical, solution to economic problems

Socialism has never and nowhere been at first a working-class movement. It is by no means an obvious remedy for the obvious evil which the interests of that class will necessarily demand. It is a construction of theorists, deriving from certain tendencies of abstract thought with which for a long time only the intellectuals were familiar; and it required long efforts by the intellectuals before the working classes could be persuaded to adopt it as their program.

Dell, Jim (2011-05-13). Memorable Quotations from Friedrich August Hayek (Kindle Locations 23-26). Jim Dell. Kindle Edition.

In short, socialism was developed by power-seeking elitists and foisted upon the working class through a stirring up of strife and envy. It's sole purpose is to garner political power for the elite who deem themselves to be the avant garde of a new world order. The result is the sharing of scarcity and poverty, not wealth.


[Political cartoon from the Chicago Tribune 21 April 1934]

Liberals enslave the poor to their poverty

It is ongoing liberal, so-called “progressive,” Democrat public policies that keep many minorities in the U.S. today enslaved, by and large, to programs that reduce their incentive to industry, commerce, and self-improvement. It is a further shame that such public policies and such ongoing class warfare is frequently encouraged by liberal-minded, power-hungry leadership within the minority communities themselves.

These programs function not only as a disincentive to work (i.e., actually have a job), but they also lead to the deterioration of minority neighborhoods as more and more (especially) males are jobless and on the streets day after day. Their hopeless state brought about through well-intentioned but dramatically misguided public welfare programs, leads to increased involvement with drugs and crime while two-parent homes dissolve because the welfare programs pay better when there is no 'bread-winner' in the household.

NOTE: If you don’t want to take my word for it, then at least click on the links in this post and read what is written there before contacting me. Thank you.

On what one cannot do when seeking real progress

The following is common mistakenly attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative.
You cannot really help men by having the government tax others to do for them what they can and should do for themselves.

— William J. H. Boetcker

The story for the misattribution goes all the way back to the original publication.

The quotation by this local preacher was printed on a flyer that bore Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on the other side. Some, at the time, apparently thought that both quotations to belong to Mr. Lincoln. It has been very commonly publicized as the words of Lincoln to this day.

Chances are, however, that our illustrious 16th President would have heartily endorsed the sentiment.