Socialism does not, however, equate with evil or oppression even when our indoctrinated and oppressed friends embrace it. Almost all of the European governments are socialist in some degree and most are pretty decent governments and are well intended. The problem with socialism, however, is that it tends to suppress success and reward substandard performance or failure and tries its best to control the economy and the GDP. The result is always a more lackluster and stagnant economy that is possible when the people are free to pursue their own goals unhindered by excessive government. And in a socialist government, the government assigns the rights the people will have as opposed to American exceptionalism in which the concept starts with unalienable rights of the people and a government structured to secure and defend those rights and the people then govern themselves.
So socialism isn't necessarily a bad word or a bad concept. It is often well intended. It simply fails sooner or later everywhere it is tried.
We should be very careful to not confuse socialism with capitalism or Marxism or totalitarianism or dictatorship or despot.
I don't think Fearless Leader cares about the people or good government, socialist or anything else. He seems totally focused on gaining power for himself and living, at least for now, within the illusion that the world is his oyster and he can make of it anything that he wants.
Socialism is nothing more than than an economic model..........
It's its results, and attempts to make the economic idea successful that make the idea evil.
I understand all your points, however it's the socialist model that requires authoritarianism to be successful...
Some don't want to be told to play hockey or be a scientist or live where they tell you to live because liberty is human nature..
Sometimes people have the ability and the intelligence to be a rocket scientist but maybe they don't want to be.....Maybe they just feel comfortable working at a grocery store?
In order for socialism to survive there must be a controlled or dictated socio-economy...
This means you have no choice...
If you're good at a particular subject you will HAVE TO study that subject regardless of your own will..
At least under capitalism an individual has the opportunity to act on the free will...
The more I read about communism (socialism) the more I become grateful I have a choice.... It is apparently clear that many are willing to give up that choice for securities ...
We will never have that in the US because Me and many like me will never allow such evil to ever occur on our own soil...........
This is the land of the Bill of Rights and I have every intention to keep it that way...