http://polizeros.com/2008/01/28/socialism-and-stalin/ Musings on politics: anti-war, global warming, peak oil and otherwise Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:20:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 http://polizeros.com/2008/01/28/socialism-and-stalin/#comment-148071 paradoctor Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:06:41 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2008/01/28/socialism-and-stalin/#comment-148071 Consider the so-called individualism of the capitalists, and the so-called collectivism of the socialists. To the extent that the capitalists really are for self-organizing markets, then they favor a system that is by definition one of collective mass action; and to the extent that socialists really are for centralization, then they by definition favor giving control of the economy to a small number of individuals. So the 'individualists' want a mass collective in control, and the 'collectivists' want a few individuals in control. That's the contradiction. Consider the so-called individualism of the capitalists, and the so-called collectivism of the socialists. To the extent that the capitalists really are for self-organizing markets, then they favor a system that is by definition one of collective mass action; and to the extent that socialists really are for centralization, then they by definition favor giving control of the economy to a small number of individuals. So the ‘individualists’ want a mass collective in control, and the ‘collectivists’ want a few individuals in control. That’s the contradiction.

]]>