Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

Since collectivism is the concept that the needs of the group outweigh the wants of an individual, it implies Elites who can determine what is best for everyone, and make decisions for everyone. Because collectivists come from nations with a historical aristocracy, they are comfortable with the concept of hereditary masters telling them what to do, so there was only a tiny jump from hereditary elites to elected ones. Americans, because of our focus on personal liberty, were never conditioned to acknowledge that some people are special, and could be trusted to do what was best for you. In fact, many of America's immigrant founders were trying to escape that very tyranny. Our entire government is set up to diffuse power to make it very difficult to dictate commands, and prevent a small, elite class from forming. Quoting my favorite anti-collectivist, George Orwell, “It cannot be said too often that collectivism is not inherently democratic, but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamt of.”

The idea that someone can be entrusted to know what is best for everyone, and have everyone's best interests at heart, is mystical in a couple of ways: first, no one can predict the future, the complexities of the present are unknowable; and second, the base passions of man, however in abeyance they may be today, cannot be reliably bound tomorrow, men naturally become monsters if not collared. And though socialism is couched in the words of reason & empathy, socialism's primary motivation is envy, resentment & covetousness. No human on either side of the equation can be expected to overcome their nature, and pretending otherwise is self-deception. Socialism is simply a subterfuge for tyranny.