By Harold Pease, Ph.D
The philosophy of socialism was first outlined in 1755 by Etienne-Gabriel Morelly of France in his book the Code de la Nature which laid out what it entailed then. He wrote: "Nothing belongs, wholly to anyone. Property is detestable, and anyone who attempts to re-– establish it shall be in prison for life, as a dangerous madman and an enemy of humanity. Every citizen shall be kept, and maintained, and supplied with work at the public expense. All produce shall be gathered into public gardeners, to be distributed to citizens from their substance. All cities shall be built on the same plan; all private residences shall be alike. All children shall be taken from their families at five years of age, and educated together on a uniform plan”). Sounds as crazy as The Great Reset’s creed of today, “You will own nothing and you will be happy.”
Today this is called Morelly’s socialist manifesto. Apparently he was influenced by “the Economists, the royal court’s own planners and physiocrats.” A member of the then Economists, Abbe Bodeau, explained Morelli’s philosophy more fully, “The state must not only govern, it must shape the nation. It must form the mind of citizens comfortably to a preconceived model. It is it's duty to fill their minds with such opinions and their hearts with such feelings as it may judge necessary. In fact, there are no limits either to its rights or its powers. It must transform, as well as reform its subject; perhaps even create new subjects, if it thinks proper.… The state moulds men into whatever shape it pleases” (Socialism: Savior or Seductress? The New American, August 2026, p. 46). This description of socialism was published 92 years before the father of socialism, Karl Marx, published his The Communist Manifesto.
And this, clarity of what socialism is has been practiced for 271 years since, in every form possible. It has failed to accomplish the socialist utopia or even to provide prosperity superior to the free market philosophy it competes with, any place on earth. The Jamestown (1607) and pilgrim (1620) settlements ended private property ownership, a fundamental principle of socialism, many to starve to death the first 3 years. The Economist organization tried it in France in 1755. During the first half of the 1800s in the United States it was practiced by at least 40 societies, New Harmony in 1825 being the most famous.—NO UTOPIAS were experienced. The government work programs in France in 1847 were thought to be socialistic, (Ibid., p. 29).
In the 20th Century socialism exploded from experimenting on people in small villages to people in whole nations. It had the power to perfect itself. Instead, it became the world’s greatest threat to freedom. Fabian Socialism came to power briefly in Great Britain in 1924 as the Labour Party and thereafter interchangeably with the Conservative Party to the present. Socialism conquered Russia in 1917 which subjected its seven neighboring countries into socialism becoming the USSR (United Soviet SOCIALIST Republics). Hitler brought it to Germany in 1933 and thereafter created his Nationalist SOCIALIST German Workers’ Party, also known as the Nazi Party and subjected neighboring nations into their brand of socialism. Socialism came to China under Mao Zedong in 1949 spreading to North Korea, Laos, Cambodia under Pol Pot, in North Vietnam and eventually South Vietnam. In the Americas it came to power in Cuba under Fidel Castro in 1959, in Nicaragua Daniel Ortega in 1979 to 1990 and again from 2007 to 2026, In Venezuela under Hugo Chavez 1999, and Nicholas Maduro in 2013. It never really worked in the Scandinavian countries either (See, “Scandinavian Countries are not Socialist?” 09/27/19, LibertyUnderFire.org, )” NO UTOPIAS RESULTED ANYWHERE.
In each of these experiments with socialism most especially nation states, those imposing it on others had absolute power to perfect it as they wished. None did. As in China they only perfected the ability to more easily spy on and control the population, as with more cameras. In virtually every instance it brought shortages, poverty and death and destroyed freedom and incentive. Isn’t it time we admit it doesn’t and has never worked as promised? Why would any nation be attracted to what has never really worked with virtually a 100% failure record for producing freedom and prosperity, but the socialist lure of taking from those who produce and giving it to those who do not continues.
The biggest problem with socialism is it mostly only divides wealth already in existence. Wealth is created by hard work, innovation and freedom. If freedom is limited then hard work and innovation are both disincentivized also. Why would anyone work harder or be innovative if there exists no incentive to do or be so? It’s the extra that propels society not the minimum.
Two societies Germany, East and West, and Korea, North and South, all four devastated by World War II show the enormous night and day contrast in standard of living. North Korea and East Germany were forced into socialism vs West Germany and South Korea who adopted economic and political freedom. “Today, South Korea’s economy is approximately 40 to 80-plus times larger than North Korea’s in nominal GDP terms; that is, South Korea’s nominal GDP is approximately $1.7 trillion, North Korea’s only about $20 to $40 billion.” Although the time under socialism is much less for East Germany than North Korea, the West Germany’s GDP per capita was about $20,000—plus in 1990 when the two Germanys reunited, East Germany was “about $8,000 to $10,000.” (Socialism: Savior or Seductress? The New American, August 2026, p. 9). Very simply the free market incentivizes the creation of wealth because people benefited by having a higher standard of living and socialism mostly only redistributes wealth but the process does allow them to better control the people by making them more dependent on them—essentially serfs. The verdict is in. Socialism’s 271 years of promises were not kept.
Little or nothing in the world happens without incentive, “economist, historians, and development experts, overwhelmingly attribute the vast majority of modern wealth to market mechanisms, (private property, incentives, trade, innovation, and voluntary exchange). It is further estimated that from 90% to 98% (or more) of modern wealth creation has been due to market / incentive – oriented action.” (Ibid., p.12). Almost no inventions came from socialism comparitively.
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College. Newspapers have permission to publish this column. Read his weekly columns at www.LibertyUnderFire.org. Column #891.
Share this column to help preserve liberty while we still can.