The capacity of human beings for making the same mistake again and again is exceeded only by the capacity of their governments to enshrine those mistakes in law.

To err is human; to forgive, divine – but what are we to do when a significant segment of our population has grown so enamored of an error that they lose the capability to recognize it as such?  Indeed, they become violently defensive at the mere mention of reassessing their beliefs.

A difficult situation is made untenable when the error involved has dangerous ramifications for everyone, not just those making the mistake.

This is where 21st-century America finds itself today, relative to that perennial error known as socialism.

The base of support for this long discredited ethos is multi-layered, with each layer supporting the error from a different foundation.

The largest element stands on a foundation of ignorance – they are simply unaware of the history and track record of collectivist schemes in general and socialism in particular.

Absent a frame of reference, members of this group are vulnerable to the socialist's siren song and soon find themselves singing along about fairness, equality, and justice, not realizing that the composer of the song lacks the instruments necessary to play it, unless he first takes them from someone else.

This group is the weakest, and a great many members can be peeled away from the collectivist concert by opening their eyes to the nuts and bolts of their newfound political plaything.  Once realizing that the price of admission involves the surrender of personal choice, they either abandon the effort or graduate to the next group.

The next echelon recognizes the shortcomings of socialism but is unwilling to accept these inevitable failures as fundamental flaws of the system itself, preferring to either ignore the murderous history of the creed entirely or blame the failures on interference by outside, nefarious influences.  In their eyes, every stumble must've been the result of being tripped; every fall surely must have been preceded by a shove.

These are the true believers, standing on a foundation of near religious fervor, willing to risk life and limb to prove to the world that socialism can work, if only operated by the right people, with the right funding and the support of right-minded people.

It is a rare occasion that sees one of this crowd abandoning the "faith."  I suggest not wasting the effort to turn them.  Only abject, personal disaster can move them, as any outside attempt will be seen as validation of their paranoid worldview.

The final level know full well the ramifications of the policies they are advocating.  They know the history, they understand the fatal flaws and are fully prepared to sacrifice the lives and fortunes of as many people as necessary to gain and maintain power.

These are standing atop a foundation of concupiscence, manipulating the worst elements of human nature, as would a tradesman with a tool.  Undergirding their every decision is a longing for unfettered power and unaccountable control.

These are the leaders who know the system well enough to have monetized it, operating it as a machine from which they draw wealth and power to themselves.  They orchestrate the narrative by using the true believers to mobilize the first group, those ignorant of socialism and its hellish consequences, to fight the "other," whoever that might be at the time.  This is the genesis of #Resist.

To this nation's eternal credit, we shunned one such leader during the last presidential election.  Now we must erode the influence of the leaders that took her place and the true believers who yet do her bidding by educating the first group, the ignorant and misinformed.

We have a history of success on our side – freedom blooms wherever planted, while socialism cannot boast of a single blossom, much less fruit.  Most important of all, they cannot long deny the trail of bodies numbering in the hundreds of millions, all victims of their unforgivable error.

So start talking.  We have to shine the light in the darkest corners.  There is an entire generation hanging in the balance.