Words have meaning — especially words that mean the opposite of what one thinks.  Clear definition has greater meaning.

Fascism allows the business to keep the means of its production, the factories or farms, but takes the output (profit).  The Nazis of 1930s Germany were Fascists.  “Nazi” is an acronym for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.  Today we call it corporatism.  The end result is control.

Communism takes both the means of production and the output.  The Communist Party ruled the USSR until its economy failed in the 1980s. 

Both assume that the State owns everything.  In truth, both imply that the individual has no rights, no individualism, no freedom.  The State is all.  Their slogan is “Together.”  But their meaning is “Give me everything.”

While fascism and communism are social concepts, the State cannot obtain control of everything without intervening in its population’s private and economic lives.  Since, in their minds, the State is all, there can be no individual and therefore no right to ownership.  The State will regulate everything; tax all; and live, for a short time, off the steadily declining capital of the few remaining individuals.

Socialism is the midpoint between freedom and serfdom.  It is the gateway drug to convince the weak and weary that if they give up their greedy, individual ways, and worship a government, that government will take care of them.

Socialism starts the population down the path of believing that their problems are so great (climate change, pandemics, inflation, recession) that they need a greater entity to step in.  That greater entity is the State, government, bureaucracy.  Show me any economic philosophy that survives communism, fascism, or socialism.

The following video from PragerU, narrated by Dinesh D’Souza, is excellent. Well worth five minutes.

Capitalism is enlightened self-interest.

It recognizes the basic, eternal tenet of the sanctity of the individual.  Capitalism implies the inalienable right to ownership, first of your body and mind, then of property.  Capitalism is the natural economic system that springs from individual freedom and responsibility. 

Our nation’s Constitution and Bill of Rights put the concept of the individual into writing.  These documents provide a roadmap for protecting the inalienable rights of the citizen: life, liberty and ownership.

We the people should guard against those politicians who want to expand the control of our government over our lives and businesses.  They should never be elected on a promise to pass more laws, increase federal spending, or take more away from the individual.

With freedom comes responsibility.  Our responsibility, in a representative form of government, is to actively monitor and admonish politicians we elect.  They must rebalance the relationship between government and the individual.  They will do so only by reducing governments stranglehold on our individual freedom and rights to ownership.

It’s a mighty task, but the seeds of freedom must be planted today for the future.  Each individual has tremendous willpower granted by his Creator.  It is yours to use as you see fit.

Jay Davidson is founder and CEO of a commercial bank.  He is a student of the Austrian School of Economics and a dedicated capitalist.  He believes there is a direct connection joining individual right and responsibility, our Constitution, capitalism, and the intent of our Creator.

Image: JSMed via Pixabay, Pixabay License.