Can socialism be democratic? Given the dismal history of their ideology, modern socialists are desperate to rebrand themselves as “democratic” to insulate themselves from their own history. But common sense should tell us that “Democratic Socialism” is a contradiction in terms.

People who formerly identified as Marxist, Communist, Progressive, or just plain Socialist now claim the moniker “Democratic socialist,” as if that makes any difference. Communists in Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea all claimed to be Democratic Socialists. Communist East Germany was officially called the German Democratic Republic (LOL). Words are cheap indeed.

Remember this bit of wisdom: “You will know them by the things they do.”

Socialism’s lofty rhetoric sounds lovely to people who are ignorant of history, and some people actually believe this utopian nonsense and its “free lunch” promise. No need to take responsibility for yourself because you are entitled to sponge off your neighbors. But socialist rhetoric has always written checks that socialist reality cannot cash.

Few seem to understand that socialism — by definition — means the elimination of all private property: your house, your children (see previous article), your bank account, your self-respect, and everything else. Socialism, by definition, means the government controls your very means of survival – your job. You cannot be a sovereign individual within the socialist collective.

Under any form of socialism you cannot run a private business, and “The Man” you answer to is a bureaucrat in Albany or Washington who has no skin in the game. You cannot just change jobs if you are unhappy, and you cannot negotiate the best salary for yourself, no matter how productive you are. You will eat what the government tells you to eat. You will do (or pretend to do) what your socialist masters demand of you. You are a serf on the socialist plantation.

Socialism has a cute slogan that goes back to Karl Marx: “From each according to his ability, and to each according to his needs.” But, which bureaucrat gets to decide what your abilities are and how hard you must work? Who decides your needs, versus somebody else’s needs? How are choices made? Under the classless society promised by socialism, working harder will get you nowhere.You are just one termite in the colony.

Klaus Schwab of the socialism-pushing World Economic Forum (WEF) said: “You will own nothing, and be happy about it.” Socialism promises you a meaningless existence and denies your individual humanity.

Warning: Do not confuse socialism with the idea of “socializing costs.” For example, the U.S. Public Education System is pure socialism. Public schools have a monopoly over public education funds and hence have no competition or any reason to improve.

This probably explains why the U.S. is dead last among industrialized nations in math and science education.

Public schools in most states have no competition for public money and can do whatever they please. Think: Virginia school boards vs. parents.

Sweden had a socialist public education system until they became adults and replaced it with a free-market voucher system. They socialized the cost of education via vouchers that broke the government monopoly and gave rise to many competing private schools. Sweden created a top-tier education system that is significantly cheaper and more effective than our socialist system of education. If you like Medicare, then you approve of vouchers.

Now let’s talk about democracy. For good reasons democracy is never mentioned in our Declaration or Constitution. Our founders knew democracy (majority rule) would always lead to tyranny of the majority, so they protected us from that tyranny with a constitutionally limited Republic, which limits government power via the Bill of Rights.

Socialists have always hated the Bill of Rights precisely because their ideology requires 100% centralized government control of all things (that’s why they call themselves Socialists).

This is why the Left puts people like KBJ on the Supreme Court – to nullify the Bill of Rights by judicial caveat. Then President Barack Obama whined incessantly because America’s system of “negative rights” limited his executive power. Obama wanted a system of “positive rights” where the government has all the power, and individuals have no inherent rights. Welcome to the Soviet Union, comrade.

Socialism cannot exist without compulsion, and the Bill of Rights stands opposed to that totalitarian and authoritarian power. Socialism has never sustained itself without a police state to enforce it. Ask anyone who came here to escape socialism.

So what does Democratic Socialism look like? Socialism means 100% government control over our lives. “Democratic Socialism” means that 50.1% of the population can vote to enslave the other 49.9% to provide those “free lunches.” When the enslaved population decides to stop feeding the socialist monster, the percent of people willing to sacrifice themselves becomes 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%.

Hence we arrive at the logical conclusion of Democratic Socialism – the internal contradiction — where nobody does the work necessary to make life possible in the proclaimed “worker’s paradise. The economy collapses. The rich are gone. We are all poor. We are all equal.

There will be no more free lunches. In fact, there will be no more lunches. That is the only promise of Democratic Socialism.

Michael Dee is a Silver Creek resident and Scott Axelson resides in Jamestown.