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There are many ways to prove that "democratic" socialism is a misleading marketing slogan, not some new version of the socialist product. Here, Fidel Castro illustrates one of them: the fact that every prior socialist nation claimed to be democratic socialism in action. Explore seven ways to prove that "democratic" socialism is a sham in Ch. 7 of Socialism Says, and in our free paper "The 'Keto-Friendly' Political Philosophy," both available at redflagspress.org.

Benito Mussolini learned to love compulsory duty and hate alleged "parasites" while a socialist leader. That's right: before Benito Mussolini became "the father of Fascism," he was a leader in the Italian socialist party. Not only was he Editor-in-Chief of the Party's national daily newspaper, but he also started his own socialist philosophical journal, Utopia. The reality is that socialism and fascism share numerous key principles, ones that make both of these philosophies irredeemably authoritarian. Both place "the community" (as Hitler liked to put it) above the individual. Both demand compulsory duty and denigrate our liberal rights. Both reject liberalism and individualism. The ultimate lesson is that "democratic" socialism is as ludicrous as "democratic" fascism. Learn much more at redflagspress.org and in our small book Socialism Says, which visually summarizes ten of our detailed papers.

Socialism has a fascist-like obsession with alleged "parasites" and their suppression. 100s of celebrated socialists attack "parasites." It's revealing to discover that any number of socialists praised as exemplary "democratic" socialists call for parasite suppression, making statements befitting fascists. Learn what causes socialism's parasite fixation and also the reasons that "democratic" socialism is a misleading marketing slogan in Socialism Says.

Like fascism, socialism is fundamentally anti-liberal. Castro and numerous other celebrated socialists state this explicitly. Liberalism places the rights of the individual above those of the State. Conversely, socialism demands the compulsory duty of "from each according to their ability." This duty places our time and talents under the control of those who run socialist society. And it requires overriding our individual rights. Socialism's foundation on compulsory duty is a key factor in its irredeemable authoritarianism.

Today's socialists credit early American socialist thinker Laurence Gronlund with being an important influence on other celebrated socialists, including democratic socialist icon Eugene Debs and William Morris. Gronlund makes it crystal clear that, like fascism, socialism denigrates individual rights and calls for a society of compulsory duty. Even if Gronlund and numerous other socialists didn't make socialism's love of duty over rights explicit, the very fact that socialism demands the duty of "from each according to their ability" means socialism must override our liberal rights. If it didn't, socialist duty wouldn't really be a duty at all. Socialism's foundation on compulsory duty means this philosophy is by definition anti-liberal. Socialism's foundation on compulsory duty is a key cause of socialism's irredeemable authoritarianism.

Socialism (like fascism) subordinates the individual to "the community." This fact is both reflected in and enforced by socialism's foundation on the compulsory duty of "from each according to their ability." This duty gives those running a socialist society the power to use our lives as they see fit. As Castro explains, socialism is based on the assumption that those running society will have the power to decide what counts as the "rational" use of our lives. It's these fundamental principles of socialism that have turned one socialist experiment after another (all originally sold as "democratic" socialism) into authoritarian nightmares. It's these principles that will turn any future "democratic" socialist experiment into the same. "Democratic" socialism is as ludicrous as "democratic" fascism.

The very starting point of socialism is the imposition of its duty of "from each according to their ability," a duty that, by definition, requires overriding our liberal rights. What other philosophy similarly places duty over rights? Fascism. We explore the details in the RFP paper "Our 'So-Called' Rights" (which is also visually summarized in Ch. 3 of Socialism Says). Check it out.

Marx called craftwork "craft-idiocy" and said that crafworkers were effectively pinheads. Socialists admit Marx "completely rejected the craft ideal." As we detail with quotes galore in this paper, craftwork and other small-scale production violate multiple aspects of socialist theory. This paper is also visually summarized in Socialism Says.

100s of celebrated socialists attack "parasites" and call for "drastic measures to eliminate the parasites," as Che Guevara demanded. Socialists see parasites everywhere they turn, just as fascists do. And for the same reasons. Both of these philosophies are based on anti-liberal forms of compulsory duty. Parasites are those deemed to be failing the duty that socialism and fascism demand. Learn the details in our paper "The Socialist Obsession," which is also visually summarized in Socialism Says, Ch. 5.

Contrary to what so many have been led to believe, "democratic" socialism is not some new version of the socialist product. One of the many ways of proving this is the fact that essentially every prior socialist experiment—even the USSR—has been sold not simply as democratic socialism in action, but as the ultimate in democracy. Learn more and see other ways to prove that "democratic" socialism is a misleading marketing slogan—a sham—in our small, illustrated book, Socialism Says.

As this quote from socialist icon Che Guevara illustrates, socialism is based on the subordination of the individual to the collective. The socialist plan? To “use” each of us. To use the “whole” of us. And “efficiently” at that. Learn much more about socialism’s foundation on compulsory duty and the rejection of liberalism and our liberal rights in our small, illustrated book, Socialism Says. It’s chock-full of damning quotes from celebrated socialists.

Vladimir Lenin. He was the first dictator of the USSR and one heck of a tyrant (e.g., he started the USSR's system of "concentration camps"—his own term for them). Despite this, today's socialists attempt to portray Lenin as a proto-ecosocialist. As we detail in the RFP paper, "Vladimir Lenin, Ecosocialist?—Life Under Lenin's 'Green' Thumb," this is a disingenuous depiction of Lenin's beliefs. Moreover, their willingness to promote Lenin in any fashion is a window into the authoritarianism that today's socialists condone.

Few are aware of socialism's strong bias against craftwork (which Marx labeled "craft-idiocy") and small-scale production generally. The celebrated socialist thinker Nikolai Bukharin highlights the socialist perspective by stating that all small-scale production "must die out." We explore socialism's vendetta against craftwork in Socialism Say Ch. 6, "Why Socialism Says Craftwork Is 'Idiocy.'"

There's a secret sauce required to cook up socialism. Socialists say so themselves. This special ingredient goes by two names: "abundance" (what socialists often label as "superabundance" and "limitless abundance") and "constant overproduction." Socialism's requirement for a world of overflowing abundance fueled by "constant overproduction" pulls off quite the trick; it's both utopian (as in impossible) and dystopian (as in ludicrously unsustainable). Learn the details about this absurd premise at the heart of socialist theory in our paper "The Secret Sauce of Socialism." Also summarized in Ch. 10 of Socialism Says.

Socialist great Fidel makes socialism's view of laziness clear: It's a "crime," a violation of socialism's duty of "from each according to their ability." This duty, by definition, means that slacking is "theft," as Fidel says elsewhere. Fidel attacked the lazy as "thieves" and "parasites" dozens of times, and he's only one of the innumerable socialist greats who do so.

A society of "interminable meetings"—that's what socialism threatens to be, as even the founder of the Democratic Socialists of America admits. Learn the details in our paper "Four Hours Every Weekday." It's summarized in Socialism Says Ch. 8. And the full paper is available for free at #FH" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">redflagspress.org/our-papers/#FH

Red Flags Press has just opened its doors, releasing Socialism Says and 17 free papers. As such, we're offering Socialism Says at a discounted price of $14.99, with free priority shipping and 3 bonus papers. Learn more re the book and offer: redflagspress.org/socialism-says

Today's ecosocialists tout Vladimir Lenin—the first dictator of the USSR—as a proto ecosocialist. Not only does this misrepresent reality, but it also reveals the authoritarianism that socialists condone. See the full paper "Vladimir Lenin, Ecosocialist?" (Life Under Lenin's 'Green' Thumb), or the summary in Socialism Says, Ch. 11.