To many Americans, socialism may seem like a recent fad among the youth. It may seem to be a impractical ideology borrowed from Europe, that failed in the Soviet Union, was failing in China, and is failing in North Korea. Unlike capitalism, socialism may seem oddly un-American and economically absurd. Let me try to argue otherwise.

Capitalism appeals to the American belief in independence and liberty. Capitalism rules that if I make some money, then it is mine. I get to keep that sum. I am not obligated to provide for anyone else. Nor is anyone else obligated to provide for me. Socialism, on the other hand, is all about inter-dependence. If I make some money, then the entirety of that sum may not be mine. I may be obligated to provide for others, and others may be obligated to provide for me.

However, capitalism and liberty does not occur naturally in society. Without equal rights and protection, the powerful would naturally prey upon and oppress the weak. Most exchanges would be one-sided. Few would gain. Many would lose. Most would lose their liberty, their wealth, and eventually their life.

In order to have capitalism, we must have protection. Private property and individual liberties must be respected. Abuses must be restricted. This enables the accumulation of wealth. To guarantee these conditions, we establish laws and a government to enforce those laws. When Jefferson wrote in The Declaration of Independence:

all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men

he clearly believed in this importance of protecting individual human rights on equal footing. As envisioned by Jefferson, people would contribute taxes to the government. And if the government held up its end of the bargain, then everyone gets equal rights and equal protection. This arrangement of unequal input but equal output is suspiciously socialistic.

However, contrary to this original intent, the government today is becoming more capitalistic. Not every one is equal. Some effectively have more rights than others. For example:

  • Bankers who get off free for stealing billions of dollars effectively have more rights than kids getting jailed for marijuana possession.

  • Corporations who have armies of politicians and lawyers effectively have more rights than the middle-class.

  • Subjected to higher incarceration rates, blacks effectively have less rights than whites.

This is a capitalistic system where some have more rights than others. It is a system where politicians align with the interests of the rich and powerful. This government serves the rich first and the poor later. This government would respect private property and individual liberties only when it is in the interests of the rich and powerful. Capitalism is undermining its own principles through the government.

Capitalism should never dictate government policies. When officials make decisions based on campaign contributions or donations, it comes at the hidden cost of the citizens. The weak and the voiceless suffer. The government should never be in the business of making money at the expense of its citizens. It should never be in the business of protecting the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Such a capitalistic system at odds with the original intents of the Constitution. It produces unequal rights and unequal protection. If left unchecked, capitalism will eventually destroy itself and democracy.

From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison to Andrew Jackson, many American presidents were wary of corrosive influence of capitalism. They aligned themselves with the interests of the people and the principles of the Constitution. Seeing the powerful banks as a threat to democracy and the people, they railed against them and sought to end their greedy control. These presidents were not capitalists but socialists.

Throughout American history, socialism has left its touch : the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Social Security, Medicare, taxation, equal rights, and equal protection. So when someone vilifies socialism as un-American and a threat to America, they got it backwards. Socialism has always been a part of America. It is excessive capitalism that is a threat to America, to democracy, to its own foundations, not the other way around.