Why Communism and Socialism Fail

The Epoch Times Header

The protests roiling our college campuses have provided yet another opportunity for the perennially disgruntled to call for the end of Americaโ€™s democratic form of government and system of free market capitalism, and to replace both with some collectivist pipe dream.

It is a searing indictment of American higher education that our students and graduates are so ignorant of the death and destruction wrought by both communism and socialism that they can advocate for Marxism with a straight face.

The death toll associated with a century of communism is almost impossible to grasp. It is certainly upward of 100 million people. The late Rudolph Rummel, a historian and professor of political science at the University of Hawaii, calculated the number at closer to 170 million people killedโ€”and that number excluded deaths from battles and wars. Millions died as a result of political persecution: imprisonment, torture, purges, executions, and other murders.

But tens of millions more died from starvation.

In Russia, 5 million people starved in the famine of 1921โ€“22. Another 6 to 9 million starved in another famine in the early 1930s. (More than 3 million Ukrainians alone perished, in what is now called the โ€œHolodomor.โ€)

In China, up to 45 million people starved to death in the Great Famine of 1958โ€“1962 caused by the policies of Mao Zedong.

In Cambodia, the communist Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 2 million, or 25 percent of the population. Untold numbers of those starved to death under the economic restructuring put in place by the regime.

In North Korea, somewhere between a quarter of a million and 3.5 million people starved to death in the famine of the mid-1990s.

Socialist Hugo Chavez took Venezuelaโ€”the most prosperous country in South Americaโ€”and reduced the majority of its population to abject poverty in just over a decade.

Why does this happen over and over again?

Hubris. Arrogance. Stupidity. But more than anything else, the complete lack of alternatives.

Byย Laura Hollis

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

News

White House Adviser Gives Update on DOGEโ€™s Future Amid Muskโ€“Trump Spat

A top White House adviser said DOGEโ€™s work will likely continue amid a spat between its former chief, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower courtโ€™s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Walmartโ€™s Drone Delivery Coming to 5 More US Cities

Walmart is set to launch its drone delivery service in five more U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, the company.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.

Tax Deductions You Can Take Without Itemizing

Itโ€™s not always beneficial to itemize. With IRSโ€™s current standard deduction for 2025 most Americans who canโ€™t itemize go with standard deduction.

US Economy Adds 139,000 New Jobs in May, Topping Market Forecasts

U.S. economy added 139,000 new jobs last month, surpassing economistsโ€™ expectations and indicating U.S. labor market remains in a robust position.

Guatemalan Deportee Arrives in US After Judge Orders Trump Admin to Facilitate Return

โ€œAmericaโ€™s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card,โ€ McLaughlin said.
spot_img

Related Articles