“Socialism means slavery.”
Lord Acton
Alright, here we go… 🙂
Let’s start at the center of my model and then we can grow outward. The center shows the general types of government on the top and the matching freedom to slavery scale on the bottom.
- Anarchy is a political philosophy and social condition characterized by the absence of government or centralized authority. In an anarchist society, individuals and communities would govern themselves through voluntary cooperation and mutual aid.
- Minarchism is a libertarian political philosophy advocating for a minimal state with limited functions, primarily focused on protecting individual rights and providing essential services like law enforcement, defense, and courts.
- Limited government is a political philosophy that advocates for a government with restricted powers, clearly defined by a constitution or other legal framework, to protect individual liberties and prevent tyranny.
- A mixed economy is an economic system that combines elements of both free-market capitalism and government intervention. It allows for private ownership and operation of businesses while also permitting government regulation and social welfare programs.
- Social democracy is a political ideology that supports a mixed economy, combining capitalist principles with significant government intervention to promote social welfare, reduce inequality, and ensure basic necessities like healthcare and education for all.
- Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by strong central power, limited political freedoms, and suppression of dissent. It often involves a single ruler or ruling group with unchecked authority.
- Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible.
- In theory, anarchy offers the ultimate individual freedom, as there are no government-imposed laws or restrictions. However, this also means there is no central authority to protect rights or enforce agreements, potentially leading to chaos and vulnerability to exploitation. The degree of freedom in practice would largely depend on the social norms and informal rules established within communities.
- Indentured servitude is a labor system where an individual contracts to work for a specific period (typically 4-7 years) in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, shelter, and sometimes freedom dues at the end of their contract. While not slavery, it involved a loss of freedom and was often harsh.
- Slavery is a system in which individuals are treated as property, owned by others, and deprived of their freedom and basic human rights. They are forced to work without pay and are subject to the will of their owners.
Notice the correlation between freedom and government presence. In both our personal and social lives increasing the amount of government increases the amount of dependence upon government. Thus when we are partially dependent it would be indentured servitude and under a totalitarian state we are totally controlled (owned) by government.
The United States has actually moved along this line since inception. While we began as a limited government we have moved along the line and are now a social democracy with a mixed economy. Our current government would also be considered tilting toward authoritarianism.
Next post…Back that up…
