In his Aug. 4 letter, Gordon Hearst writes that socialism is fundamentally incompatible with American values. That idea alone, however, will not dissuade many Americans who are looking for change in the status quo. So what should people look to? The most reliable information should be regarding the historical outcome of socialistic societies.
There were two prominent societies in the 20th century that espoused socialism: Russia and Germany.
Russia formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The result was Stalin’s killing of 5 million farmers (primarily in Ukraine) who did not like his method of governing. However once World War II was over, the Cold War was not enough to hold the USSR together and it dissolved.
Germany felt its approach to national socialism was being hindered by a Jewish minority. Thus 6 million Jews were exterminated. But after losing World War II, Germany returned to a democracy.
The only thing that appears to fuel socialism are wars. However, Americans are weary of wars and are looking for a stable environment in which they can prosper. With an intellectual base to support its industry, the United States should be a world leader for the foreseeable future as long as it avoids socialism.
