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As a political ideology based on the redistribution of wealth, socialism stresses the privileges of the many over the rights of the few, but in practice, when socialist economic principles are forced onto a nation by a totalitarian government, a new Upper Class appears, which is much better off than the Lower Class.

As a political ideology based on the redistribution of wealth, socialism stresses the privileges of the many over the rights of the few, but in practice, when socialist economic principles are forced onto a nation by a totalitarian government, a new Upper Class appears, which is much better off than the Lower Class.

{{cquote|'''<big>Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.</big> <small>- Winston Churchill</small>''' <ref>[http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280995/winston-churchill/socialism-is-a-philosophy-of-failure-the-creed-of Churchill; Quotesdaddy.com]</ref>}}

{{cquote|'''<big>Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.</big> <small>- Winston Churchill</small>'''<ref>[http://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/280995/winston-churchill/socialism-is-a-philosophy-of-failure-the-creed-of Churchill; Quotesdaddy.com]</ref>}}

Socialism supposedly is an "intellectual" pursuit. Raisa Gorbachev, the wife of the last General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], held a "PhD in Marxism-Leninism." and died in a German hospital of [[leukemia]] because her beloved Soviet homeland was incapable of delivering proper healthcare, even for the elite of the Soviet Socialist Republic, after 70 years of socialism.

Socialism supposedly is an "intellectual" pursuit. Raisa Gorbachev, the wife of the last General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], held a "PhD in Marxism-Leninism." and died in a German hospital of [[leukemia]] because her beloved Soviet homeland was incapable of delivering proper healthcare, even for the elite of the Soviet Socialist Republic, after 70 years of socialism.

Social democracies and Mixed economies are socialism by [[incrementalism]]. Often socialism is a matter of degree and numerous economies in the world are very socialistic such as [[Europe]]an countries (many of which are facing financial difficulties due to over taxation and excessive spending).<ref>https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/european_socialism_is_bleeding.html</ref> The single party has yet to gain full control.

Social democracies and Mixed economies are socialism by [[incrementalism]]. Often socialism is a matter of degree and numerous economies in the world are very socialistic such as [[Europe]]an countries (many of which are facing financial difficulties due to over taxation and excessive spending).<ref>https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/european_socialism_is_bleeding.html</ref> The single party has yet to gain full control.

Because many businesses still are privately owned, [[ipso facto]], the [[United States]] is not a socialistic government. "That definition is confuted by the earliest theoretical writings on socialism.  In France, Henri de Saint-Simon, in the first decades of the 1800s, and his pupil and colleague [[Auguste Comte]], in the 1820s and 30s, along with [[Robert Owen]] contemporaneously in England, ''stated that the essential feature of what Owen called socialism is government regulation of the means of production and distribution."'' <ref>[http://www.thomasbrewton.com/index.php/weblog/once_again_what_is_socialism/ Thomas E. Brewton; Once Again: What Is Socialism?]</ref>

Because many businesses still are privately owned, [[ipso facto]], the [[United States]] is not a socialistic government. "That definition is confuted by the earliest theoretical writings on socialism.  In France, Henri de Saint-Simon, in the first decades of the 1800s, and his pupil and colleague [[Auguste Comte]], in the 1820s and 30s, along with [[Robert Owen]] contemporaneously in England, ''stated that the essential feature of what Owen called socialism is government regulation of the means of production and distribution."''<ref>[http://www.thomasbrewton.com/index.php/weblog/once_again_what_is_socialism/ Thomas E. Brewton; Once Again: What Is Socialism?]</ref>

When the government controls the volume of money and its economic applications, it has the economy in a stranglehold.  When government controls education so that nothing other than secular socialism may be taught, as Saint-Simon advocated, it controls the future destiny of a nation.

When the government controls the volume of money and its economic applications, it has the economy in a stranglehold.  When government controls education so that nothing other than secular socialism may be taught, as Saint-Simon advocated, it controls the future destiny of a nation.

See, for instance, Arnold Toynbee, the British historian, has responded to this,

See, for instance, Arnold Toynbee, the British historian, has responded to this,

:"the Marxian excerpt from a Christian Socialism is an experiment which is doomed to failure because it has denied itself the aid of the spiritual power which alone is capable of making Socialism a success. ….'Christianity', they say, 'is the opiate of the People'; and, in the [[Soviet Union]]… Christianity or of any other theistic religion have been debarred… from admission to membership of the All-Union Communist Party. In fact, Communism has been definitely and militantly anti-Christian. Thus the campaign against Christianity which is to-day an integral part of the propaganda of [[Marxian Socialism]] is a challenge to the living generation of Christians …we latter-day Christians may still turn a Marxian attack upon Christianity to good account … a re-awakening of the Christian social conscience has been the one great positive practical achievement of Karl Marx" <ref>Arnold Toynbee, ''A Study of History'', Annex II to Vol. V, Part C (i) (c) 2, p. 585-586, Marxism, Socialism, and Christianity.</ref>

:"the Marxian excerpt from a Christian Socialism is an experiment which is doomed to failure because it has denied itself the aid of the spiritual power which alone is capable of making Socialism a success. ….'Christianity', they say, 'is the opiate of the People'; and, in the [[Soviet Union]]… Christianity or of any other theistic religion have been debarred… from admission to membership of the All-Union Communist Party. In fact, Communism has been definitely and militantly anti-Christian. Thus the campaign against Christianity which is to-day an integral part of the propaganda of [[Marxian Socialism]] is a challenge to the living generation of Christians …we latter-day Christians may still turn a Marxian attack upon Christianity to good account … a re-awakening of the Christian social conscience has been the one great positive practical achievement of Karl Marx"<ref>Arnold Toynbee, ''A Study of History'', Annex II to Vol. V, Part C (i) (c) 2, p. 585-586, Marxism, Socialism, and Christianity.</ref>

====Alleged New Testament socialism in a godless utopia====

====Alleged New Testament socialism in a godless utopia====

===Quotes from Leon Trotsky===

===Quotes from Leon Trotsky===

* "Repression for the attainment of economic ends is a necessary weapon of the socialist [[dictatorship]]."

* "Repression for the attainment of economic ends is a necessary weapon of the socialist [[dictatorship]]."

** [[Leon Trotsky]] in ''Terrorism and Communism : A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p.&nbsp;153

** [[Leon Trotsky]] in ''Terrorism and Communism: A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p.&nbsp;153

* "The road to socialism lies through a period of the highest possible intensification of the principle of the state … Just as a lamp, before going out, shoots up in a brilliant flame, so the state, before disappearing, assumes the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, i.e., the most ruthless form of state, which embraces the life of the citizens authoritatively in every direction...

* "The road to socialism lies through a period of the highest possible intensification of the principle of the state … Just as a lamp, before going out, shoots up in a brilliant flame, so the state, before disappearing, assumes the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, i.e., the most ruthless form of state, which embraces the life of the citizens authoritatively in every direction...

** ''Terrorism and Communism : A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p. 177

** ''Terrorism and Communism: A Reply to Karl Kautsky'' (1920; 1975), p. 177

* "We must rid ourselves once and for all of the Quaker-Papist babble about the sanctity of human life."

* "We must rid ourselves once and for all of the Quaker-Papist babble about the sanctity of human life."

** Leon Trotsky in his book The [[Russian Revolution]], 1930

** Leon Trotsky in his book The [[Russian Revolution]], 1930

* "Root out the counterrevolutionaries without mercy, lock up suspicious characters in concentration camps... Shirkers will be [[extermination camp|shot]], regardless of past service."

* "Root out the counterrevolutionaries without mercy, lock up suspicious characters in concentration camps... Shirkers will be [[extermination camp|shot]], regardless of past service."

** Statement of 1918, as quoted in ''Trotsky : The Eternal Revolutionary'' (1996) by Dmitri Volkogonov, p.&nbsp;213

** Statement of 1918, as quoted in ''Trotsky: The Eternal Revolutionary'' (1996) by Dmitri Volkogonov, p.&nbsp;213

===Quotes from Mao===

===Quotes from Mao===

===Related Quotes from Others===

===Related Quotes from Others===

* "[[Socialist]]s ignore the side of man that is of the spirit.  They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you are ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave.  They don't understand that we dream - yes, even of some time owning a yacht." -- [[President]] [[Ronald Reagan]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ut8fnmwVkwC&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false|last1=Skinner|first1=Kiron K.|last2=Anderson|first2=Annelise A.|title=Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan ; Edited with an Introduction and Commentary by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson ; Foreword by George P. Shultz|date=2001|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781416584506}}</ref>

* "[[Socialist]]s ignore the side of man that is of the spirit.  They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you are ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave.  They don't understand that we dream - yes, even of some time owning a yacht." -- [[President]] [[Ronald Reagan]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ut8fnmwVkwC&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false|last1=Skinner|first1=Kiron K.|last2=Anderson|first2=Annelise A.|title=Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan; Edited with an Introduction and Commentary by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson; Foreword by George P. Shultz|date=2001|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781416584506}}</ref>

* "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the [[income redistribution|equal sharing]] of misery." -- [[Winston Churchill]]

* "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the [[income redistribution|equal sharing]] of misery." -- [[Winston Churchill]]

* "Wonderful system, wrong species" — Edward O. Wilson, who believed that collectivism was better suited to an ant than a human.<ref>[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/homo-consumericus/201101/communismsocialism-great-idea-wrong-species-e-o-wilson Communism/Socialism: “Great Idea. Wrong Species.” (E. O. Wilson)]</ref>

* "Wonderful system, wrong species" — Edward O. Wilson, who believed that collectivism was better suited to an ant than a human.<ref>[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/homo-consumericus/201101/communismsocialism-great-idea-wrong-species-e-o-wilson Communism/Socialism: “Great Idea. Wrong Species.” (E. O. Wilson)]</ref>

* "If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to ''consolidate'' and ''control'' the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all." — Gary Allen <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UuKnhw27vUwC&q=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&dq=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBGoVChMI9b6puNfryAIVxSQmCh2CHw7j None Dare Call It Conspiracy], page 33</ref>

* "If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to ''consolidate'' and ''control'' the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all." — Gary Allen<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UuKnhw27vUwC&q=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&dq=%22if+one+understands+that+socialism+is+not+a%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBGoVChMI9b6puNfryAIVxSQmCh2CHw7j None Dare Call It Conspiracy], page 33</ref>

* "We face a hostile ideology; (Socialism i) global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose and insidous in method. Unhappily the danger it poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully there is call for not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of questions but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle with liberty the stake. Only thus shall we remain despite every provocation on our charted course towards permanent peace and human betterment." - Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address

* "We face a hostile ideology; (Socialism i) global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose and insidous in method. Unhappily the danger it poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully there is call for not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of questions but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle with liberty the stake. Only thus shall we remain despite every provocation on our charted course towards permanent peace and human betterment." - Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address