Changes

The term '''Leftist''' refers to someone on the 'left' side of the [[political spectrum]] who generally supports varying degrees of social, political, or economic change designed to promote the public welfare, variously in the guises of social democracy, liberalism, or the several strains of socialism and communism. It may also be applied to those who oppose conservative politics.

The term '''Leftist''' refers to someone on the 'left' side of the [[political spectrum]] who generally supports varying degrees of social, political, or economic change designed to promote the public welfare, variously in the guises of social democracy, liberalism, or the several strains of socialism and communism. It may also be applied to those who oppose conservative politics.

The dream of a cooperative commonwealth in which all would share equally in the propserity created by an economic system owned by the people was the vision of [[Socialist]]s.  This in theory would end [[poverty]], [[ignorance]] and [[crises]].  The idea was to [[nationalize]] banks, railroads, all means of transport, mines, and a few basic industries, but leave some factories, stores, farms, entertainment industries, etc., in the hands of private owners. The government would assume responsibility for making the economy work, for the wellbeing of all the citizens, their protection from the hazards of life, poverty, sickness, and old age. To make the whole economy work continuously without occasional [[Great_Depression#Boom_or_Bust_Cycles|boom-bust]] cycles, the government would create [[economic planning]] boards which would continuously study and observe the functioning of the economic system and make plans covering production, prices, distribution, financing, profits, [[wages]], hours, etc. Thus there would be Planned Capitalism, with the State responsible for the planning and for ensuring the carrying out of its plans through great government bureaus armed with the necessary powers to enforce compliance.

The dream of a cooperative commonwealth in which all would share equally in the propserity created by an economic system owned by the people was the vision of [[Socialist]]s.  This in theory would end [[poverty]], [[ignorance]] and [[crises]].  The idea was to [[nationalize]] banks, railroads, all means of transport, mines, and a few basic industries, but leave some factories, stores, farms, entertainment industries, etc., in the hands of private owners. The government would assume responsibility for making the economy work, for the wellbeing of all the citizens, their protection from the hazards of life, poverty, sickness, and old age. To make the whole economy work continuously without occasional [[Great_Depression#Boom_or_Bust_Cycles|boom-bust]] cycles, the government would create [[economic planning]] boards which would continuously study and observe the functioning of the economic system and make plans covering production, prices, distribution, financing, profits, [[wages]], hours, etc. Thus there would be Planned Capitalism, with the State responsible for the planning and for ensuring the carrying out of its plans through great government bureaus armed with the necessary powers to enforce compliance.

In the 1920s [[Mussolini]] had adopted the Planned Capitalist State. And he gave it the name "[[fascism]]". [[Hitler]] adopted the same idea and called it [[National Socialism]]. Mussolini and Hitler both realized that a system which imposes a vast complex of decrees upon a people while subjecting them to confiscatory [[tax]]es to support the immense activities of the government cannot be operated except by an [[Absolutism|absolute]] government that has the power to enforce compliance. Prior to [[World War II]], this tpye of system had spread all over Europe. For nearly 70 years all the countries in Europe, with Germany in the lead, had been experimenting with the idea of the security State, the State which attempts to provide its people with jobs and protection from all the hazards of life.  

In the 1920s [[Mussolini]] had adopted the Planned Capitalist State. And he gave it the name "[[fascism]]". [[Hitler]] adopted the same idea and called it [[National Socialism]]. Mussolini and Hitler both realized that a system which imposes a vast complex of decrees upon a people while subjecting them to confiscatory [[tax]]es to support the immense activities of the government cannot be operated except by an [[Absolutism|absolute]] government that has the power to enforce compliance. Prior to [[World War II]], this tpye of system had spread all over Europe. For nearly 70 years all the countries in Europe, with Germany in the lead, had been experimenting with the idea of the [[welfare state]], the State which attempts to provide its people with jobs and protection from all the hazards of life.  

This system is the direct opposite of [[classical liberalism]]. It is the negation of the classical liberal philosophy which for decades has been fighting to emancipate the people from the tyranny of the all powerful State. During the [[New Deal]] this doctrine became known in America as "liberalism". Liberals did not admit that it implied the restoration to the State those very powers which had been stripped from the State as the means of giving people freedom. They called it the [[Planned Economy]]. But it was and is fascism by whatever name it is known. Incrementally the government must be made stronger, and the rights of the citizens reduced.

This system is the direct opposite of [[classical liberalism]]. It is the negation of the classical liberal philosophy which for decades has been fighting to emancipate the people from the tyranny of the all powerful State. During the [[New Deal]] this doctrine became known in America as "liberalism". Liberals did not admit that it implied the restoration to the State those very powers which had been stripped from the State as the means of giving people freedom. They called it the [[Planned Economy]]. But it was and is fascism by whatever name it is known. Incrementally the government must be made stronger, and the rights of the citizens reduced.