Socialism isn’t 'neighborly' — it’s deadly
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the newly minted vice presidential pick to join Kamala Harris on the Democrat presidential ticket, is about to be subject to extreme scrutiny. Everything he’s said, everything he’s done, and every policy he’s supported or opposed will soon be the topic of a national conversation.
In one clip that’s already making the rounds, Walz has what we call a “mask-off” moment. He said “the quiet part” out loud. He dropped the facade and said what he — and, by extension, the Democrat Party — really thinks.
What did we find under that “progressive” mask? The same evil, destructive political ideology that destroyed numerous nations and led to millions of brutal deaths in the 20th century: Socialism.
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In the aforementioned video clip, Tim Walz says — right into the camera: “Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”
In previous years and previous presidential elections, an admission like this would be electoral suicide. Of course, America isn’t going to elect a socialist!
Tragically, that’s not where we are anymore. Now, in 2024, it’s a very real question. Half of America might well mark the ballot for a socialist ticket. What should we think about this?
Here are two things to consider.
First, the Democrats are finally owning the connection between progressive political ideology and socialism.
For years, Republicans have worked to label their political opponents on the left as socialists and communists. But, other than the notable exceptions of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, scarce few Democrats have been bold enough to own the label.
The truth is that what we euphemistically call “progressivism” is simply socialism (or communism/Marxism) in seed form. Thus far, America has been able to stop the rotten flower of socialism from fully blooming in our country, but the roots have certainly been planted.
For good or for ill, the modern-day Democrat Party is finally admitting it. Notice how Walz, without skipping a beat, connects “progressive values” with socialism. He exhorts Democrats not to “shy away” from their “progressive values” and then immediately mentions socialism! From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). When Walz was thinking about his progressive values, apparently right there, in his head and his heart, was the idea of socialism.
Our country would be greatly helped by political parties being honest about what their true ideological commitments are and how they intend to govern once in power. I’d rather Walz come out and defend socialism, as he does here, than pretend he doesn’t subscribe to such radical views.
If the Democrats want to own and defend socialism, let them do it. It would be nice to know where patriotic Americans really stand on the idea of letting our government control just about every aspect of our lives — from our businesses and families to our speech and even our thoughts.
The second thing to know about Walz’s comments, and by far the most important, is that his comparison is wildly inaccurate.
Because socialism isn’t neighborly, it’s deadly.
The estimated death toll from socialist regimes (including communist/Marxist regimes, which are a form of socialism) in the 20th century varies depending on the source and the specific events considered.
However, some commonly cited figures include: approximately 61 million deaths in the Soviet Union, including those from the Holodomor (a program of starvation and extermination in the Ukraine), the Great Purge, and other political repressions; and 40 to 80 million deaths in China, primarily from the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and other policies under Mao Zedong.
Once you add the atrocities in Cambodia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and Eastern Europe, it’s estimated that as many as 150 million deaths worldwide were brought about by socialist and/or communist regimes in the 20th century.
These deaths were from executions, forced labor, famines, and other forms of systematic repression.
Not so neighborly, is it?
It’s a staggering number. And it’s the inevitable outcome of socialist policies. Everywhere that some form of socialism has been tried at a mass scale, there have been mass deaths. Socialism is suicide for any people, both economically and literally.
As a reminder, socialism is a political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are primarily owned and controlled by the state or collective rather than by individuals or private companies. The core tenet of socialism is that the collective should own and control the economy for the benefit of all members of society, rather than having a free market economy driven by private profit.
But who gets to be in charge of the collective? That’s where the rubber meets the road — and where the bullets meet the people.
From a Christian perspective, socialism is also problematic because it is fundamentally atheistic: It views the state as “god” and involves the forcible redistribution of wealth and property, which goes against biblical principles of private property rights and individual responsibility. The Bible teaches that people should work diligently and reap the rewards of their labor, not have their earnings seized by the state. Socialism also tends to concentrate immense power in the hands of the state, which can lead to the suppression of individual liberties and Christian values.
Again, historically, socialist and communist regimes implemented in the 20th century have been incredibly deadly and repressive. These regimes stripped their citizens of basic rights, persecuted religious believers, and brought economic ruin through central planning and the abolition of private property.
Ultimately, socialism represents an authoritarian, collectivist vision that is incompatible with Christian principles of individual liberty, private property, and limited government. Its implementation in the 20th century resulted in indescribable human suffering and economic ruin. From both a Christian and free market perspective, socialism should be firmly rejected in favor of systems that protect individual rights, encourage personal responsibility, and foster a dynamic and prosperous economy.
And that’s how you can truly be neighborly — by loving and advocating for freedom, not socialist slavery, destruction, and death.
Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.
William Wolfe is a visiting fellow with the Center for Renewing America. He served as a senior official in the Trump administration, both as a deputy assistant secretary of defense at the Pentagon and a director of legislative affairs at the State Department. Prior to his service in the administration, Wolfe worked for Heritage Action for America, and as a congressional staffer for three different members of Congress, including the former Rep. Dave Brat. He has a B.A. in history from Covenant College, and is finishing his Masters of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Follow William on Twitter at @William_E_Wolfe
