The Hydra of Socialism

For the first half of the 20^th century Socialism was seen by many intellectuals as the wave of the future. It was to be the system of government and economics that would create a better world for everyone. Slowly this dream started to die. Intellectuals refused to let it go and often turned a blind eye to the truth, claiming that it was just propaganda spread by capitalists to disparage socialism. Yet when the truth of the atrocities of socialism were put on full display in front of the world they could deny it no longer.

Socialism was created as a counter to liberalism and free markets. It held the theory that liberal free market capitalism (liberal meaning classical liberal or libertarianism of the US today) with its focus on the individual and their focus on their own interests would create a world that would be good for the few at the top and terrible for those at the bottom. This situation would eventually lead the proletariat rising up and overthrowing those at the top. They would then usher in socialism as the next evolutionary step. This theory also fell apart as the capitalist free market west saw vast improvements for everyone. In the 1950’s is when the socialist dream shattered.

Yet this shattering did not mean the end for socialism. Instead with its head cut off, like the hydra, several new heads sprouted in its place. Each head sought out a new criticism of capitalism and liberalism.

One path is seen in the environmental movement. They hold the theory that capitalism will eventually strip the environment bare to make a profit. From their perspective humans, with their intelligence and ingenuity, are more powerful than the plants and animals in nature. Since humans are more powerful they must be oppressing nature. You could argue that humans are just trying to survive in the world where nature can kill you without warning with something as large as an earthquake or something as small as a disease. The environmentalist would say a tornado is caused by climate change, the earthquake is caused by fracking and you are sick because of all the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and pesticides. In short humans are oppressing nature so it is natural for nature to fight back and they are siding with nature.

Feminism has also been taken over by socialism. Men are in positions of power and so they are oppressing women. Minorities are being oppressed by white people, LGBTQ people by straight people, children by parents, the rest of the world by the west, small businesses by big businesses, and the list goes on and on. Here is an outline of the socialist line of reasoning as laid out by Dr. Jordan Peterson Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto:

1. Identify an area of human activity
2. Note a distribution of success
3. Identify winners and losers
4. Claim that the losers are losing only because they are oppressed by the winners.
5. Claim allegiance with the losers
6. Feel secure in your comprehensive explanation of the world
7. Revel in your moral superiority
8. Target your resentment towards your newly discovered enemies
9. Repeat. Forever. Everywhere.

The socialist idea of proletariat verses the bourgeoisie lost thanks to free market capitalism and classical liberalism. Socialism evolved into the current state of identity politics we see today. These ideas have taken hold because it is easy to play the identity politics game. It takes little effort while allowing you to feel morally and intellectually superior. This socialist hydra is real and very dangerous. In the hydra myth, the hydra’s blood is poisonous, it has multiple mortal heads and one immortal head. Hercules the hero of the story defeats the hydra with the use of fire to cauterize each head as he severs it.

This story should give you hope. While the hydra of socialism is dangerous, full of venom and a terrifying monster it can be defeated. You won’t be able to defeat socialism with force, just like Hercules could not defeat the hydra with his strength alone. That just causes it to spread farther. Instead you must use the fire and light of truth and reason to burn the different heads of socialism. It is in this way the individual hero can stand against the multiplying collective monster.

Note: These ideas are drawn from lectures by Dr Jordan Peterson and the book Explaining Post Modernism by Stephen R. C. Hicks as well as influences from F.A. Hayek, Milton Freedman, and Thomas Sowell among others.