socialism

Is The Tide Finally Turning?

In our first episode of 2022, Andrew starts by asking the question “Who will save us?”

Will it be schoolkids? Are Gen Z finally realising that the state can do too much?

What about ethnic minorities? Statistics show that they’re far more sceptical about government, particularly when it comes to vaccines.

And how about socialists? Lately, some of the socialist old guard have become unlikely allies.

Following on from that, Andrew provides some evidence from here in the UK and across the pond that things might be slowly changing for the better. We also create the new term ‘vice wielders’. You’ll have to listen to understand what we mean…

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Bonus Episode – COVID-19 Restrictions: Fascist Policies using Socialist Logic

This is an audio recording of a recent article I wrote of the same name: COVID-19 Restrictions: Fascist Policies using Socialist Logic


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COVID-19 Restrictions: Fascist Policies Using Socialist Logic

There are four stages to socialist logic:

  1. It works
  2. It works better if everybody does it
  3. It only works if everybody does it
  4. It only works if everybody does it and it is the only thing that will work. Therefore everyone against it is your enemy.

You will have seen this logic many times before. It was first used with socialism itself. Socialism was sold as being better than capitalism in every way. People simply needed to embrace it and their lives would improve.

It was supposed to increase production and quality of life for everyone who participated. Then, when small communes were clearly a failure, suddenly it would work better if everyone did it. Then, when people weren’t interested, everybody HAD to do it.

80% socialist?  It’ll never work (something we actually both agree on!).

Finally, because people were still not buying it, it was sold as the only way. Capitalism is in crisis and will collapse. Humanity is in danger. Socialism is the only way and everyone who isn’t a socialist is an absolute danger to society.

It’s the same with the NHS. We couldn’t possibly have an NHS just for those who cannot afford healthcare (a very small number). It has to exist for everyone or it will never work, and it’s the only system that could possibly work.

Education? Private schools are dangerous, according to these fanatics. The historical examples are endless.

Let’s compare this logic with what we’re being told today.

Masks don’t protect you. They only protect others. Therefore, every single person must wear them. It’s the only thing that will work and there’s no other option. Sound familiar?

Everyone must lock down. Not just the vulnerable.

Vaccines will only work if the entire population is vaccinated. There is no other way to fight this disease. The unvaccinated are a serious threat.

It’s clear that this is all socialist logic. Which is why I think, in my opinion inaccurately, people are describing the current restrictions as socialist. But let’s take a look at fascism, for a moment.

What is fascism?

According to Mussolini, it’s a merger between corporations and the state.

Fascism is a far right ideology, so what’s “right wing”? Right wing policies are all about control and order (as opposed to left wing, which is all about ownership). Right wing policies include regulation and licencing. When you reach the far right, these policies lead to cartels.

So now let us look at some of the current restrictions, putting aside for a moment the logic used to sell them.

Lockdowns are a form of severe regulation. They even came through in the form of regulations (this isn’t just a description I’m using). Mask wearing was one of these regulations.

Vaccines are paid for by the state and produced by selected big pharmaceutical corporations who have been given immunity from prosecution. They are the nearest thing to a cartel that we currently have.

Proof of vaccination and negative test results are both forms of licence.  Papers please?

This is why I think it is incorrect to describe the current restrictions as socialist. They all fall under the definitions of fascism in every way.

Why are the left so keen on them, though? I hear you ask.

Once you understand the left, it all makes sense. The left just want power over you. It’s not about providing for the poor or maximising happiness for everyone. It’s simply power. Because of this, the only question they ever ask themselves is “What do I have to do or say to get you to do what I want?”

This isn’t something new, either. The left have been calling for more regulation for years. Ed Milliband, voted in as the Labour Party leader by the far left unions made it his mission to increase regulation on the energy sector. Labour Party manifestos, including under lifelong self identifying socialist Jeremy Corbyn, have been full of regulation increases for decades.

Why do they do this?

The left know that the easiest way to increase the size of the state is through fascism. They see fascism as a stepping stone to socialism, and they’re not wrong. It’s far easier to nationalise industries when fewer businesses exist and everyone is an obedient statist drone.

They also know that with increased regulation, standards will fall and industries will suffer. Socialism is a far easier sell when things aren’t working. Take railways as an example. Surveys suggest that the general public is in favour of nationalising them now that regulation and an incompetent National Rail is killing them.

A sad irony to all this is that those who have been shouting “Fascism!” at almost everything for the past few years cannot see it when it’s right in front of them.

I see different groups of people, here.

  1. There are those on the left who know exactly what they’re doing. They know fascism is a stepping stone.
  2. There are those on the left who, for whatever reason, have been taken in by all of it. Let us not forget that, until recently, these people would have been the first to point out, correctly in my view, the dangers of the big pharmaceutical companies. One thing is for sure – fascism has never been good for your health.
  3. There are those on the right who fall for the socialist rhetoric and fail to identify the current problems we face as fascism.  While thinking they look nuanced and sophisticated, they are merely useful idiots for the left.

The first group need to be shown for what they are.  The rest need to be shown the error of their ways.

The original definition of the word “woke” was intended to mean having woken up to what is happening. Well, people need to wake up to fascism. And fast. Because, while socialism may be the goal, it will never happen. Fascism will destroy us before then.

Stopping all this is both easy, and hard. What needs to be done is peaceful non-compliance:

  1. Don’t wear a mask
  2. Refuse to socially distance
  3. Ignore lockdowns
  4. Ignore requests from your place of work to provide your vaccine status

We have a right to see our friends, hug our families and for people to see the expressions on our faces. We have a right to breathe easily. We need to stand up for these rights more than ever before.

Some of these aren’t difficult, some will take courage. Unfortunately, we need more and more people to do it. They’ll never manage to enforce all the ridiculous restrictions if enough people ignore them. The British public can become ungovernable.

It’ll only work if we all do it. Hang on, have I heard that somewhere before…

Don’t worry. Only doomed ideologies need everyone to follow. Historically, once 10% of people try to influence the rest on a given topic, behaviours dramatically change. And we don’t need many to make it impossible for the state to enforce their tyranny.

If you liked this post and want to hear more, please check out this recent podcast where I first speak about these ideas, in a long form conversation with my brother: What do we know, so far?

 

Do People Really Understand Fascism?

Everyone is taught, quite rightly, that Fascism is bad. But do they really know what it is, other than to name the atrocities of WW2 and the Holocaust?

We look at the differences in how the education system and the media have protrayed both Fascism and Communism in the past, and whether there really is an appreciation for the terms left and right wing any more.

As usual we dig into the definitions, and analyse individual aspects of the state in detail, such as the monetary system and state regulation of industries.

After all is said and done, was the end of the 20th century a huge missed opportunity to banish authoritationism forever through education?

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The Fall Of Nicolae Ceausescu

In this episode, Andrew tells the story of Nicolae Ceausescu. Something he’s wanted to do since Christmas 2019, the thirty year anniversary of his execution.

From a troubled upbringing including multiple teenage arrests to his blackly comic last stand in Bucharest, Andrew tries to illustrate just how evil, and insane, he really was.

This podcast contains some of the funniest and some of the most tragic stories of the man himself and his diabolical rule over Romania.

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Motorcar Musings

Over the past couple of months, Andrew has found that some of his best thoughts come when he’s driving. As he can’t very well text and drive, he’s been recording them on his phone.

With a couple of months of recordings now accumulated, he decided to play them to Nic in order for them to properly discuss them to see if they made any sense after being properly thought through. There are a bunch of different ideas from Andrew, including another example of Elliott’s Law and some stern criticisms of both conservatism and socialism. This podcast is a brief introduction, the recordings themselves and then the whole conversation afterwards.

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The Left’s Lost Love, Brexit and the Covid Flat Curvers

In this outdoor, socially intimate edition, Andrew asks whether the Left have lost their traditional hard working ethos in favour of the politics of envy, Nic finally finds something he thinks Boris is doing right – Brexit, and can we come up with a better term for lockdown scepticism?

From our local country park, and now available again on YouTube and your favourite podcast app.

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Are Today’s Socialists Any Different?

In this episode, Andrew asks whether today’s socialists, who try very hard to distance themselves from the socialists of the past, are really any different?

What are today’s socialists promising that yesterday’s didn’t promise in the past? And are their methods any different? If not, why should we expect any different outcomes?

Nic then asks if we can apply the same logic to centrists.  To do this, we discuss the different types of centrists, and ask whether you can have a hard and a soft centrist, and what distinguishes them.

We also talk about how the private sector is far better at adapting to changes in demand than the public sector and how the current Covid19 crisis has shown government run institutions to be very slow to react.

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Are Humans Instinctively Collectivist?

In this edition, Nic asks whether human beings inherently want to collectivise.

We ask the further questions: If this is indeed the case, is it built in? Or is it the result of indoctrination?

We mull over what collectivism really means, and if it’s compatible with a libertarian society.

We then talk about collectivisation in action, with examples of public sector contracts, before talking about how failing (and, in particular, failing quickly) can help businesses. Something that is absent from state bureaucracies.

——
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Labour Leadership Lunacy, Unelected Political Influences and Project Fear Failed Predictions

This week we start by discussing the current crop of Labour Leadership contenders. We take apart their views on transgender sex offenders and whether having Labour members influence military policy might not be such a great idea.

We then move on to political influence in general. What is and is not ok? How insulated should the Prime Minister be?

Finally, we discuss Mark Carney and his failed Brexit predictions. We ask the question: How can someone who can’t even predict his own actions in known circumstances ever be trusted to predit anything ever again?

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——
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