The List
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There are no formerly-poor nations that have adopted socialist governments and then become prosperous.
A Note on Terminology
The public's definition of "socialism" is vague at best. For a discussion of the term, complete with dictionary definitions, see my October 2007 column Capitalism Is Not Freedom, and Socialism Is Not Love. Here, I am mostly discussing government social policies that involve transfer payments and other government help to individuals and groups (for example, nationalized healthcare); it is only in Communist nations where the socialist "ideal" (and dictionary definition) of having the State own and operate all means of production and distribution is actually implemented – which, in turn, is why Communist nations, since the Russian Revolution in 1917, have always been among the most abysmal hell-holes on the planet. (Communist China has transitioned from actual Communism, as practiced under Mao, to a semi-capitalism akin to National Socialism as practiced under Hitler – and even that limited, partial shift to personal freedom, property rights, and free markets has had a stunningly positive effect for the Chinese people).
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2 comments:
Chris, I am really interested in knowing how many nations in the world are sucked into socialism. I am living in Honduras, C.A. and the who international community is against us because we do not want a Socialist government.
I am expecting the U.N. peace keeping forces to march in any day now to impose their will on us.
This political crisis in Honduras has led me to be curious about just how many nations in the world are already considered Socialist. Can you find me a site to go to that would have this information.
Just curious, Nana
Hi Nana - There is no definitive list on which governments are "socialist," but here is one from Wikipedia that might help. In reality, all governments in the world are at least part socialist.
I wish you the best in Honduras. As Karen Kwiatkowski wrote on the LewRockwell.com blog:
"It occurs to me that Washington’s anger at the Honduran Supreme Court and the Honduran Congress is less anger than fear. If a relatively new and untested constitution might be enforced to unseat a President, without mutiny and in close accordance with the law, how much more possible is it that Americans themselves will wake up to the existing law of the land here at home?"
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