With unabashed socialists hijacking the Democrat Party and outright Democrat Socialists winning primaries, it seems that socialism in America may be on the rise, but most Democrats and too many Republicans don’t know what socialism is in theory or practice. Ironically, both sides correctly agree socialism is about giving away free stuff, but Republicans are worried who is going to pay for it, and Democrats don’t care who is going to pay for it with many thinking it’s actually free.

Too many on both sides reject or support socialism but think it little more than a label for left-leaning ideas. If one accepts the right-left paradigm, socialism certainly would be leftist, but it is a distinct economic and political system with far reaching ramifications. Its supporters claim socialism is about fairness and ensuring everyone gets what they need; and its detractors know it’s the “road to serfdom” as Austrian economist, Friedrich Hayek, described it.

By definition, socialism is when government controls the economy by heavily regulating the means of production or exercises central planning when the government owns the means of production. In whatever variation, it’s an irresistible concentration of power in government that stifles competition and eliminates any means of redress for grievances – socialism will inevitably become tyranny. The government assumes responsibility for every citizen’s needs, so by necessity must confiscate enough wealth to meet those needs. It’s a totalitarian model.

By definition, theory, and in practice, socialism sounds ominous because it is, so why are so many and again in each new generation seduced by socialism? Again, most voters have fundamental misconceptions of socialism. The average Democrat earnestly believes they are just advocating for fairness with socialism. They see a prosperous nation and ask why can’t we provide a safety net for all citizens? The problem is this conflates government benefits with charity.

Western capitalist countries do provide generous safety nets for the indigent, but that requires high taxes which are tolerable when we can afford it. However, when the non-producers outnumber the producers, socialism collapses. Every truly socialist nation, like Cuba, has a much lower standard of living than capitalist countries.

Democrats will erroneously protest that socialism works in Scandinavia, but those are all capitalist countries with market economies. They have the most generous government benefits, but they also pay for it with the highest taxes. They also do not have a large underclass, so the need is not overwhelming. The United States has a substantial under class but add millions of illegal immigrants who have not contributed to our economy and that creates a debt spiral.

Democrats will howl that we must care for the indigent, but they wash their hands of that duty personally and demand the government assume the mantle of charity. Republicans do not dispute the moral imperative to care for the poor, but they prefer to do it by personal charity; and Americans are the most charitable people on the planet. Americans donate more to care for the poor around the world than any other nation by a lot!

Democrats will insist that food, housing, and healthcare are human rights, so the government must provide those “rights.” That is unfortunately an utterly fundamental misunderstanding of “rights.” Anything that costs money is NOT a right!

Human rights can only be granted by God; they are inherently free. Our God-given rights are codified in the Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness (or specifically property rights) do not cost anything to anyone else; they only demand they not be deprived. Our constitutional republic simply protects those God-given rights; it does not grant them.

The Democrat platform that the government must provide food, housing, and healthcare as human rights withers in the glaring light of freedom. When the government assumes the responsibility for every citizen’s every basic need, they face an intractable dilemma – the government produces nothing, so it must confiscate all wealth to attempt to meet those endless needs.

Initially, a socialist government might pursue such obligations with ever higher taxes, but eventually even high taxes are not enough. Democrats will scream no one needs a billion dollars, so tax the rich – make them pay their fair share. The top 1% of earners already pay about 37% of all individual income taxes; that sounds unfair. The inconvenient truth is the government could tax all billionaires 100% and it would still not be enough.

Therefore, a socialist government must tax all Americans at exorbitant rates to even hope to fulfill the basic needs of every citizen. The government must then redistribute wealth from those that earn and produce to provide for those that do not earn or produce. The unavoidable problem then becomes that freedom must be sacrificed to achieve equity of outcomes.

When Fredrick Douglas was a slave, his owner contracted him out to shipbuilders in Baltimore. The owner kept 90% of his wages and allowed Douglass to keep 10% – that was slavery. At what point do onerous taxes become slavery?!

So, at what point are Americans slaves to the federal government?! Socialism assumes monstrous public obligations, so inevitably socialism must enslave the people to provide their basic needs. Socialists are no different than the antebellum plantation owners that claimed they well provided food, housing, and healthcare to their slaves for their labor.

Socialism leads to slavery, inexorably and surely, but Americans are fiercely independent and want to provide for themselves. Americans cherish their freedom and realize it comes with individual responsibility, so they intrinsically reject socialism. Socialism sounds good in theory, but the cost Is liberty. Americans must go to the polls and once again resoundingly reject socialism!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Pete Riehm is a Navy Veteran, conservative activist, and columnist in south Alabama. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.