The Retort

Liberty and Equality

February 19th, 2010 by Nathan Morgan For The Retort

Socialism is a word despised by many in our society, but when we examine the purest principles of socialism, we recognize something truly noble in this cause. At the heart of socialism are the values of liberty and equality. In order to have true liberty, one must have economic equality. So long as the poor are left in squalor and the rich are allowed to persist in idle luxury, there can be no true liberty for the impoverished.

How can we say there is liberty and equality in our country when the wealthy have access to those most basic necessities denied to the impoverished? All human beings are deserving of shelter, food, water, clothing, a job, an education, and universal healthcare, yet our society does little to help. Charity is championed as a cure-all, but government has access to far greater funds and power than the charity. Only by making the government work in the interest of elevating the impoverished can our society truly deliver the liberty and equality that it promises. Only through organizing the working class can we provide the voice denied to us and counter the capitalist deception that holds us in chains!

Capitalism is said to have succeeded over socialism. Yet corporations wield power and influence unimaginable on the social, economic, and political stage, unemployment is a persistent societal illness, and America continues to impose it’s economic and cultural imperialism against foreign countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. While our military provides aid to the Haitian people, efforts to provide healthcare to every American are obstructed and compromised in Congress. It is clear that capitalism is failing us, has failed us, and will continue to fail us. What we need is not less socialism, but more! Only through the advocacy of socialism will we achieve liberty and equality!