Marxism Unmasked from Delusion to Destruction.pdf 7471KB

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INTRODUCTION
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BoUhcvik Revolution in Russia in 1917, Lenin's Marxist regime imposed
"war communism" m 1918. heralding it not only as an emergency device
to fight the anti-communist White armies during the three-year civil war
in Russia, but also as the great leap into the flilly planned society. And
following the end of the war in November 1918, new Social Democratic
Party governments m Germany and Austria declared that the time for
"socialization" and economic planning had finally arrived."
In 1919, at a meeting of the Austrian Economic Society Mises
delivered a paper on "Economic Calculation in the Socialist Com-
monwealth" which was published in a leading German-language journal
in 1920,*^ He incorporated this article as the centerpiece in a comprehen-
sive treatise on collectivism that he published two years later in 1922, tided
Socialism: An licononuc and Sodohi^ical Analysis in its English translation. '^
Mises obser\'cd that most of the earher critics of socialism had rightly
pointed out that a system of comprehensive government planning of
economic affairs would create the worst tyranny ever experienced in
human history. With all production, employment, and distribution of
output completely under the monopoly control of the State, the fate and
fortune of every individual would be at the mercy of the political
authority. In addition, these earlier opponents of socialism had cogently
argued that with the end of private property and freedom of enterprise,
individuals would lose much of the self-interested motivation for industry,
innovation, and work effort that exists in a market economy.
But, Mises said, what had not been thoroughly examined and
challenged was whether a socialist economic system was even workable in
practice. In other words, would the sociaUst central planners be able to
rationally and cfficiendy manage the everyday affairs of economic life?
1 On the lailurr of these first attempts at nationalization and planning in Russia,
Ckrnuny. and Amtru. see Arthur Shadwell, Vie Breakdomi of Socialism (London: Ernest
Bcnn. I'i2(>).pp 2.V131
12 Ludwp wn Mis«. "Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth" [1920] in
F. A Hj>rk ed . Collninnsi Economic Platwing: Critical Studies on the Problem of Socialism
(London: GeorKC Routledge. 1935). pp. 87-130; reprinted in Israel M. Kirzner,
cd.Clasfus mAuslnjtt liivmmucs:A Sampling in the History of a Tradition,Vol III (London:
WiHum hckermg. l'W).pp.3-30.
13 LudwR wn Mii«. Sooahsm.An Economic and Sociological Analysis (Indianapohs: Liberty
CJassics 11922; English trans.. 1936. revised ed., 1953], 1981); Mises later restated and
rrfined h» cnt.que of soculist central planning in Human Action: A Treatise on Economics
(Imngton-on-Hudson. N.Y.: Foundation for Economic Education [1949; revised eds.,
1963.1966) 1996). pp. 200-31. 689-715.