The Republican party's attempts to educate the public about the dangers of socialism are long overdue. Helpfully, they've even identified the cardinal sin of socialism - taxing rich people (taxing poor people is ok - I think that's called capitalism).
Well I for one think we should use this opportunity to purge socialist writers and thinkers from our canon. Here are a few of the radicals I've dug up.
- Abraham Lincoln. Yes, I know he freed the slaves and all, but listen to what he had to say about business people:
These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people.
(Gasp!) Sounds like a commy to me. Worse yet:
As a result of the war corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign be working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.
Sounds like he even had a time machine or something.
- Adam Smith. Now don't get upset. This one surprised me as much as you. But just look what the so-called founder of modern capitalism had to say:
All for ourselves and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.
Vile maxim, eh? Sounds like someone's being a bit testy to me. Say it ain't so Adam - are you also a... socialist?
It gets worse:
As soon, therefore, as they could find a method of consuming the whole value of their rents themselves, they had no disposition to share them with any other persons.
"Share their rents"? You mean like taxes? Commy!!!
- Thomas Jefferson . OK, after Adam Smith I have no faith in anyone so, yes let's out the founding fathers as the commies they are.
I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.
Whoa. Did this guy have a time machine too?
Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.
Well proponents of globalization would agree with you, but I'm sensing some moral judgments here... Commy.
OK, I can't go on (Adam Smith really broke my heart), but I feel that I've done my part in exposing some supposedly "great" thinkers for the socialists that they are. From now on, we should only read books approved by George W. Bush and the creation museum which should limit our lexicon to about three books, I think.
What other evil socialist thinkers can you think of?