The Failure of the Command Economy
Socialist systems inevitably result in three things: shortages and restrictions on products and services, the reduction or removal of free speech and other freedoms, and government surveillance of the populace.
Socialism today isn’t just about socialized medicine, though that continues to be a primary focus of modern socialist platforms. The impact of socialist programs in many nations is discernible in other areas. To recognize these, it helps to keep in mind the fundamental nature of the socialist approach, which, at base, is about command and control.
Socialism attempts to lift economic decisions out of the marketplace, where prices determine economic decisions, and place them instead into the hands of bureaucratic planners. Such planners have imperfect knowledge and are prone to make decisions based on ideology and personal interest. As a result, it is impossible for them, even if they were entirely disinterested and non-ideological, to make sound economic plans. Shortages, gluts, and other economic maladjustments occur as a result.
Secondarily, removing economic decision making from citizens and putting planners in charge is the basis of a command economy. To do their work, planners must be assured that their commands will be obeyed. Thus, the force of law is deployed to ensure compliance. So it was with the initial implementation of Obama-Care, for example. It was made illegal for Americans to choose not to have medical insurance under that socialist plan. As is necessary for any socialist program, ObamaCare curtailed freedom.
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