Home Research Commentaries The Mourning of May Day
The Mourning of May Day PDF Print E-mail
Written by Michael Rizzo   
Thursday, 01 May 2008 08:37

Millions of people around the world gather every May 1st to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. Sadly, those societies that were organized in the name of workers and the equality of all individuals were forced to create a new class of individuals responsible for enforcing equality. This new class not only made themselves "more equal" than the workers they were supposed to be representing, they committed mass murder on a scale that has never been replicated in human history.

The costs of the experiments in utopia were staggering. They took a huge toll on human lives. R.J. Rummel estimates that over 169 million human beings were killed at the hands of communist governments in the 20th century. The cost in lives of the two world wars was less than half this amount. Some defenders of this system viewed the purging as necessary in order to achieve the final, good and just outcomes envisioned by the ruling class. That nothing resembling utopia ever emerged from this fiasco should never be forgotten.

In remembrance of the hundreds of millions who suffered under the crippling, despotic, oppressive regimes known as Communism, National Socialism, or Fascism, and to protect the liberties of all people who walk the earth today, we reprint in full below a review of Communism, A History, by Richard Pipes - the world's foremost expert on the history of the Soviet Union. This review originally appeared in our November 12, 2001 issue of Research Reports. To become a member of AIER and receive Research Reports, please go here.

Read the full review.

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Comments (2)
On Freedom
2 Tuesday, 06 May 2008 14:52
Sonia Keyah
Not to start too much of a food-fight, but can Ms. Waters explain what "capitalist dictator" ordered its citizens into labor camps or free-market re-education camps? Or who, in the name of free markets, decided that collectivizing agriculture was a good idea, leading to the deaths of tens of millions of its own citizens?

And if it is imperialist wars you are referring to, ought the finger be pointed at governments that perpetuate these policies, governments which are ruled by a small oligarchy, and too often hijacked by all manner of special interests - corporate and otherwise? That is hardly capitalism and free-markets at work.

I'd like to see exactly what Ms. Waters is referring to, outside of her prejudice against the freedom of individuals to own and protect property, and to voluntarily exchange with other individuals? I admit to being extremely confused by the baseless accusation.

And an accusation that means little, particularly if the intention is to make believe that collectivist governments were not responsible for the murder, yes murder, of over ONE HUNDRED SIXTY MILLION human beings.
Capitalism
1 Friday, 02 May 2008 13:59
???
I was just wondering how many were killed in the name of capitalism and free market economics under the guise of democracy?

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