What is socialism? A couple of definitions.

Socialism is a word that has been bandied about the past two or three years. It is the essence of the change that the current President and his leftist administration is bringing to America. The progressives, liberals, Marxists, or socialists in government, in the administration, in the media all are adverse to that label. However, more and more people are beginning to see that that socialism is the president’s and the current Democrat Congressional leadership’s chief motivational principle underlying all of its agenda. It the reason that they are pushing cap and trade, global warming, the bailouts, comprehensive health care 'reform,’ and comprehensive financial 'reform, comprehensive immigration 'reform' et al.

I heard a program on Crosstalk America, a Christian talk show originally aired on Friday, May 14, 2010.

Bob Knight, who is with Coral Ridge Ministries was being interviewed by host Vic Eliason. Knight commented, “Here is a good dictionary definition of it (socialism) that you’ll find in our (newly published) book, Ten Truths About Socialism.

Any of various economic and political theories advocating COLLECTIVE or GOVERNMENTAL ownership, administration of the means of production, and distribution of goods.

Knight goes on to add, ”A shorter definition was voiced by Frederick Bastiat in the classic book, A Treatise on Man’s Law, is:

Legalized plunder

Of that definition, Knight further states, "Which I happen to think is an apt way to describe socialism. If a thief comes up to yo and says, “I want your wallet, hand it over,” we consider that theft. But if the IRS does it, or the socialist authority in a socialist country, this is just considered ‘good government.’ I think because making the government the middleman doesn’t distort the fact you’re taking from some and giving it to others.”

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In briefly researching Mr. Knight’s quote of Bastiat above, I found a more extensive excerpt of Bastiat’s definition from A Treatise on Man's Law, Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850):

Socialism Is Legal Plunder

Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fight socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated from this accusation, for he has plainly said: "The war that we must fight against socialism must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice."

But why does not Mr. de Montalembert see that he has placed himself in a vicious circle? You would use the law to oppose socialism? But it is upon the law that socialism itself relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your gendarmes, and your prisons. Rather, it may call upon them for help.

To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering into the making of laws? You would prevent socialists from entering the Legislative Palace? You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the Legislature. It is illogical - in fact, absurd - to assume otherwise.

There is great wisdom in Bastiat’s words about socialism when applied to the absolute need to contest the nomination of radical socialist Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. Here the President is trying to institutionalize his socialist agenda in the appointment of radical socialist for life – which could be 30 or 40 years. This would be very bad for America. It would be as bad as what the President and his comrades are doing to America now.