Socialism stifles creativity and has never worked

Because of the rise to prominence of Paul Murphy, the anti-water-charges TD, I visited the Socialist Party’s website. 

Alongside their ideological rhetoric, there are misty-eyed historical articles, one of which refers to Lenin’s Russia as “the most democratic form of government ever embarked on.”

The reality for Russian peasants was a prolonged epoch of famine and poverty.

Far-Left politicians have gained a new-found popularity, which is partly due to us being led by a detached government that is out-of-touch with public sentiment.

The Socialist Party, by concentrating all their efforts on the single issue of water charges, has propelled itself to the centre-stage of a campaign that mobilised an exasperated citizenry.

But the populist ideals of the Far-Left are hardly the basis for sound economic policies.

People considering switching their allegiances to the Far-Left should familiarise themselves with the historical failures of Marxist ideology.

Nowhere in the world has there ever existed a utopian Marxist society; simply put, economic policies that stifle private enterprise and individual creativity have ruinous consequences.

John Bellew

Riverside House

Dunleer

Co Louth