Voluntary Government: The Ethical Option

"I have never heard of a consistent socialist.  That is, I am not aware of any person who believes that authoritarianism should be universally applied, that the state should forcibly direct and control all creative and productive activities.  There are areas that the most ardent Marxist would leave to free will and volition.  In short, there is hardly a person who does not balk at authoritarianism in some of its forms.

"In the U.S.A. there are many millions of people who rant against communism, who inveigh against socialistic measures, and who raise their voices to high heaven at state interventionism, particularly if the intervention is directed at them.  This negative force, however, does not constitute effective opposition to authoritarianism. Bad ideas are not removed by damning them.

"Bad ideas, if they are to be rendered ineffective, must be replaced with good ideas.  Herein lies a great weakness of the freedom supporters.  Millions can damn authoritarianism but how few there are who can skillfully, persuasively, and attractively explain authoritarianism's opposite: the free market, private property, limited government philosophy!  In the absence of this ability state interventionism thrives."

-from Leonard Read's Elements of Libertarian Leadership (1952)