The Authoritarianism of Socialism

Fundamentally, there are only two ways of coordinating the economic activities of millions. One is central direction involving the use of coercion - the technique of the army and of the modern totalitarian state. The other is voluntary cooperation of individuals - the technique of the marketplace.
-Milton Friedman

The Socialist Community is a great authoritarian association in which orders are issued and obeyed. This is what is implied by the words "planned economy" and the "abolition of the anarchy of production." The inner structure of a socialist community is best understood if we compare it with the inner structure of an army. Many socialists indeed prefer to speak of the "army of labour." As in an army, so under Socialism, everything depends on the orders of the supreme authority.
-Ludwig von Mises

After reading these quotes, it should not come as a surprise that Hitler was a socialist. Fascism and neoconservatism also have socialist roots.

There has never been a single example of a large (or even moderate) scale, working socialist society anywhere. Ever. A question for anti-capitalists: if socialism were really possible and truly better than capitalism, don't you think someone, somewhere would have been able to get it to work some place on the planet by now? Why do markets and businesses exist everywhere, while socialism exists nowhere?

Ah, I forgot. It does exist. In Zimbabwe, Cuba, Noth Korea, Venezuela and other totalitarian hell holes. Why, then, don't you guys move there instead of just sitting in your boxers, posting on RevLeft.com (before mommy and daddy get home)?

For the same reason, I suspect, that Nazis don't volunteer to go to the gas chambers.