Editor, Gazette-Journal:
I recently wrote that sincere Democrats need to change their party’s leadership for embracing elements of ideologies antithetical to liberty; progressivism, socialism and Marxism. Historically, all three result in tyranny. Why? Because they require concentrating power in a ruling elite. Progressivism advocates an all-powerful bureaucracy of “experts” insulated from politics (i.e., the will of the people). Socialism centralizes control of the economy in “experts” for the benefit of all. Marxism destroys existing social, cultural and political orders “by any means necessary” to build a new utopia on the ashes.
Why do they fail? Three reasons: For “experts” to be trustworthy to rule without accountability to the ruled, they must have wisdom, virtue and selflessness as well. Selecting “trustworthy experts” proves impossible. Why? Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It’s a doom loop.
Third, those embracing these ideologies don’t really care about the...