Socialism and Militarism: Confronting Ideology with Evidence

Socialism is not merely a way of organizing an economy; it is also a secular religion. And as a religion it cannot be falsified; it cannot be dis-confirmed by empirical evidence in the minds of its adherents. Non-believers might think that the spectacular collapse of socialism around the world—its demonstrated unpopularity and illegitimacy—would impress Marxists in American universities. But academic Marxists remain insulated from world events, spinning out theoretical webs undisturbed by critical evidence. Recent events provide more dramatic evidence of the centrality of military force to socialist regimes. The collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe came about as a direct result of Mikhail Gorbachev's decision not to use military force to sustain these regimes; socialism survives in the People's Republic of China only because of the violent repression of Tiananmen Square.