Socialism will bring about a more just society

"Socialism was intended to prevent the wealth gap that comes along with capitalism and lessen the abuse of the dollar driven government"This is the definition of a just and fair society..."1) Socialism discourages work and effort by shifting consequences onto others resulting in a society whose goal is to produce products for its citizenry's needs that lack quality. Innovation and competition are stifled and mediocrity becomes the norm."Socialism in no way discourages work. You are thinking of communism. With socialism, the hardest workers get paid the most, not the people who lay back and pay people to do everything for them. This system is far more just. People get paid for the work they do. If they produce poorly made products, they will be poorly paid. If they do not work, they will not be paid. It cannot be any fairer than that.Innovation does have a real possibility to be lessened, though it will still occur. To counteract this, if someone comes up with a great innovation, they could be rewarded profusely for it, as it has greatly benefitted society. Domestic competition will be totally eradicated. There is no need for it. Governments would work on a profit margin just large enough to stay functional and protect the country. "2) It restricts freedoms of the individual"The only freedom that would be restricted is the ability to own a business. I'll admit, that is a fairly large restriction as we are used to the capitalistic society in the United States. However, it also prevents the large wealth gaps that you, yourself, said was the intention of socialism. The wealth gaps do not exist for the reason that most people are lazy."This leads to the ruling government having all the power and the citizens effectively having no say in the economic pursuits of the nation." No. People have a say. People have all the say. The government would manage businesses, but if the majority want a change, it will happen. There is a great deal of democracy that comes with socialism. Of course, it could be thought that the people in power could attempt to extend their boundaries for personal gain. However, the relatively few people that would be in government would be no match for literally everyone else in the country. There would be no government backing by robber barons and wealthy elites because they simply do not exist. Change would come much faster, once again leading to a far more just society."... it is believed that human right include owning private property, controlling one's own destiny, and competing in the business world."Private property and business competition are exactly what leads to wealth gaps and the unfairness in capitalistic societies. People would still retain the right to retain their own destiny. In fact, they would have more control over their life. There would be direct correlation between hard work and higher pay. People would not be stuck grinding a nine-to-five just to pay off their high interest rates. There would be large amounts of motivation to work, and work hard. "Socialism is associated with infringement on one's individual liberty."1) Citation needed2) You are digressing from the argument. The topic is whether socialism will bring a more just and fair society, as in preventing wealth gaps. Not one without individual liberty. Besides, our liberties are being infringed upon all the time, just not in such a dramatic way. Socialism is the road to mediocracy a completely equal society where people control their own destiny by determining how hard they want to work.