Detroit evening times., 1945-07-07
nd he Pacific War VIGOROUSLY Make the Peace PERMANENTLY Bring Our Boys Home PROM
The Road to Sel.fdOIn
By FRIEDRICH A. HkTEK

By FRIEDRICH A. tAfeK
University London
Fooia9 IS the third tnstalment Of condensation Of
Friedrich A. Hdyeks book, The Road to Serfdom,
printed from the April 1913, OF Readers Digest:
J, ns
TRUE dictatorship Of the proletarat" even If demo-
"A cratic in form, if it undertook centrally to direct the
economic system, would probably DESTROY PERSONAL
FREEDOM AS COMPLETELY AS ANY AUTOCRACY HAS
EVER DONE.
Individual freedom be reconcied with the suprem
of single purpose which the whole of society
permanently subordinated
To limited extent ourselves experience this fact in
wartime when subordnation of almost everything to the i'm
mediate and pressing need the price at which we preserve
freedom in the long
The fashionable phrases about doing for the pur
poses of peace What We have learned to do for the
purposes of completely misleading, for 1t
sensible temporarily to sacrifice freedom order to
make more secure in the future, but it is quite diff
ferent thing to sacrifice liberty permanently the
terestS of a planned economy.
To those watched the transition from socialism
to faseism at close quarters the CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE TWO SYSTEMS is OBVIOUS.
The realization of the Socialist program means the
DESTRUCTION OF FREEDOM. Democratic socialism me me
great Utopia of the last few generations is simply NOT
ACHIEVABLE.
Why the Worst Get on Top
No doubt an American English Fascist" system would
differ greatly from the Italian German models no doubt
if the transition effected without violence might
expect to get better type of leader.
this not mean Fascist system would in tho
end prove very different MUCH LESS INToLERABLE
than its prototypes.
There are strong reasons for belieDins that the
features of the totalaran systems phenom-
Which totatariansm certain sooner or later to
produce.
democratic who sets out to plan
life will be confronted with the alternative of
EITHER ASSUMING -DfGTATORfAI POWERS OR ABAN
DOMINO HIS PLANS totaliarian leader would
have to CHOOSE BETWEEN DISREGARD OF ORDINARY
MORALS AND FAILURE.
tisfa fhattf to
successful society tending toward otalitarianism
Who does this has rasped the full width of
the gulf which separates totataanism from the essentially
| individualist western civilization.
THE totaliarian leader collect around him group
which is prepared voluntarily to submit to that discipline
which they impose by force upon the rest of the people
That socialism be put into practice only by methods
which Socialists dsapprove is of lesson learned
by many social reormers in the past.
The old Socialist parties inhibited by their
democratic IDEALS they did possess the ruthless
required for the performance of their chosen task
1t is characteristic that both in Germany and in Italy
the of fascm preceded by the REFUSAL OF THE
SOCIALIST PARTIES TO TAKE OVER THE RESPONSE
I BILITIES OF GOVERNMENT.
They unwilling Fundamentally employ the meth
ods which they had pointed the way They still hoped for
the miracle of maoritys agreeing particular plan for
the organization of the whole of society.
Others had already learned the lesson that in planned
society the question longer be what do majority
of the people agree but WHAT THE LARGEST SINGLE
GROUP is whose members sufficiently make unified
direction of all affairs possible
VNHERE three main why such group,
fairly likely by the
but rather by the WORST ELEMENTS of any society.
First the higher the education and intelligence of ndi
viduals become the their tastes and views diff
ferentiated.
If wish find high degree of uniformity in outlook,
have to descend to the regions Of lower moral and neec
tua standards where the primitive instincts prevail.
This does that the majority Of people have low
moral standards merely that the LARGEST GROUP
of people whose values very similar the people with
LOW STANDARDS.
Second this group is not large enough give suf
fcent weight the leaders endeavors he will have to
their numbers by converting the simple
creed.
He gain the support of the docie and gulble, who
have NO STRONG CONVICTIONS OF THEIR OWN but
ready accept ready made system of value if is only
DRUMMED INTO THEIR EARS SUFFICIENTLY LOUDLY
AND FREQUENTLY.
1t will be those whose and imperfectly formed
ideas easily swayed and whose passions and emotions
readily aroused who will thus swell the ranks of the ota
tartan party.
Third to weld together closely coherent body of sup
porers the leader must appeal human weakness
IL to be easier for people to agree
NEGATIVE PROCRAM-on the hatred of an enemy,