Why Socialism Works?

Conservatives routinely attack millennial leftists for getting their political knowledge from twitter or the Daily Show rather than actually reading a book.

This perception is validated with the “reviews” of Harrison Lievesley’s book “Why Socialism Works,” posted on Amazon. Obvious lefties have praised the work in gushing terms.

One called it a “gripping account of this complex ideology” and awarded it “5 stars.” Another reader praised the research involved:

“A perfect introduction to the crux of the matter without any messing around. In depth research backs up the argument presented. Top notch.”

Another reviewer by the name of Conor Burn complimented the readability of the work by saying, “I’m sure this will go down as one of the greatest texts ever written on the subject. I found myself furiously consuming the words on each page, totally engrossed in the text. It seemed I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!”

But the problem is that the book is not a warm and researched endorsement of collectivism; on the contrary, it is a one sentence parody of it. The book, clocking in at 169 pages, has only the two-word attack against socialism listed on every page of “It doesn’t.”

The reader celebration of this obviously unread book affirms the shallowness of fist-clenching leftists who, rather than cracking open a book, take their politics from slogans over research.

The reviewers on Amazon have taken the common charge lodged at book reviewers of, at best, only reading meager portions of the book–they’re usually accused of skimming the first and last chapters–to a new low.

The reviewers of “Why Socialism Works” have not even skimmed the book. Had they read beyond the cover, they would have attacked Lievesley for being unable to muster a reasoned argument, evidenced by his two-word sound bite, replicated 169 separate times against socialism in his book.

It is difficult to find a similar instance of extremists being so easily duped. The closest is probably the fraudulent tome, “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” which detailed a dubious worldwide conspiracy of Jews bent on taking over the world. The book was deemed factual enough for Henry Ford, a noted anti-Semite, to financially back the printing of 500,000 copies in the United States during the 1920s. Moreover, the Nazis used it as an elementary school book.

However fraudulent, disgusting, and racist its charges, Protocols was an actual book, rather than a two-word dismissal. And those who peddled the libelous screed had actually read it.

The same cannot be said for the reviewers of “Why Socialism Works.” For them, the very word “socialism” is education enough. Of course, the reviewers could be joking—a parody response to a parody book. But given the lack of sense of humor on the Left (evidenced by the all too-serious and homicidal-minded Rosie O’Donnell), the more probable conclusion is that they did not even bother to read the book.