[September 5, 2025] Scott Johnson of PowerLineBlog has looked back to a time where Winston Churchill warned Britain, and the world, of the inherent evil of Socialism. What follows is a great rendition of Churchill’s strategic thinking and makes me wonder why he was often hated for his ideas.
In June 1945, at the opening of the general election campaign, Winston Churchill gave a speech that was broadcast over the BBC. Having recently read Hayek’s Road to Serfdom, Churchill observed:
“My friends, I must tell you that a Socialist policy is abhorrent to the British ideas of freedom. Although it is now put forward in the main by people who have a good grounding in the Liberalism and Radicalism of the early part of this century, there can be no doubt that Socialism is inseparably interwoven with Totalitarianism and the abject worship of the State. It is not alone that property, in all its forms, is struck at, but that liberty, in all its forms, is challenged by the fundamental conceptions of Socialism….”
The following paragraph has gone down in infamy, but it now reads like another example of Churchill’s power of prophecy:
“I declare to you, from the bottom of my heart, that no Socialist system can be established without a political police. Many of those who are advocating Socialism or voting Socialist today will be horrified at this idea. That is because they are short-sighted, that is because they do not see where their theories are leading them. No Socialist Government conducting the entire life and industry of the country could afford to allow free, sharp, or violently worded expressions of public discontent. They would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance. And this would nip opinion in the bud; it would stop criticism as it reared its head, and it would gather all the power to the supreme party and the party leaders, rising like stately pinnacles above their vast bureaucracies of Civil servants, no longer servants and on longer civil. And where would the ordinary simple folk—the common people, as they like to call them in America – where would they be, once this mighty organism had got them in its grip?”
Churchill’s reference to the Gestapo has branded the speech. However, in his 2018 biography Churchill: Walking With Destiny, Andrew Roberts notes that Churchill himself said the following month that the time would come when the speech “would be recognized as one of the greatest he had ever delivered,” but — Roberts drily commented — “that has not happened yet.”
In light of the arrest of Graham Linehan for three tweets, perhaps the time is coming soon. I would like to get the opinion of Sir Andrew on that.
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Please read my books:
Winston vs Socialism = Winston wins!
Socialism fails because it encourages sloth and discourages inventiveness and industry. Capitalist countries have made the greatest advances and provided the greatest standard of living for their residents, provided those residents take advantage of the opportunities that exist. Opportunities are not given, they simply exist. One must first recognize the opportunity and then, take advantage of it. No one owes you a thing.
EXACTLY … WINSTON, WELL SAID
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure…” – Winston Churchill
By THE CHURCHILL PROJECT| July 30, 2015
https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/socialism-is-the-philosophy-of-failure-winston-churchill/
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.” —Perth, Scotland, 28 May 1948, in Churchill, Europe Unite: Speeches 1947 & 1948 (London: Cassell, 1950), 347.
AND
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” —House of Commons, 22 October 1945.
— People, pay close attention to what Churchill had to say. He was very experienced with the abject failure of the Socialist ideologies of our times.
Britain has always had a socialist desire for some unknown reason. Churchill had to fight that all his political and private life. 🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧
I too stand for the real British…..🇬🇧
Kick out the fraudsters…🏴
Britain for Britions….✅
Xerxes II, good thing you stand for the real British because their government doesn’t stand for them. They stand for their societal suicide by importing mostly Muslims and other third worlders who want to destroy anything that can be seen as good. They destroy, they do not build.
Me too. I only hope the Brit Govt gets their sh## together. But I doubt it. Revolution may be in the works.
The UK is going full government censorship. The arrest of Graham Linehan for three X posts is wild. Imagine being arrested at the airport by five cops for his speech making fun of the mentally ill “trans” community. Oh, and the so-called “trans community” doesn’t exist because it’s not a community and there is no such thing as being able to “transition”from one sex to another no matter what you or anyone might think. This is a full blown psychosis being affirmed by more crazies.
PowerLineBlog is also becoming a favorite of mine. Because of Gen. Satterfield, I’ve been reading it more and enjoying Scott Johnson even more. Thanks, sir, for giving him credit for another common sense attack on the evils of Socialism and this time from a good man.
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New readers need go to think links of Gen. Satterfield’s books and get your copy. . .TODAY!
Excellent Nick, 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Another great lesson in the ultimate failure of socialism. I wonder why Arabic countries fall for socialism? Maybe it’s a way to placate those who are not rich.
And others too. A comment by Mt Geoff-Debbie in PowerLineBlog—-
I don’t know if C.S. Lewis had any acquaintance with Winston Churchill, but Lewis had some NICE things to say on this topic in “That Hideous Strength”.