by Mike Gray   

In his book Socialism (1922), libertarian economist/philosopher Ludwig von Mises scathed the millennialist maunderings of otherwise smart people:   

Socialist writers depict the socialist community as a land of heart’s desire. Fourier’s sickly fantasies go farthest in this direction. In Fourier’s state of the future all harmful beasts will have disappeared, and in their places will be animals which will assist man in his labors — or even do his work for him. An anti-beaver will see to the fishing; an anti-whale will move sailing ships in a calm; an anti-hippopotamus will tow the riverboats. Instead of the lion there will be an anti-lion, a steed of wonderful swiftness, upon whose back the rider will sit as comfortably as in a well-sprung carriage … Godwin even thought that men might be immortal after property had been abolished. Kautsky tells us that under the socialist society “a new type of man will arise … a superman … an exalted man.” Trotsky provides even more detailed information: “Man will become incomparably stronger, wiser, finer. His voice more harmonious, his movements more rhythmical, his voice more musical. The human average will rise to the level of an Aristotle, a Goethe, a Marx. Above these other heights, new peaks will arise.”   

There’s no reason to think socialists have abandoned such aspirations, even at this late date.   

Socialism is available at Amazon.com.