That right-wing characterisation of socialism has been going around for a very long time. It seems to have originated sometime around 1870, when a group of Austrian economists redirected their pro-capitalist (and interestingly proto-information theoretic) critique of the control-freak bureaucratic/managerial style of the Austrian Empire against the then-new theories of Karl Marx. For their successors, Marxism, and by extension socialism, became the main target - so "socialist" became their way of referring to any measures or policies at which their critique could be aimed.
But what this does mean is that, according to their views, the founders of socialism should not be taken to be Owen, Proudhon, Marx, Morris or Lenin - but Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-10-17 01:15 pm (UTC)But what this does mean is that, according to their views, the founders of socialism should not be taken to be Owen, Proudhon, Marx, Morris or Lenin - but Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria.