> The second thing to note is that most people agree that one feature of a civilized society should be some form of wealth redistribution, so that as many people as possible can live happy lives ...<p>What? Where are these "most people"? History flatly contradicts this thesis. Were you napping when all the Communism experiments went belly-up? Were you asleep when the more aggressive socialist experiments scaled back when they realized their ideals had collided with reality?<p>Wealth redistribution does not produce more happy people. By eliminating any incentive to work, it assures that, instead of some poverty, there is universal poverty.<p>"Why Socialism Failed": <a href="http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/why-socialism-failed#axzz2d1nc8HDr" rel="nofollow">http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/why-socialism-failed#a...</a><p>"Criticisms of socialism": <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticisms_of_socialism" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticisms_of_socialism</a>