I thought of this article immediately when I read this comment over at TaNehisi Coates' Jan. 1 blog post, Talk to Me Like I'm Stupid: Collectivization in the Soviet Union:

bask_score EthanLutske

• 4 days ago

But beyond the the mechanics of collectivism were the principles of collectivism -- the reason for it's failure. Individual human beings want to survive. Their interests are their children, and their families, and their voluntary associations, such as that with their nation. That's what they'll sacrifice for.

The whole notion of collectivism leaves out the realities of human nature, which simply can't be killed off by a program or policy. The costs of corruption and cheating on a collective is low, for one individual. Why should he put in more hours than the next guy? Both will come out with the same reward in the end anyway. Why shouldn't he take more than his share of benefits? Who can it hurt, his little piddly stolen share?

People see no cost in subverting the rules of the collective in small ways, and when everyone does it, the system collapses, as did Russia. There's no respect for the legitimacy of the state, the enforcer of the collective, because it's seen as arbitrary and capricious. Therefore, the people felt no personal duty to support it.

A sense of duty, ironically, must come out of a free and voluntary association. You have to see your nation as having some value, or good, beyond your own little needs, and that's something that can't be forced on people. It's either inherent in their nature, or it's not. Moreover, if people can't keep most of the fruits of their labor, and feel no intrinsic stake in the making the collective succeed, it will fail.

Reward and incentive that respects the dignity of the individual to choose are ignored by the concept of collectivism. It's incompatible with the American approach to the universe.