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Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual. The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralisation of political and economic power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of bureaucracy be assured?

Albert Einstein#155

SocietyPoliticsFreedomEconomy

About this quote

What does it mean?
A planned economy does not guarantee socialism and can lead to individual enslavement if bureaucracy is unchecked.
In plain terms
A planned economy can enslave people if bureaucracy grows too powerful.
What can you take from it?
Protect individual rights when centralizing economic planning.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • government reform
  • activism

Putting it to work

  • create checks on power
  • design democratic safeguards

Questions to consider

  • Can you have freedom with central planning?
  • Who checks the bureaucracy?

Another view

Some level of centralization is needed for coordination.

More from Albert Einstein

  1. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational sys…

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  2. Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of transition. Since, under present circumstances, free and unhindered …

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  3. The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers th…

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