In Hayek's book The Road to Serfdom, he discusses how central planning leads to tyranny and a lack of individuality. This seems contradictory in theory, because the whole overall goal of centralized planning and socialism is to combine everyone's gifts and individual skills to work together but it seems that this not the case. Hayek discusses how socialism obtains equality through "restraint and servitude" but democracy gets equality through liberty. I think this notion is also very interesting because of the idea that socialism restrains people is almost counterintuitive, but also seems to make sense as well. His belief about democracy also seems to make sense as the people and majority have a choice and say in everything while socialism seems to impose ideas onto people. Hayek also discusses how central planning imposes the will of small minorities upon people. I think that this is also interesting because social does try to remedy things through plans such as universal healthcare, unemployment etc. He goes on to discuss how this is taking money from individuals and attempting to give to the community as a whole. This does seem to cause central planning and socialism to take away from individualism and therefore freedom, which does in turn lead to tyranny. I think that socialism may have "good intentions" in a way, but upon following through with these intentions it restricts people by not allowing individual freedoms and differences in opinions. Democracy, on the other hand, allows for individual freedom of thought and belief, and then therefore lets the people choose everything for themselves as a whole. I think that it is concerning how our government here in the US is having a tendency to drift towards an almost socialist central planning form of government. With attempts to push for free healthcare and other central planning type policies, the US is becoming less and less democratic and more restrictive about peoples individuals rights in a way. This is concerning because the whole foundation the US was built upon was to allow for personal freedoms and choices and has now instead transitioned into a central type of government. Hayek also states how the individual in a government set up like this is just a means to be used in order to get their goods/service for the "social welfare" and "good of the community". I think that this is a really important distinction because it is important I feel for people to choose to help others and give, rather than a government/power forcing them to give and help others against their will. i think that the intention of socialism may be fair and equal, but I think the actual execution of this ideology is very restrictive and removes individuals rights.
