I'm excited to announce the launch of my new book, Why Socialism Struggles: Exposing the Economic Errors That Undermine Utopian Ideals, on January 20, 2026. This book, now available for preorder in a beautiful hardcover edition, with the Kindle version expected to follow by mid-November, is a must-read for those interested in economics, political philosophy, and critiques of socialism. The hardcover version is a limited run, with a paperback version to follow. I'd appreciate your support through preordering. Since supplies will be limited, preordering will guarantee that you can obtain a copy. If you've been intellectually stimulated by reading the articles on DougCardell.com, then you will find the book even more engaging. It covers topics that you may have read about here, but in greater depth. In his series, you'll get a sneak preview of the valuable insights the book offers. In Chapter 2, "What Is Economics?", we learn that economic systems with either too little or too much control are inherently flawed and destined to fail. This chapter also provides an initial examination of capitalism, as understanding what socialism is requires understanding what it is not. Economics is about far more than money. Economics is the study of choice. All organisms make choices, and all choices are economic decisions. Economics is based on the ABCs—actions leading to behaviors and driven by choices. At the personal level, economics is about the actions, behaviors, and choices that individuals make. At the community, national, or global level, it is about the combined actions, behaviors, and choices of the group. Choices come from values, and we all have a unique list of values that define us. Self-interest means being free to pursue one's values, including those such as duty, honor, country, helping others, and self-sacrifice. It is not the same as selfishness. Because our lists of values are unique to each individual, no one is capable of deciding on behalf of someone else. Evidentiary economics is grounded in evidence, whereas philosophical economics is based on a mythical ideal of how the world should be. The evidence shows that societies based on capitalism deliver a greater good to more people than societies based on government control of the economy and therefore choices. All people must be equal in the eyes of the law, but we must acknowledge that no two people are equal in every other respect. Any attempts to compel equality in any other respect will diminish all individuals and undermine society as a whole. We must recognize that our differences are a strength that will create a prosperous society. In centrally planned economies, like socialism and fascism, the individual values (choices) of the people are ignored and replaced by the government's values (choices). In capitalism, the values of the people drive the economy. The people vote on what gets made and sold by choosing what to buy. The people's choices overrule the government's choices. The labels we use (individualism versus collectivism) portray the opposite of reality. Individualism leads to the most successful and harmonious forms of social cooperation, bringing people together. The ideas of collectivism ultimately lead to resentment and social discord. In most places where collectivism has been tried, it has so divided the people that the result has been civil war. One of the reasons socialism struggles is that socialism is ultimately the attempt of a few to impose what they believe are the "correct" values on everyone else for their own good. They subscribe to Marx's idea of the dictatorship of the proletariat, which, by definition, is the few controlling the many. However, perception of what is good for the group, even a very small group like a family, is difficult; for larger groups, it is impossible. So control of the group by the few always fails to achieve "good" for the many. To be fair, I do think that many socialists—maybe even most socialists—truly believe their solutions will help people. However, it is arrogant and condescending to suggest that anyone knows what is "best" for others. In the next article, we will preview Chapter 3. If you're ready to preorder, you can do so now at 'Amazon.'