Episode Details

This is a topic that gets pushback from many folks who see themselves as 'conservative' or 'libertarian' or whatever.

Their argument goes something like this: collectivism leads to communism, so individualism leads to capitalism or freedom.

The problem is that they're making a rookie binary error. Life is a complex system — it's not a zero-sum game. Putting family before yourself, for example, is collectivism, since it focuses on a group rather than an individual. I certainly put my family first. Does that mean I'm endorsing communism? No.

Richard Storey attempts to explain this.