New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in his inaugural address, said, "We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism."

That sentence captures the essence of socialism: the belief that it is simply unfair that some have more than others. To rectify this, Mamdani proposes taking from those he deems undeserving and giving to those he deems deserving. In other words, life is not only unfair, but it's the government's job to make it fair -- not by guaranteeing equal rights but by promising equal results.

Think tanks on the left, such as the Brookings Institution, and on the right, such as the American Enterprise Institute, pretty much agree on the formula to escape poverty: finish high school, get married before having a child, get a job and keep it until you find another or until you start a business. I would add, avoid the criminal justice system.

Economist Walter Williams, who grew up poor, said, "You're not responsible for the cards you're dealt. But you are responsible for picking them up and playing them to the best of your ability. That is your duty."

Consider the wisdom of a few nonsocialists:

"I have learned that success........

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