“Since all men are equal, every individual participates in the genius that enlightened and stimulated the greatest heroes of mankind’s intellectual, artistic, and political history. Only adverse postnatal influences prevented the proletarians from equaling the brilliance and the exploits of the greatest men. Therefore, as Trotsky told us, once this abominable system of capitalism will have given way to socialism, ‘the average human being will rise to the heights of an Aristotle, a Goethe, or a Marx’.”

Ludwig von Mises (Money, Method, and the Market Process)

“The doctrine of the inborn biological equality of all men begot in the nineteenth century a quasi-religious mysticism of the ‘people’ that finally converted it into the dogma of the ‘common man’s’ superiority. All men are born equal. But the members of the upper classes have unfortunately been corrupted by the temptation of power and by indulgence in the luxuries they secured for themselves. The evils plaguing mankind are caused by the misdeeds of this foul minority. Once these mischief makers are dispossessed, the inbred nobility of the common man will control human affairs. It will be a delight to live in a world in which the infinite goodness and the congenial genius of the people will be supreme. Never-dreamt-of happiness for everyone is in store for mankind.”

Ludwig von Mises