Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Socialism as any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods ; Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines Socialism as a system of society of group living in which there is no private property ; Whereas, Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines Socialism as a system or condition of society in which the means or production are owned and controlled by the state ; Whereas, Socialism and the policies advocated for by self-described democratic socialists have an underlying historical connection to the Marxist theory, also known as Marxism; Whereas, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels originally established Marxist theory when they published The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital; Whereas, the theory developed by these books and that of Marxism are a direct attack against the capitalist model of economic production and opposed the notion of secured private property rights; Whereas, Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto that [w]hen in the course of development, class distinctions have disappeared, and all production has been concentrated in the hands of a vast association of the whole nation, the public power will lode its political character. Political power, properly so called, is merely the organized power of one class for oppressing another ; Whereas, history has witnessed countless failed Marxist inspired regimes. Time and time again, without fail, Marxist and Socialists inspired governments fail. Socialism is guaranteed to fail, no matter whether it takes the form of democratic Socialism, central planning socialism, or authoritarian Socialism, Socialist policies and programs do not work; Whereas, history has witnessed the rise and fall of enough Marxist inspired socialist regimes to recognize that Marxism and Socialism are failed ideologies; Whereas, in the 20th century the ideologies of Marxism and Socialism spread throughout the world