How do latter-day socialists reckon with the fact that 20th century socialist governments invariably became oppressive, violent, and totalitarian? A common argument I hear is that it “works on paper” and that “human nature” doomed it, but then, does it really work at all? Some center-left critics of capitalism will admit that certain socialist elements may be needed to counter the runaway capitalism, but they’ll acknowledge that capitalism is still the better of two imperfect systems.