Well, the examples you have mind are likely not “democratic societies” (even though they often put a “Democratic“ in their name for good measure). But then, if

Well, the examples you have mind are likely not “democratic societies” (even though they often put a “Democratic“ in their name for good measure). But then, if you look at the US from the new deal to Reagan or most of Western Europe from WWII to the 80s, you have an idea of what a planned[1] democratic society looks like. And then the scarecrow is less powerful as an argument, isn't it? Also, Communism hasn't been defeated by the power of the Free Market. It has been defeated by the appeal of democratic societies living under a welfare state system. When all a democracy has to offer is a free market but no shared well-being, dictatorship is around the corner. (You can already see it with the rise of populists leaders all around the western world). [1] there used to be so much more planning compared to what goes now that from today's perspective I feel it's fair to call that “planned societies”.