Toward the end of the 19th century, a group of Brits, decided that they were in favor of socialism in the original sense of a planned economy, but that they were opposed to the revolutionary socialism of the Marxists and the communist anarchists. They called themselves "Fabians" after the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator, whose tactics involved harassment and attrition rather than head-on battles. Instead of revolution, the Fabians advocated evolution toward socialism. Like Marx, they believed in class struggle and like Marx, they believed that "progress" meant moving away from private property and toward central administration. The most famous Fabians were H.G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, and later, Bertrand Russell.
bkMarcus, "why I am not a leftist"
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It is commonly asserted that Fabianism and Leninism differ only in method and pace: that the former believes in gradual change and the latter in revolution. But this completely misses the real point: that Fabianism, which is basically Social Democracy, believes in blending into the State apparatus, whereas Leninism believes in its destruction.
Murray Rothbard, "Liberty and the New Left"
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