Are there any common factors that you believe influence people to desire socialist societies? - 
In my opinion, there are a few common factors when discussing the rise of socialism. Whether we are talking about socialism in Nazi Germany, Venezula, or the United States, many themes carry across time and boarders. First of all, the rise of socialism usually occurs whenever the majority of a population feels as though they are not being represented. Whether that is through political power, wages, or taxation, almost all origins of socialism appear to start whenever a large percentage of the population feels marginalized or oppressed. After this takes place, a person of influence, usually a politician, "preys" upon the groups emotions to get elected and attempt to use the government to help them while also grabbing political power. Sadly, this usually ends up backfiring. For example, this occured in Nazi Germany after Germany was forced to pay back an unpayable war debt from WWI. Many German's felt that the amount they had to pay was unfair, so they placed Hitler in to power, which directly led to the holocost and WWII. Another example is Venezula, where many low wage workers felt the need to elect someone to seize the means of production to provide better paying jobs and increase equality. Now, Venezue has mass food shortages and terrible inflation. Sadly, the United States seems to be heading in the direction of these two examples, but luckily at a much slower pace. Overall, socialism tends to occur when a majority of the population wants to use the government to try to control aspects of their lives and create widespread prosperity for all people in the nation. Sadly, it usually ends up backfiring and results in shortages, inflation, and and even sharper divide between the elite and the poor.
