My Problem with Socialism

I often voice my concerns about my country's spiral towards socialism. Things such as welfare, social security, mandatory purchasing of health insurance, etc. are all aspects of a socialist state. When I speak out against these things others often say things such as, "If that's socialism I want it!" Then they ask me what I could possibly have against socialism.

Here's my problem, people can not be free in a socialist system. Upon bringing this up my more liberal friends will say they still have the freedom of speech in socialist countries. When I'm referring to freedom in this case I'm not talking about having rights. Socialist programs such as social security are mandatory, you can't opt out of them.

If I went to the government and said I wanted to keep my money that would be paid into social security and in exchange will opt out and receive no benefits when I come of age they would just laugh at me. Social security requires everybody who is working to pay in on it because the people who are currently on social security are not paying in on it. The only way the system can even attempt to continue running is if everybody who is of working age pays for those who are beyond that point in their life.

When something is forcefully taken from you it's called theft. Unemployment is the same way. Government steals money from my pay check and says I can have some if it back if I should lose my job. Here's the thing though, I could take that same money and invest it to create more meaning if I lost my job I'd have more money to life off of.

In a socialist country the government has a gun to your head and demands you comply with their rules. That's ultimately my problem with socialism, you are not a free person when the government steals your property using the force of a gun.