thoughts on communism

what do u think about communism?

 

well i think communism had the best idea at the beginning you know everyone should be equal the people should control the state ... It was all nice ideas but in real life they did not work because people was forced to apply them .They did not chose by themself to live in this utopic system

 

I'm inclined to agree with Mark Twain's assessment: "Communism is idiocy. They want to divide up the property. Suppose they did it - it requires brains to keep money as well as make it. In a precious little while the money would be back in the former owner's hands and the communist would be poor again."

 

I think we already had two threads about it, with some very good points made on both sides. I highly doubt anything new is going to be added here.

 

I wasn't hear then. i am a marxist, i don't see what's so stupid about dividing money so that everyone has the same amount. Communism has never been practised, and socialism i suppose was getting there in Russian until stalin, and venuzuela is a good model at the moment, revolution is tearing south america as we speak.

 

Well obviously in reality it would never work, becuase of peoples excess amount of power hunger. Most people dont like the idea of getting the same amount of money as everyone else. It isnt really fair that some people can work like dogs and get as much money as someone who doesnt work as much. Plus if we were all paid the same amount what would be our motivation for working?

Sadly said money and the want of power are the motivation for most people in society. Although I personly think that this is rediculous and that money is just an item, you do infact need it too survive.

In reality an Egalitarian society would never work. Human nature plays a big part in this. It is believed by communist that if they do away with capitalism over time with the right conditioning selfishness, and greed would slowly disipate. Still others say being greedy and selfish is in human nature, which I think is true in some aspects. Either way communism would be nice, but in reality a Utopian society would never succeed.

 

What's so stupid about it is the fact that if everyone is guaranteed the same amount of money, there is no incentive to do any work at all. Why would anyone bother to collect the trash or clean the sewage system, when they could do something fun instead?

I don't know how you people can cite Venezuela as a "good model." Its economy is in the toilet, it has wild economic swings from booms to busts, its authoritarian president is stifling freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and it funds terrorists in Colombia.

 

none of you can claim to know reality.

Yes... only 'bout 2...

 

Typical rambling... a good argument for those who doesnt have a clue.
Its not the same amount of money, for one, it's the same amount of wealth, property... many would argue theres no monetary system in communism... Incentive still exists, because if you fail to work or do anything for society at all, you can't expect society to help you out with whatever you need... This idea that you can sit on your ass and not have to do shit in a communist society is idiocy... the fact that so many people have no clue the writings of marx yet continue arguing against him without knowing him is idiocy. Society would not just let their streets fill with shit and disease and rat infestations... people freak out about lawns not being perfect, and dirty rooms... people would clean up regardless of the economic structure...

 

In venuzuela, people are dramactically improving there standard of living, and the workers are taking control of industry and there results have been much better than under cpaitlsim. The political system is also much more transprent.

 

If we look at it in the context of being in a capitalistic society, communism doesn't make sense. I think it can work on a local level but that it needs something higher than the thought of making money to keep it working, such as a religious or philosophic belief. The Quakers or Amish come close. In an Amish community if someone loses his house, it's not a question of whether the community should help rebuild it. It's seen as an obligation. No one would think not to. From the view of a capitalistic mindset, for the most part, there's no incentive to do it unless it leads to the earning of some money.

.

 

Good on paper bad in practice

 

In short, It sucks big dick. No freedom of anykind. Boy is it hell to be an artist in a communist state. I have been there; NOT. Freedome of Speach and expression are most important factors to me; and oportunity. Talent and inteligence should be rewarded, not repressed.

 

The late Pope John Paul II said it best...

"Capitalism and Communism are flip sides of the same coin."

They both have their pros and cons. They are both not perfect. So no matter which one we choose, we will not get a perfect world (peace on Earth). It's ironic that greed is one of the reasons Communism failed, and greed is what fuels Capitalism the most... I agree that a doctor doesn't want to get paid the same amount of money as let's say a janitor, but that's still considered greed.

I don't know what the perfect system is, maybe a combination of both, who knows. All I know is that the problem isn't how we play the game (Capitalism or Communism), the problem is that we're playing the wrong game...

 

What's to be said for an idea that removes God from people; ignores the fact that a people can not progress when the motivation for individual success is suppressed by removing the rewards; is only feasible in small agrarian societies; denies the fact that equality is absurd unless it's political equality; denies the fact that certain people are inclined to lead and others to follow; denies the freedom of people to choose not to be communists; violently preserves the power base of its leaders in an "equal" society; suppresses free thought; suppresses opposition; puts the state above the individual; condemns people under its control to what would be impoverished lifestyles if everyone wasn't already poor; is responsible for enough deaths to make religious wars seem like school fights and Hitler seem like an amateur; maintains power through fear; and, in the end, usually proves to be a much worse system than whatever old order was overthrown in good old blood and violence? Now if that ain't utopia, I don't know what is.

 

I think it was on an episode of Seinfeld that said "it sounds good in theory. Like communsim"

I agree. It's a good theory, but there aren't enough selfless people in the world to make it work. Especially in America. We've been taught that striving for success, getting that dollar, is the most important thing.

 

It's a hard question to discuss... I think the topic needs to be a little more precise in my books.
I like the idea of everyone being equal in a society but at the same time I'm a very competitive person. I dont think it suits our human nature the best.
I dont like the revolutionary part of Marx's idea because I dont like violence. I think we are trapped in a world setting towards our need for materialistic goods. I'm like that too... but I recognize also that the more we have the more we want and the least we are satisied. I realize we are just puppet of society just hear to produce and consume. I think it's silly, and I know it's not what makes you the happiest. That's teh way things are so the best I can do at this point is make the best out whatever situation I'm given.
greg

 

Communism tastes like grape bubble gum

 

The revolution doesnt' have to be violent, look at venezuela. The government got in democratically. Like the chilean government in the 1970's., unfortunatley that was brought down in a brutal imperialist coup.

 

No, being the same is completely different form ebing equal. The working class is by nature exploited in captialism, and nice things will be available for all in communism rather than jsut a select few. Why do you want to live in a system in which the wealth is vastly concentrated at the top?