Hmmmm… Good question.
I think it wouldn’t do the world ANY harm if the resources were distributed a little better. What is it, 1 % of the world owns 90% of all their is to own. Seems a little over the head there.
As for the “we’ll all be equal and do the same”… That’s more or less what things are like now. We must dress according to fashion, listen to music according to charts etc.
As Finti says – all jobs are important. Without the cash-register person, how’d we buy food.
Some people are smarter than others, they should become doctors and lawyers. And do so because they want to, not to make a ton of money.
Would you rather have a surgeon operate on you because he’s in it for the money, or in it because he wants to help sick people?
As far as I know – correct me if I’m wrong- communism has never REALLY been tried out. USSR, Cuba etc. were/are not really communist but some kind of state-capitalism, dictatorships calling themselves nice names??? Anyone know?
Moneypenny> But viewed globally, do you still think capitalism is the “way to go”? From a human point of view that is?
My knowledge of history and politics is not the best – I must admit. But didn’t Marx and Engels envision a revolution of the workers taking place in an INDUSTRIALISED society? Wasn’t that what failed in Russia, seeing as it wasn’t very industrialised in 1917? And in China??
I suppose the question is what makes humans tick. Would all progress stop if we shared equally in the wealth a society produces? I personally don’t feel like lying on my couch all day and stare at the ceiling, I like to get out and DO things, earn a living. I don’t need to have billions stored away on a bank-account to do that…
Originally posted by The OmegaMy knowledge of history and politics is not the best – I must admit. But didn’t Marx and Engels envision a revolution of the workers taking place in an INDUSTRIALISED society? Wasn’t that what failed in Russia, seeing a
The bottom line is that Maxism/Communism can only exist as an ideal. Wether you want to admit it or not, it is human nature to always strive to be better than his nieghbor. Humans are selfish, greedy, ignorant, and stupid, and so the ideal that Communism needs to work shall never exist, therefore true Communism will never exist and prevail.
And dont mention China, because they have a Capitalist economy.
Originally posted by eleveninches
The trouble with communism is that if everybody gets an equal share of money, then there is no motivation for anybody to work or try to get a better job than anybody else. The country then becomes lazy and the economy collapses
That's not true communism you're describing, though. TRUE communism has never existed for any long period of time. Communism in its purest form is a society which has no money system. The government that exists is only there to regulate trade and to ensure that nobody is getting more than their fair share of resources. For example, in a capitalist society, farmers grow food to be sold. In a communist society, farmers would grow food to be eaten. Everybody has to accept that each person does a job, and each person gets what they need to stay alive. Jobs that nobody wants to do would either be done away with altogether somehow, or everybody would spend a small amount of time doing that job. The incentive for being more educated or working harder than other people is that you are more respected in the community. People who are able to work, but choose not to, are not given charity.
That being said, I don't think a communist society could work, at least not in the forseeable future. Some people are honest, but others are naturally greedy and would probably find a way to get around the government and take advantage of the system. Another problem is that the government doesn't have enough power. Nobody likes the feds nosing around in their personal lives, but they need SOME power, because there will always be people who won't accept their responsibility to the society.
Tpt>” Your partially correct there...
Marx thought that governemnt was a progression. Capatalism WOULD occur and communism would come after because the factory workers would revolt. Stalin tryed to shortcut this process. He eventually failed as we know.”
So Marx and Engels thought that society had to go through phases? First to capitalism/industrialised and then onto communism?
Stalin? Wasn’t he… insane??
Darth> What is the difference between communism as you describe it and anarchism (politically, not the way it’s usually used)?? Do you know?
Are you sure communism as you describe it is impossible? I mean - we ARE a product of the society we grow up in, so if society encourages greed, then people will be greedy...
or?
I have to admit I don't like the idea of coimmunism to much, I think people should get money according to how much their work is appreciated by others. Of course since we are all humans we should keep people from living in really harsh poverty. None the Less Marx was a great thunker, and its understandable why he thought that way if you look at his time. But there was never a true Marxist country so I am not sure if it might not actually work, at least if the people had the ri´ght attitude towards it. Which of course might be possible with conditioning. But most people think conditioning isd bad so from human nature I don't see a chance for Marxism.
Originally posted by finti
Your way of thinking here is of a capitalistic point of view. The ideology is that all jobs are just as important, that they are all just as much worth regardless if you are a doctor or a bossman. They all participate to make their society work......... now thats the theoretical idea behind it. How it worked in the real life is a different matter all togehter though.Watch or read George Orwells "Animal farm" then you get a pretty good picture of how a good idea turned sour
Wow, I agree with you again....What is the world coming too. 😉
I consider myself a Libertarian Socialist (if you know that phrase, you know what I am 😛)
but I would gladly embrace the ideal (ideal, not necessarily the historic practices) of communism, should it ever be tested with any degree of devotion. I don't like the idea of a state lording over the people, but communism is up front with the connection between industry and the government, whereas capitalism is sort of a sugar-coated oligarchy of the corporate leaders.
Should I post information about Cuba's health system?
Marx? Of course a genius.
People don't understand that communism requires society to evolve to a point where people do 'harder' jobs because they need to be done, for job satisfaction, reputation and merit, not for personal material gain.
Obviously that won't happen overnight, but I think it will happen, one day. The american empire will fall and the world will be free!
(here i am guilty of gross oversimplification. don't poke me!)
(edit)
Communism failed because it was not TRUE communism. True communism is good for everyone living within it. Really though, the only way to have real communism is for the whole world to go along with it.
Capitalism seems to be based on the principal of survival of the fittest (or possibly fattest). Though is grossly unfair because it involves a small elite of rich people (most of whom haven't worked a day in theri lives) dominating a large class of poor people (who work very, very hard every single day).
The oddest part to me is that "christians" tend to prefer capitalism, even though communism is so much closer to the christian ideal as portrayed in the bible. Love all equally, etc.