Originally posted by Dr. Zaius
Why are we still entertaining the fantasy of communism as a desirable form of government at this point in history? Do we need more evidence that this system doesn't work? True believers always argue that it's never been truly implemented or that it's been hijacked by gangster-like opportunists, but the fact remains--it's always morphed into either a brutal military junta or a systematically repressive police state.Is it really going to be different the next time it's tried?
Free markets and representative government are the only way.
I dare say it is less communism itself, and more the ideal of it that people believe in. If not Communism, it would be something else that promised similar - be it other political ideologies, or religious ones. As long as you have inequality, or people who are seen to unfairly posses more then those in need, or anything like that, you will have fertile soil for ideologies of this nature. Political ends as it were. There was a quote, I wish I could remember it, about how the declaration of the death Russian of communism was met with applause, but how they were wrong, because as long as there is an exploited worker, or a worker in general, communism will survive, the only way to truly kill it being to remove the workers, which is about as possible as extinguishing the sun.
And people have a poor track record of learning historical mistakes. Remember, those in need, or in the most dire circumstances really don't often care about the means of extracting themselves from their predicament. If there is a chance - they will take it. Communism was always its strongest in the places with most need, places where no avenues existed to betterment, or so it seemed.