Usually, when Americans think "Communism," they think "Totalitarian regime bent on killing, infringing liberties, and setting up long feed lines to starve people." This is horridly wrong. If you've read "Follow the Directions," then this should make more sense. What those people called "Communism" was what happens when you try to reach Socialism without reaching Capitalism first. You can't produce for everyone and bad things happen. So, then, what is this actual Communism?
Communism is practically identical to Socialism, however, there's a twist. Whereas Socialism maintains the idea of being a State, Communism dissolves the State, the class, the private ownership, etc. and sets up complete autonomy with remarkably limited, Libertarian-style government. As you have probably noticed, the USSR was nothing like that at all, having one of the largest governments ever.
In essence, Communism is Anarchy, but with different steps involved.
Communism = (Socialism, Dissolution of State)
Anarchy = (Dissolution of State, Socialism)
They're just two methods of reaching the same thing.
So what would Communism imply?
-No class. Everyone is completely equal on an economic standpoint, and money is gradually phased out.
-No private property. Everything is owned by everybody, and is then distributed to you (kind of like renting for life).
-Democracy. Workers would elect more workers to represent the masses and govern them. Additionally, as the dictatorship is of the proletariat, the representatives are subject to recall and removal at any time (to preserve representation and eliminate corruption).
-Socialism (See What is Socialism?).
Now sure, there are many more details and such, but they are relatively insignificant and can be discussed in the COMMENTS. Also, concerns and debates go in the same area.
NEXT TIME: How Would Socialism Even Work?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Follow the Directions
Most opponents of Socialism have said, "Max, that can't work! It failed already in Russia!"
Those people are silly, but wrong. Socialism is part of Karl Marx's history of class struggle theory. Essentially, society moves through specific stage based on which class is in power and how it gets that power. It all began with:
Primitive Communism:
There was no social class at the beginning of our existence as humans. Our ancestors lived in egalitarian tribal environments with no leader at all. Men and women were equal, all produced, and steps were taken to make sure that nobody became more powerful than anyone else. Unfortunately, but with necessity, this dissolved into...
Slavery:
This is not quite the slavery that you learn in American History. Rather, it is where class is determined by birth. Either you are born into power, or you are born a laborer, and there is nothing that you can do to change it. The latter group was oppressed, essentially into slavery, by the former group, thus beginning the class struggle. This gave way thousands of years later to....
Feudalism:
This is with the kings, queens, serfs, and peasants. Power comes from a Divine being, so kings rule because God (or Allah, or whoever) told them that they were supposed to rule. These people did very little work and oppressed the serfs, and peasants, as well as the emerging bourgeois middle class (merchants, usually). Eventually, during the Industrial Revolutions, the bourgeois took power, forming....
Capitalism:
Finally, you have the ability to change your social class, however, it is very difficult. Class is determined by wealth, specifically whether or not you "own the means of production." This stratifies class into bourgeois and proletariat: those that prosper from work, and those that work. This system allows for super production, being able to actually provide for everyone, but establishing things like "cost," thus reducing many previously social relationships into mere money relationships (more on that at a later date, perhaps). According to Marx, and what I'll talk about later, the proletariat will rise up, abolishing class through violent revolution, forming....
Socialism:
Free of class. Free of property. Free of oppression. Just, free. This is the penultimate stage of history where government begins to phase out, and people begin to get back to their Primitive Communist roots, but with all the technological advancements. Eventually, government goes away, bringing about....
Communism:
I will discuss this next time.
Like before, any questions, comments, or concerns belong in the COMMENTS area.
Those people are silly, but wrong. Socialism is part of Karl Marx's history of class struggle theory. Essentially, society moves through specific stage based on which class is in power and how it gets that power. It all began with:
Primitive Communism:
There was no social class at the beginning of our existence as humans. Our ancestors lived in egalitarian tribal environments with no leader at all. Men and women were equal, all produced, and steps were taken to make sure that nobody became more powerful than anyone else. Unfortunately, but with necessity, this dissolved into...
Slavery:
This is not quite the slavery that you learn in American History. Rather, it is where class is determined by birth. Either you are born into power, or you are born a laborer, and there is nothing that you can do to change it. The latter group was oppressed, essentially into slavery, by the former group, thus beginning the class struggle. This gave way thousands of years later to....
Feudalism:
This is with the kings, queens, serfs, and peasants. Power comes from a Divine being, so kings rule because God (or Allah, or whoever) told them that they were supposed to rule. These people did very little work and oppressed the serfs, and peasants, as well as the emerging bourgeois middle class (merchants, usually). Eventually, during the Industrial Revolutions, the bourgeois took power, forming....
Capitalism:
Finally, you have the ability to change your social class, however, it is very difficult. Class is determined by wealth, specifically whether or not you "own the means of production." This stratifies class into bourgeois and proletariat: those that prosper from work, and those that work. This system allows for super production, being able to actually provide for everyone, but establishing things like "cost," thus reducing many previously social relationships into mere money relationships (more on that at a later date, perhaps). According to Marx, and what I'll talk about later, the proletariat will rise up, abolishing class through violent revolution, forming....
Socialism:
Free of class. Free of property. Free of oppression. Just, free. This is the penultimate stage of history where government begins to phase out, and people begin to get back to their Primitive Communist roots, but with all the technological advancements. Eventually, government goes away, bringing about....
Communism:
I will discuss this next time.
Like before, any questions, comments, or concerns belong in the COMMENTS area.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What is Socialism?
Socialism.
You hear it in the news, you read it on billboards, you learn about it in History class, and you fear it on Glenn Beck, but what exactly is Socialism?
Socialism is a social (what happens in your personal life), political (what happens in the government), and economic (what happens with money) system. What it calls for is equality. There's no discrimination, there's no rich/poor, and all are treated as equals. So far, there have been two main kinds of Socialism, but many smaller suggested kinds: Democratic Socialism and Marxian Socialism. The funny thing is, these two are remarkably similar.
Democratic Socialism has been achieved in countries (like Britain, Sweden, etc.) by legislation. Workers have been unhappy with the current state of things and protest, leading lawmakers to make Socialist strives. In Democratic Socialism, workers elect their bosses and government officials, and the profit of a business is cut evenly among all of the workers in an industry.
Marxian Socialism calls for revolution. It also states that revolution is inevitable. According to this doctrine, Capitalism will inevitably fail, and, due to the natural course of history, workers will rise up to establish an equal Socialist State. Among Marxists, this Socialism is almsot one and the same with the ideas of Democratic Socialism, but in order for Marxists to have their way, the revolution has to take place in a Capitalist country (America, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, etc.). If this does not occur, what you get is failure.
The failed Socialism was never even close to Socialism in the first place. This is what China, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and the USSR claimed to have had, while, in reality, they all had a system of State Capitalism (where the government is the businessman and everyone else is miserable). THIS IS NOT SOCIALISM. AT. ALL. By going from kings and peasants to a Socialist State, this kind of catastrophe happens, bringing famine, starvation, and death.
Finally, and I think that this is very important, Socialism does not mean a planned economy. The government does not call all of the shots, and the government does not own the businesses. What the government does have is the ability to provide things like health care and education. Everything else is to the workers to cooperate for the greater good of all mankind. The farmer, the grocer, and the manufacturer would all be working together (along with millions of others) to produce for the good of all, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of what is made in a Socialist State.
If you feel like something DESPERATELY IMPORTANT is not present, or if you disagree with everything I said; if you want to argue or discuss, then leave a comment.
UP NEXT: What I saw on Glenn Beck Today (Tuesday, April 6, 2010)!
You hear it in the news, you read it on billboards, you learn about it in History class, and you fear it on Glenn Beck, but what exactly is Socialism?
Socialism is a social (what happens in your personal life), political (what happens in the government), and economic (what happens with money) system. What it calls for is equality. There's no discrimination, there's no rich/poor, and all are treated as equals. So far, there have been two main kinds of Socialism, but many smaller suggested kinds: Democratic Socialism and Marxian Socialism. The funny thing is, these two are remarkably similar.
Democratic Socialism has been achieved in countries (like Britain, Sweden, etc.) by legislation. Workers have been unhappy with the current state of things and protest, leading lawmakers to make Socialist strives. In Democratic Socialism, workers elect their bosses and government officials, and the profit of a business is cut evenly among all of the workers in an industry.
Marxian Socialism calls for revolution. It also states that revolution is inevitable. According to this doctrine, Capitalism will inevitably fail, and, due to the natural course of history, workers will rise up to establish an equal Socialist State. Among Marxists, this Socialism is almsot one and the same with the ideas of Democratic Socialism, but in order for Marxists to have their way, the revolution has to take place in a Capitalist country (America, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, etc.). If this does not occur, what you get is failure.
The failed Socialism was never even close to Socialism in the first place. This is what China, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and the USSR claimed to have had, while, in reality, they all had a system of State Capitalism (where the government is the businessman and everyone else is miserable). THIS IS NOT SOCIALISM. AT. ALL. By going from kings and peasants to a Socialist State, this kind of catastrophe happens, bringing famine, starvation, and death.
Finally, and I think that this is very important, Socialism does not mean a planned economy. The government does not call all of the shots, and the government does not own the businesses. What the government does have is the ability to provide things like health care and education. Everything else is to the workers to cooperate for the greater good of all mankind. The farmer, the grocer, and the manufacturer would all be working together (along with millions of others) to produce for the good of all, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of what is made in a Socialist State.
If you feel like something DESPERATELY IMPORTANT is not present, or if you disagree with everything I said; if you want to argue or discuss, then leave a comment.
UP NEXT: What I saw on Glenn Beck Today (Tuesday, April 6, 2010)!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Operation: Commie Blog
Operation: Commie Blog has officially commenced. For those of you against Communism, or who label it as impossble and/or evil, I recommend that you leave, or at least take some learning from this site. This blog will serve mainly to the purposes of explaining Socialism and Communism in their actual way (not the Red Scare/Right-Wing fear-driven way), to interpret various media subjects, and to give a bit of insight into areas of American politics.
Coming soon are:
What is Socialism?
What is Communism?
Follow the Directions
A Libertarian Ideology
Different Types of Communism Part 1
I very much enjoy conflict and debate, so if you disagree on anything I say, or just feel like raging all over the site, please do, but keep it inquisitive or smart (no trolling).
Until later, Comrades,
Max Wellbrock-Talley
Coming soon are:
What is Socialism?
What is Communism?
Follow the Directions
A Libertarian Ideology
Different Types of Communism Part 1
I very much enjoy conflict and debate, so if you disagree on anything I say, or just feel like raging all over the site, please do, but keep it inquisitive or smart (no trolling).
Until later, Comrades,
Max Wellbrock-Talley
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