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Theories: Why I think that Communism is the way |
Posted by
W0rmW00d on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 12:05 AM PST
Today we complain constantly and bitterly about government. Bush, Blair, Chirac, you name it. It is becoming more and more clear that, to the majority of thinking people, elected representatives are simply not the way. 'What do we do about this?' we don't bother to ask. I think that the answer may well be that greatest of threats to freedom (read capitalism): the socialist world.
Think of a world where one need no longer sit on election day and think, 'Shit, it is about to be the same old thing all over again,' because there is no longer an election day. There are no conflicting parties interested in their sponsors or their own financial or socil furtherment. There are no adverts on television promoting this or that expensive car, personal claims attorney or credit card company. Where there is no longer gargantuan avarice, hunger, powermongery and corruption. How can this come about? Through the Socialist ideal 'From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.'
OK, rhetoric over. I feel that Global Communism is the way because it is the epitome of equality and fairness. There can be no room for discrimination according to nationality where there is no nationality. No more patriotism means no more inter-country war. No way for two creeds to fight when the one creed in the world is humanity. Marx wrote that 'Religion is the opiate of the masses' but it is also its firestarter. Without religion there is no more blunt acceptance of our lot knowing that 'The good Lord has his plan.' We would constantly strive for betterment of the least, and the feeding of the hungry. Improvement and advancement would be almost an imperative. The colour of
ones skin would be no more a reason for hatred than the colour of ones hair and there would no longer be economic causes for war on account of there being no economy.
The arguments so often pitted against Socialism are, I feel, relatively easily countered:
'There will be no freedom to do as one wishes' - There is not really that freedom anyway. People would be able to do more or less as they wish within a framework of rules, as in the society we have now. There is no need for overarching police involvement, especially since personal greed should, over time be eliminated. The re-education issue raised as a freedom issue is, to my mind, nonsensical. To beleive that re-aligning humanity's views away from the self and towards the whole is a curtailment of personal liberty is a non-sequeter. The single is part of the many. One works for oneself and all others,just as all others work for the one and all others. That it is towards a larger good that one works shouldbe an incentive to work harder, not a disincentive.
'That is not the way that human nature works' the reply comes - Says who? the people who try to shape human nature, as far as I have ever been able to see. The lust for power and wealth comes from a society whose focus is personal power and wealth. It is society reflected in its citizens and then vice versa, spiralling into perpetuity. Change the focus and the drive will change. I admit that this is no easy task, but then how many worthwhile tasks ever are? There would be resistance, but I would expect it to be from those who profit under the old regimes, hence the 'workers' revolution' rather than one from the aristocrats. These people are supposedly the most civilised of us, so would it not be possible to argue them around, rather than the slightly more crude method of 'Up against the wall, motherfucker, here's your cigarette...FIRE'? Their numbers are also very few. A utilitarian ethical view would even
see the greater good profiting by their deaths, but I would rather any transition remainded peaceful. I say, and I will maintain I'm sure, that any species which can be convinced that vast swathes of tarmac across a landscape upon which vast wheeled machines travel at tremendous speed is a normal state of affairs can, within a few generations be convinced that anything is normal.
'What about crime?' - So there will be crime, one regrettable fact that I imagine is unchangeable, but I suspect that once the individualistic aquisitional instinct has become redundant, much related crime will cease, become atrophied or in some cases, due to a new areligious moral code, simply be legal.
'And what about those spongers, doing nothing, reaping our rewards?' - Again, I feel that some of this may well fade with a more collectivist mentality in place. Again, what has changed, many people claim social benefits unneccessarily. Again I state, 'From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.' How much does a non-worker need? Less to eat, sure, less to drink, sure. Less recreation, of course, because they have nothing to wind down from. I do not see socialism as blanket evenness. That would be foolish, a biological fact is that the more people do, the more energy they burn, so the more they need to consume. Because greed would become essentially nonsensical after generations of no possessions, people would not feel jealous of the bridge builder who eats more than the educator. Jealousy is a function of greed.
'What about the massive beurocracy required?' - As opposed to our tiny streamlined ones? Yet another case of us being no worse off in one area, and better in so many others. Another benefit of a brand new beurocracy is that it could be totally transparent, so trust in the 'government' such as it is, could easily be made absolute. True freedom of information.
'With no competition in business progress will stagnate' - Not so. How many truly great advancers of our, or previous, times have done so with the sole intent of beating the competition? Some, admittedly, but many do so for the love of what they do, for the joy of finding a more efficient system, more elegant design or just more interesting concept. Intellectual stimulation does not die with personal gain. Someone who does something first just to be the first to have done it does not necessarily do it first so that everyone else can know that they are the first to have done it, but for personal satisfaction.
My final point is the transition. The few generations for whom personal possession is an actual memory may have difficulty adjusting. I simply do not know how it can be done. Marx thought revolution, but revolution needs a head, and from that comes personal power. Then you end up with the Soviet Union.There must be a better way. I will continue to think on it, as I'm sure will many others, but until then:
Sempre Hasta La Victoria, Comrades.
I invite, welcome, and hope for comments and discussion on this topic. One very close to my heart. Any
worries I will try and calm, any arguments I will try and counter. Greater minds than mine have thought
on these subjects, and greater yet will come, but that was written for the pleasure, and I hope the
pleasure of debate will continue it.
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Why I think that Communism is the way | Login/Create an account | 14 Comments |
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Re: Why I think that Communism is the way
by Schizo (Aranea@Spidersdance.com)
on Jun 07, 2005 - 02:08 PM
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I'll tell you what I feel on the subject. I'll warn you that this is not a hugely well-thought-out thing, but more of a gut reaction.
The thought of a completely Communist world makes me nauseated. Of course, the one we have makes me nauseated as well, but communism gives me that hurl-until-there's-nothing-left-and-then-keep-hurling degree of nausea.
I would far rather have no government whatsoever. I would rather have to hunt and gather for myself and mine, and then turn and fight tooth and nail to keep what I earned, like the animals do. I would rather die in combat with my neighbors over a day's food, or of starvation itself, than turn to a Big Brother for my properly apportioned fare.
I would rather be free to live or die by my own actions than be kept like a farm animal, to have my livelihood apportioned according to my usefulness.
And I am even less interested in being one of the ones who decides who gets what. I think it's none of my goddamn business.
Just my gut reaction. I know there are many more like me, who would never, NEVER consent to live like a shepherded sheep.
Maybe it's an American thing - something that a few of us still possess. The "give me liberty, or give me death" heart that will not consent to give up one's own freedom and accompanying responsibility to another in exchange for comfort or security.
If you ever succed in setting up this world-wide communist government, I hope you expect to find at least one whole-hearted rebel. To me, nothing, even life itself, is worth that sacrifice.
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Re: Why I think that Communism is the way
by bettie_x (strangersangel@hotmail.com)
on Jun 08, 2005 - 10:18 AM
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I don't have a problem with the general IDEALS of communism...a community nation, blanket equality, care for all in that nation, everyone doing their part, no jealousy or greed or envy. Problem tho. UTOPIA will never exist. UTOPIA cannot exist. It never has. Even as simple animals we fought, killed each other, warred each other, hurt each other, but we also lived in community with each other. No matter how you try to "re-educate, no matter how hard, no matter what the idealised outcome, it will not work. People have tried it before. The only way Utopia can exist is if ALL are equal, and communism does not allow all to be equal. There is the equalised public, and then there is the elite govt making sure that everyone is equal to their point of view. It's just another variety of taking power out of the hands of the people and placing it in the hands of the few. People are just as envious and greedy with full stomachs as they are when they have to work two jobs to pay rent and eat .10 noodle soup for breakfast lunch and dinner. So you take away material "wealth" and power....people will still envy the prettier girl, the man with more friends, people who have bad marriages will be envious of people who have good marriages, people who cannot have children will envy those who have as many as they want. Envy and Greed are not terrible. They're motivating factors of human existence. You envy your neighbors nice yard, so you work harder to make yours look better, you envy your neighbors good job that makes more money than yours, so you work harder to get a better job that gives you the things you want. Just as many people would not be able to eat what they do now if they had to kill and process their own food, they would not do some of the shitty jobs they do now if the pay wasn't good. Granted there are "starving artists" and "starving students" who are willing to live in poverty to follow their dream, but if given the chance to make good money at a different profession to support their passion until it CAN become a career, they will take it.
My other problem is that if communism is such a good way, and is so beneficial, then you wouldn't HAVE to re-educate the public to accept it. They would want it. And there are people who do, but there are a LOT of people who don't. I'll take the wager of living paycheck to paycheck with the hope of something better I can achieve down the road, then a preset govt determined destiny that is no better or worse than my neighbors. I do have freedoms. Not total freedom, and not as much as I'd like, but a fair bit more than most of the world enjoys, and I know that should I want more freedoms I have the ability to rally and fight for them. I know the state of my country an the world is a sorry one, and I know it's probably going to get worse, but I'll take uncertainty over total control that's "for my own good".
There will also never be absolute freedom of information or trust in the govt, because it is run by faulty human beings. Human beings lie, hide things, twist things, and the more power they have the more sordid things WILL become. It's a scary phrase "Total trust in the govt". That's putting a bit too much of my personal welfare in the hands of someone who sees me as a number on a headcount sheet.
Socialism sounds nice on paper (depending on who's writing it too), and as I said there are some very FINE ideals in it, but when it comes down to it, when you look at past examples of ANYONE trying to "equalise" the public (and inevitably the world...communism and "democracy" just can't seem to keep their hands to themselves) or to create a Utopian society have grossly failed, and lead their people into something way way worse than they bargained for. I'll take bloody black and blue over a unifying shade of gray any day.
Now.....perhpas there is a sort of comprimise between "Democracy" and "Communism". A way to bl
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Re: Why I think that Communism is the way
by Rogue (Rogue@skew.org)
on Jun 08, 2005 - 06:28 PM
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I'm with you on this one. It is my opinion that the governments that offer the most freedom, real freedom, in this world are communist/socialist or inspired by these. Individual provinces *ahem, Taiwan* in China have far more autonomy than States do here, and states here are supposed to be the ultimate authority. We are locking up animal activists for being terrorists here, and being chided rightfully by the architects of the Tiananmen Square confrontation. Canada's healthcare system and other parts of its government are socialist in nature, as are many aspecs of European governments. Representative democracy/republic governments have proven themselves to be short-lived and highly corruptible, with no exception. I would qualify all of this however by noting that you can't use Marx or any other one source as a blueprint either, you have to flavour the plans with whatever works for the nation in question and make an eclectic selection of the best of other systems, such as the capitalism that rarely accompanies communism.
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Re: Why I think that Communism is the way
by dead-cell (freaksworth01@netscape.net)
on Jun 09, 2005 - 12:55 AM
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I’m going to agree with Schizo, and Bettie. Not to brown nose, but because they posted before me.
Communism, like so many of my teachers told me, looks good on paper. Carl Marx was a dreamer and that’s not a bad thing, nor is his “communism.” Share and share alike that is a great idea, and it works for siblings, relatives, friends, neighbors, and small communities in a Norman Rockwell setting. However, he failed to consider humanity’s darker side such as selfishness, apathy, and prejudice. Once more he forgot human stupidity, and as humans are: they went and fucked up his dream. The socialist/ communist leaders went around trying to fix social inequalities, fighting for the working man or woman. Soon enough though they lost their way corrupted by power, or tangled in the web of politics. You see what Carl Marx failed to put down was that communism works much better as an economic practice. Once you add government in the mix, communism becomes a dirty word for monarchy and feudalism. I would like for it to work, but some prick somewhere has to ruin it. Yes, I admit capitalism is flawed too; cruel, ever evolving, and nauseating as well, just like the cosmos, but that one prick dose not ruin it for everyone else. Democracy 1776 style, beaten and bruised by power plays and apathy, still kicks back against corruption when she can. Democracy is in bad shape but she’s not done for.
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Re: Why I think that Communism is the way
by callei on Jun 10, 2005 - 07:10 PM
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A show of hands people... how many of us have actually READ more than a few quotes from Marx or Engles (sp?)? anyone slogged though the Communist Manifesto or um.... Political Economics and something (that is an essay/novela thingy I think). Anyone remember what Marx said about Communism and its application?
*sigh* going back to my term papers now.
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