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1. There is no such thing as a "communist state" because a communist society is by definition a stateless, classless and moneyless one, While some of the states generally referred to as "communist" did claim (falsely) to have abolished class, neither claimed to have abolished states or money, and so never referred to themselves as "communist states". The claim that they were communist generally comes from the fact that in these states, the ruling party was called the "Communist Party". However, there are a number of problems with this:
i) Several "communist states" - East Germany, North Korea, Poland, Albania, Laos, etc - had/have ruling parties called something else.
ii) No-one ever refers to the UK as a "conservative state" or France as a "socialist state" simply because those are the names of their ruling parties. Even if you want to move the goalposts and restrict it to one-party states, no-one ever referred to Mubarak's Egypt as a "National Democratic state".
iii) Many of these countries also explicitly called themselves "democratic". Do we therefore say they were democratic?

2. "Human Nature". Oddly enough, the vast majority of historical stateless (the closest to a "natural" society) societies have been largely communistic or close to communistic. Even in modern capitalist society, the social relationships people derive the most enjoyment and fulfillment from - those with your friends and family - are the communistic relationships.
Reply 41
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
Well, lets see...

1.

Every attempt at utilising communism has failed, and mostly failed spectacularly.

2.

Human nature means that some people woudl work harder than others, and yet under communism would only get paid the same wage as their lazy counterparts. That's unfair.

3.

Human nature also means that power corrupts, and communism requires that no one is truly in power - that can't happen because someone would have to willingly give up absolute power.

4.

Oh, and if I go to school for longer and work harder to earn my degree and career, I deserve to have a better lifestyle than someone who does the minimum.



this is what owners want you to believe.However they will exploit your degree as much as they can
Original post by Tigers
this is what owners want you to believe.However they will exploit your degree as much as they can


Okay then. I guess doctors and lawyers and teachers who get paid more than cashiers and fast food workers are just all drones under the control of the greedy owners.

Oh wait no. They've just worked hard and deserve their wages.

Now shush, stop embarrassing yourself.
Reply 43
It's the authoritarianism and general failure that frightens people.

Furthermore, I just don't think full-on communism is even an achievable, let alone workable, let alone ideal system for governing a nation state.
Reply 44
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
Okay then. I guess doctors and lawyers and teachers who get paid more than cashiers and fast food workers are just all drones under the control of the greedy owners.

Oh wait no. They've just worked hard and deserve their wages.

Now shush, stop embarrassing yourself.

you mentioned workers paid by the public.About lawyers,the rich ones are paid by the rich who go against the law.I don't see any contradiction from my post.It's easy to understand the point because you just have to ask yourself a question.If you were running a business,would you exploit their work to be richer?This.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Tigers
you mentioned workers paid by the public.About lawyers,the rich ones are paid by the rich who go against the law.I don't see any contradiction from my post.It's easy to understand the point because you just have to ask yourself a question.If you were running a business,would you exploit their work to be richer?This.


You're rambling.

Actually, many lawyers work in taxes, or in family court, or prosecution for the CPS - not for rich wrongdoers.

If I was running a business, I wouldn't exploit workers because it would be unethical.
Reply 46
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
You're rambling.

Actually, many lawyers work in taxes, or in family court, or prosecution for the CPS - not for rich wrongdoers.

If I was running a business, I wouldn't exploit workers because it would be unethical.

Rich lawyers are paid by the rich.It's obvious.
I would and I say it because I'm not hypocritical.It wouldn't be unethical because then even earning more than one of my workers would be unethical and I've never seen owners earning the same as the people who work for them
Original post by Tigers
Rich lawyers are paid by the rich.It's obvious.
I would and I say it because I'm not hypocritical.It wouldn't be unethical because then even earning more than one of my workers would be unethical and I've never seen owners earning the same as the people who work for them


How is it unethical to have more money than people who are doing an entirely different job to you?

And that's not true - you can be rich and work for the state, you don't need to be paid by rich people. Not that I ever mentioned rich lawyers.
Reply 48
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
How is it unethical to have more money than people who are doing an entirely different job to you?

And that's not true - you can be rich and work for the state, you don't need to be paid by rich people. Not that I ever mentioned rich lawyers.

I wrote the same.It's not unethical so if I was running a business I would pay people who work for me the less I can
Original post by Tigers
I wrote the same.It's not unethical so if I was running a business I would pay people who work for me the less I can


What? I'm just going to ignore you now, You're clearly just delusional. Have a nice night.
Reply 50
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
What? I'm just going to ignore you now, You're clearly just delusional. Have a nice night.

at least I'm not an hypocrite who claims he'd pay people more.I would do the same owners do
Reply 51
People hate communism, as far as I can understand, for a few reasons:

1. Contemporary communism is generally associated with North Korea and China - countries which, not being entirely westernised, do not receive particularly positive portrayals in the media.

2. Communism in a historical context is billed as the enemy. Soviet Russia and Cuba are the perfect examples of this. While people fail to realise that these examples of communism were not true realisations of the doctrine, the simple act of labelling these countries as communist reinforces a negative association.

3. Communism as an idea touches upon ideals like personal freedom and liberty. It promotes the questioning of authority, the awakening of consciousness - both things which are frowned upon by the State and the capitalist status quo. Naturally, it's in the interest of big business to steer people away from the communist corpus!
Original post by Vonlenska
People hate communism, as far as I can understand, for a few reasons:

1. Contemporary communism is generally associated with North Korea and China - countries which, not being entirely westernised, do not receive particularly positive portrayals in the media.

2. Communism in a historical context is billed as the enemy. Soviet Russia and Cuba are the perfect examples of this. While people fail to realise that these examples of communism were not true realisations of the doctrine, the simple act of labelling these countries as communist reinforces a negative association.

3. Communism as an idea touches upon ideals like personal freedom and liberty. It promotes the questioning of authority, the awakening of consciousness - both things which are frowned upon by the State and the capitalist status quo. Naturally, it's in the interest of big business to steer people away from the communist corpus!


An actually intelligent post that considered the question carefully. I'd rep if I could.
Reply 53
Original post by ChocoCoatedLemons
What? I'm just going to ignore you now, You're clearly just delusional. Have a nice night.

then you will just see it by yourself.I'm sorry to break your ideal world but this is what society is.Everyone makes his own interest and owners exploit your degrees.Or just watch the news
I don't think the idea of communism really is hated in the UK. It's seen as an ideal rather than something pragmatic but not hated. The US seems to hate it more.
Reply 55
Communism is inherently deceitful and reliant on manipulative and coercive methods to get what it wants. It promises but can never deliver, and encourages us to turn on our fellow men. The necessity of a vanguard party to lead the revolution means that it immediately separates people into a small group of haves and a large group of have nots (in this case the haves have power) a balance which is supposed to be redressed but never is and never can be.

That's from a philosophical perspective. Historically, communism has been the worst of a bad bunch of political models, resulting in the deaths of millions (40 or 50 odd in the case of one event, Mao's Great Leap Forward), pogroms, anti-intellectualism, secret polices, obliteration of freedom of speech and the complete subordination of the individual to the state. It's totalitarianism in its worst form (at least fascism is unashamed).

It is probably the worst idea ever.
Reply 56
Original post by Plainview
Communism is inherently deceitful and reliant on manipulative and coercive methods to get what it wants. It promises but can never deliver, and encourages us to turn on our fellow men. The necessity of a vanguard party to lead the revolution means that it immediately separates people into a small group of haves and a large group of have nots (in this case the haves have power) a balance which is supposed to be redressed but never is and never can be.

That's from a philosophical perspective. Historically, communism has been the worst of a bad bunch of political models, resulting in the deaths of millions (40 or 50 odd in the case of one event, Mao's Great Leap Forward), pogroms, anti-intellectualism, secret polices, obliteration of freedom of speech and the complete subordination of the individual to the state. It's totalitarianism in its worst form (at least fascism is unashamed).

It is probably the worst idea ever.

the idea wasn't bad.It's true that people who have money and business exploit workers
Because so far every attempt to implement it has ended up in a kind of horrific (often genocidal) nightmare which no one can wake up from. No harm in trying one more time though eh lads?
Reply 58
Mostly because people are greedy.

Also I guess there's less point in trying to reach high career wise if you wouldn't be better off than those who don't.
Reply 59
Original post by Skip_Snip
Mostly because people are greedy.

Also I guess there's less point in trying to reach high career wise if you wouldn't be better off than those who don't.

this is the lie that owners tell.They will still be exploited

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