Communism/Socialism

My grandparents are almost sympathisers of the Soviet Union XD. I can't deny I am interested in it. I personally think communism is more about power where socialism is more about people. Opinions? Which was worse? The Soviet Union/Communism or Hitler? My dad argues that the intention of the soviet union was good natured, but in theory couldn't you argue that Hitler's intentions were good for millions of ordinary working germans? But obviously both ended in mass genocide, what do you guys think

If I was to personally say which was worse, I'd definitely say Stalin's communism. I speak as a socialist (Non bias, I promise) but under Hitler, unemployment because a non issue, people's income rose, and it still allowed for some free market intervention. Stalin's communism was ambitious, but eventually failed after mass starvation and secret police

First and foremost, the USSR was NOT a communist country, if we're going by the generally accepted Marxist definition. To be a communist country, as defined by Marx, is to have no state, and the one thing Stalin certainly had was a state - a very large one!

Moreover, under Hitler, the employment figures didn't account for people in concentration camps. So the Jews were systematically excluded from all employment statistics, and there were mandatory work programs, which, obviously decreased unemployment but in a forceful, unethical manner.

Free market intervention? Not really, the government had its mits in almost everything. Also, you do realize Hitler had a much more notorious secret police force, right? The Gestapo?

The USSR under Stalin was generally defined as communist, but with Marxist thoughts, and it was a system where a lot of people got paid roughly the same and a lot of food was state provided, it'd be like calling the DPRK Marxist.

And there was still free market under Hitler, for it was during this time when Fanta was developed, so the coca cola company was functioning, what's to stop other German and even more western powers having influence over the market

My grandfather was a Major in the Soviet Union and so of course my mum is inclined to look at it nostalgically as it was passed down but Marxism-Leninism wasn't that great in retrospect. There comes a point where the economy starts stagnating when you have few people in the gulag

They did make some very nice music though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUeKHggG1Uc

I'm not going to delve too much into the free market side of Hitler's Germany, because frankly, I don't know too much about it - but considering the fact that Hitler government did have their eyes on every aspect of Germany, it would surprise me greatly if they let things function freely without government oversight. You got any sources?

I know the USSR is generally defined as Communist, mostly because that was their overarching goal, but definitively, that is a misconception, the USSR was never a communist country. It having a state automatically rules out any credible attempts to call it that. Moreover, the fact that you said 'a lot of the food was state provided' further confirms the fact that it was not communist.

All you need to look up is coca Cola's role in Germany during that time, there was a big advertising campaign for Fanta. Free market existed in smaller quantities, but it was still present, it's just that socialism does restrict markets, but it doesn't stamp them out

But surely everything that's state provided is the furthest side of the left of economic policy no? The 5 year plans were a plan for industrialization under a nationalised steel and coal industry, which again can link to this idea of state provision.

My grandparents are almost sympathisers of the Soviet Union XD. I can't deny I am interested in it. I personally think communism is more about power where socialism is more about people. Opinions? Which was worse? The Soviet Union/Communism or Hitler? My dad argues that the intention of the soviet union was good natured, but in theory couldn't you argue that Hitler's intentions were good for millions of ordinary working germans? But obviously both ended in mass genocide, what do you guys think

Well...The numbers are there, more people died as a result of communism than fascism. Communism was very, very bad, Stalin starving tens on millions of people, Mao Zedong likewise. Nazi's were better than communists in the sense that if it weren't for the third reich communism would be ripe in central and western Europe, and with the chaos following the fall of the USSR I can say its a good thing it isn't. North Korea is a representation of what much of Asia and Europe would look like had the Nazi's not fought against the USSR. Stalin didn't sign the Geneva convention of war, german soldiers were tortured upon capture, the same was done with political opposition in the USSR and China. Hitler's regime (don't lynch me) was beneficial to the world in many ways, they made medical and scientific advances, created Fanta, they most importantly stopped communism spreading to the west. Not to say Nazi's are good, obviously not, but communism is and was the worse of two evils.

I don't think you can say that without Nazism, Communism would have spread throughout Europe. It certainly was a strong barrier in central Europe that completely opposed Communism but remember that when Communism tried to spread elsewhere major powers intervened. I do agree that Hitler's regime was essentially better for mankind if compared to Stalin's regime.

Well...The numbers are there, more people died as a result of communism than fascism. Communism was very, very bad, Stalin starving tens on millions of people, Mao Zedong likewise.

Nazi's were better than communists in the sense that if it weren't for the third reich communism would be ripe in central and western Europe,

North Korea is a representation of what much of Asia and Europe would look like had the Nazi's not fought against the USSR. Stalin didn't sign the Geneva convention of war, german soldiers were tortured upon capture, the same was done with political opposition in the USSR and China. Hitler's regime (don't lynch me) was beneficial to the world in many ways, they made medical and scientific advances, created Fanta, they most importantly stopped communism spreading to the west. Not to say Nazi's are good, obviously not, but communism is and was the worse of two evils.

*central and western Europe, the nazis walked through Belgium and France, whats to say the USSR wouldn't have done the same? Von Hindenberg's Germany wouldn't have stood a chance, Hitler regenerated the destroyed German economy through mass armament making it a super power able to fight against the USSR. The major world powers we see today such as the US and China were of minor influence in the 30's-40's with the USA recovering slowly from the great depression, and china being butchered by the Japanese

If I was to personally say which was worse, I'd definitely say Stalin's communism. I speak as a socialist (Non bias, I promise) but under Hitler, unemployment because a non issue, people's income rose, and it still allowed for some free market intervention. Stalin's communism was ambitious, but eventually failed after mass starvation and secret police

If there is one thing that can be said in favor of the holocaust it is that it created jobs.

I'm not going to delve too much into the free market side of Hitler's Germany, because frankly, I don't know too much about it - but considering the fact that Hitler government did have their eyes on every aspect of Germany, it would surprise me greatly if they let things function freely without government oversight. You got any sources?

A silver lining in every cloud, although this cloud was more of a Hurricane. But it wasn't just in the military, there was a lot more jobs created to help with the effort back home too