History
of Communism:
Communism was an economic-political
philosophy founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the second half of the
19th century. Marx and Engels met in 1844, and discovered that they had similar
principles. In 1848 they wrote and published "The Communist Manifesto."
They desired to end capitalism feeling that it was the social class system that
led to the exploitation of workers. The workers that were exploited would
develop class consciousness. Then there would be a fundamental process of class
conflict that would be resolved through revolutionary struggle. In this
conflict, the proletariat will rise up against the bourgeoisie and establish a
communist society. Marx and Engels thought of the proletariat as the
individuals with labor power, and the bourgeoisie as those who own the means of
production in a capitalist society. The state would pass through a phas, often
thought of as a socialism, and eventually settle finally on a pure communist
society. In a communist society, all private ownership would be abolished, and
the means of production would belong to the entire community. In the communist
movement, a popular slogan stated that everyone gave according to their
abilities and received according to their needs. Thus, the needs of a society
would be put above and beyond the specific needs of an individual
Implementation:
It became the dominant political
philosophy of many countries across Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and South
America. In the late 19th century, communist philosophy began to develop in
Russia. In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power through the October Revolution.
This was the first time any group with a decidedly Marxist viewpoint managed to
seize power. They changed their name to the Communist Party, and sent their
ideals to all European socialist parties. They then nationalized all public
property as well as putting factories and railroads under government control.
Stalin continued leading by the communist philosophies, and extended the growth
of the the USSR. This example of Communism has been followed in many countries
since then, including China.
Definition
:
“Communism
is a socioeconomic system structured upon common ownership of the means of
production and characterized by the absence of social classes, money, and the
state; as well as a social, political and economic ideology and movement that
aims to establish this social order”
Leading socities past and present :
Current Communist Countries: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam.China :
Mao
Zedong took control over China in 1949 and proclaimed China as the People's
Republic of China, a communist country. China has remained consistently
communist since 1949 although economic reforms have been in place for several
years. China has been called "Red China" due to the communist party's
control over the country.
Cuba :
A
revolution in 1959 led to the taking over of the Cuban government by Fidel
Castro. By 1961, Cuba became a fully communist country and developed close ties
to the Soviet Union.
Laos :
Laos,
officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, became a communist country in
1975 following a revolution that was supported by Vietnam and the Soviet Union.
North Korea :
Korea,
which was captured by Japan in World War II, was divided following the war into
a Soviet north and American south. Despite being led by the USSR beginning in
1945, North Korea did not become acommunist country until 1948.
Merits / Advantages
ü The
government is responsible for everything.
ü Crime
rates are low due to extreme enforcement measures.
ü Prices
are set by the government.
ü Education
is free.
ü Medicine
is government sponsored.
ü No
one is really rich, and no one is really poor.
ü Religion
has little or no influence.
Demerits / Disadvantages
ü The
government controls everything.
ü Everything
political becomes a crime. People who disagree with the government are seen as
dangerous to society.
ü Prices
are set by the government - at levels where many cannot afford.
ü Good
education is nearly impossible to get.
ü Health
care is government controlled and is poor.
ü No
one is rich, there are no incentives for creativity. No one sees any point to
working hard.
ü Even
religion is controlled by the government. People are oppressed and persecuted.
ü Communist
party leaders lead the good life while the general population suffers.
Suggestion
:
Communism's
effects are best gauged when compared to capitalism. In capitalism, one
produces (or not) and receives compensation (or not) in an amount reflective of
the value of that production to others in society. In communism, one is asked
to produce in accordance with his abilities, while receiving in accordance with
his needs. The difficulty here is that one has little incentive to work hard in a communist system. Unless others in society match your increased effort, your individual exertions will not lead to an increase in your standard of living. The result of this is that people will cease to put in that extra effort that separates the achievers from the pikers in capitalist society but that is of negligible consequence in communism.
Since they will naturally avoid profitless extra work, the communist labor force will necessarily be less productive than its equivalent in a capitalist society. Thus, the communist system, all other things being equal, will produce less than a capitalist system. This will be felt in the standard of living of its citizens. Verification of this problhmem can be found by comparing the per capita income of the USSR and the United States at the fall of the Soviet Union. Simply put, the USSR could not keep up.
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