Could communism work?

Question

Take away the dictator and give people freedoms and allow the government to take care of a persons basic needs like health care, employment, and inflation, but at the same time allow consumer freedom and control the retail and costs of goods. Also provide jobs to all those able and control wages and taxes, while at the same time allowing everyone a fair chance at all employment positions. There are many more provisions to it but do you think it could work for some of these smaller, third world countries that cannot handle democracy?

Answer 1

Mmmm well what you're saying has been the tag line for all communist societies, ever. But introducing consumer freedom, market reforms, centralised control of the economy etc etc just creates a contradiction in the system - an ideological dichotomy! I see your point - it would kind of act like a custodian until the country can stand on its own two feet (although protectionist trade practices that function in this way already exist). Overall though, no, I don't think communism can work in any situation (although granted, 'pure' communism, or 'bottom up' communism, has never been implemented), especially given the importance of world free markets to most countries these days. Communism has become either romantic anachronism or a harrowing reminder of some of the most spectacular political failures the world has ever seen. Either way, communism is obsolete, defunct and incompatible with the way in which the world operates.

Answer 2

Basic human nature can never allow communism to succeed. I think what you are describing here is socialism. True communism is putting everybody on the same level field regardless of intelligence or production. There is no such thing as private property or private rights, the good of the state outweighs what an individual wants.

Humans would have to let go of all prejudice, selfishness, pride, and religion, because there is no other religion but the good of the state. How do you rotate out those who form a communist leadership, someone is not going to want to leave their position i.e. Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, all of them managed to hang on to power in spite of what they preached. Socialism might work for these third world countries but they have been raked over the coals by east and west during the cold war, and by their own people who were in power. I think you have a great question I just don't think communism is going to be the right answer.

Answer 3

Communism can most definitely work; the world has simply been trying in the wrong way. Some ideas, wuch as the permanent revolution, do indeed have some worth. However, V.I. Lenin's New Economic Policy of 1921 effectively ended any hopes of communism in the CCCP. Rather, the question must be tackled in a more separated way, with communites being the base as opposed to the government. Collectivism can only work in rural areas by grouping at most 4 or 5 small towns, or perhaps 2 larger towns. The question of larger cities has to be looked at differently altogether, with collectivism and the rules applying to farmers and other rural workers being altered to fit the urban picture; desk work obviously cannot be collectivised, and therefore, urban work must be made to appeal and benefit the rural communities in some way, thereby increasing loyalty and readily urging rural communities to share their produce. What was seen to happen in the CCCP, namely the forced collectivisation of agricultural produce through the imprisonment of the kulaks, or the capitalist farmers. A functioning communistic nation would require an extremely complex method of government, obviously; however, it is far from impossible, as I hope I have laid out.

Answer 4

It works in families. Whoever earns money in a family shares it with everyone in the family according to their needs. Not a perfect system, and not perfect communism, but it's basically communistic. Children are not required to pay for their food and shelter in most families.

It works in limited ways in this country too. In my city, all the garbage cans are supplied by the city to everyone regardless of how much taxes they pay. It is more efficient that way because the garbage cans all can be picked up by the special machines on the trucks. A more capitalistic system would require everyone to take their own garbage to the dump.

And a lot of studies show that a single payer health care system is a lot more efficient that the hodgepodge we have in the US.

Answer 5

It could work on a small scale where the country are isolated from the rest of the world and the influence of advertising, which in its self may not be possible. You would also have to keep the power hungry from grabbing control. That may not work either. With the lack of the reward of profits companies would not have the incentive to improve products or develop new ones. But, in an isolated agrarian society it would probably work.

Answer 6

Communism? You must have been born yesterday, because you seem to have missed the whole 20th century.

Communism doesn't work with out a dictatorship, one man or oligarchy.

It's pretty bigoted of you to assume small, third world countries couldn't handle democracy. We were a small third world country once too. Democracy works just fine when it sits squarely atop a capitalistic foundation.

Answer 7

Like, socialism, eh? So many good ideas, so many failures. Every, and I do mean EVERY attempt at communism has failed. Not for the lack of ideas or for that matter, caring hearts. It's just a concept counter to to what is most basic in all humans -- the NEED to excel, or at least to have the hope and drive to acheive. Hell, if it works, why do the communist countries have to, literally, bulid walls to keep their citizens IN. Should work the other way.

Answer 8

It could not work. It assumes that every one is on the same page in terms of valuies and life motivations. Communism should not have a dictator in theory, but always needs a strong and brutal one.
The Amish are close to theoretical Commmunism, but they are a small group, and everyone who chooses to stay has the same life focus. Also, their idea of freedom is the liberty to self regulate their behavior and to willingly submitt to serve their God. You won't get that in our greater society. In our culture, the more freedom that is available, the more selfish and self destructive individual behavior becomes.

Answer 9

Sure it could work if done right. But the problem is that there's always going to be somebody at the head, and without the balance of power that a democracy provides all you get is abuse.

Answer 10

Hello all communists end up with dicatators and it doesn't work. How can providing jobs equally to everyone work? It doesn't...Controlling retail just means there one brand of everything. Communism was a failure.