aren't communism and socialism basically the same?

Question

of not then whats deffrent about them?

Answer 1

According to wikipedia:

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownership of the means of production. It can be classified as a branch of the broader socialist movement.

Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or it may be indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state.

Answer 2

True communism is where everybody works to their ability and recieves to their needs. Nobody gets more and nobody gets less than anybody else. Human greed makes it unworkable, in my opinion. It has never been tried on anything larger than a small community and it always failed in that setting.

Socialism is where you have an over-riding government that makes all the decisions and everybody contributes to the greater good. The high achievers are forced to support the low achievers and those who choose to do nothing. That 'system' has failed time and again as well, the former Soviet Union and China are both primary examples of that failure. Both claimed to be communist but both were socialist states as is Cuba today. What happens is it gets more and more top heavy as a result of ever increasing need for rules and oversight. Corruption and apathy take its toll and eventually the mechanism collapses in on itself and the masses starve.

A capitalistic state is the only one that has survived over time because it is based on human motivations. No, it isn't always fair but neither is any other form of government. What you need to ask is what will serve the most people while doing the least harm and remain stable over time. Generally, those who suppoort socialism, marxism or communism have an unrealistic view of the world and human nature.

Answer 3

As definitions both are different. Earth has not as of yet had societies or nations that really match the definitions of either form of societal organization. It is very difficult for socialism to take full effect in a world so driven by capital in a world marketplace. Most experiments have failed for a wide variety of reasons from hostility from the outside, having occured in backward countries, having personality cults take control, etc. Communism by definition would not ever truly develop until generations had lived through a long period of democratic socialism. Both ideals are barely understood in the United States.

Answer 4

In quite a few ways they are the same,please remember Soviet Russia's communism was different from that as envisaged by Karl Marx. Basically they are like two sides of the same coin a bit like PIRA and Sein Feinn. Communists have often advocated violence to gain their ends but socialists (in general) prefer the ballot box.
Tongue in cheek I could say the difference between Stalin and Blair

Answer 5

Communism is basically socialism with a central government / dictator in control.

Obviously, this often leads to corruption, where the government party officials take in more money than they should and become rich while the rest of the country suffers in poverty.

Answer 6

Communism is often a more radical form of government. Socialism is usually a democratic control of business. Often in Socialism land can be owned by private business rather then by the government. Also small business is often allowed in socialist theory. Where Communism only allows state run business. Norway is called a republic, however their government practices many socialist believes.

Answer 7

Communism is a type of socialism. Where socialism teaches that genocide is an important goal for the good of society in general, communism teaches that genocide is an important goal for the good of the community. These are both application of marxism, which is the idea that, if you murder enough people, utopia will result. Other forms are national socialism, the idea that genocide is an important goal for the good of the state. And oddly enough, islam (which has absorbed and been absorbed by marxism recently) where genocide is an important goal to realize the advancement of religion.

Then, of course, there is liberalism....which has mutated into the idea that genocide is an important goal towards social justice. Oh, and don't forget the greens....genocide is an important goal to save the environment.

The point I am making is that all of these movements, without a single exception in application, have all perpetrated the heinous crime against humanity of genocide....whether by doing the killing, providing material and moral support or (ever popular in western democracies) politically preventing intervention in those genocides or otherwise manipulating government, policy, courts and public opinion to support genocide.

Hundreds of millions of innocent people have been cruelly put to death in only a couple of generations because we cowardly tolerate this in the world and in our own culture. Most of the rest are placed in slavery, grinding poverty and incredible depths of depravity (example....widespread cannibalism in North Korea) In a prior age, these people would have all been rounded up and put to the sword as agents of the devil (and that is exactly what they obviously are based on the breadth and depth of their evil behavior). However, we are more "enlightened" these days. We tolerate this both from our neighbors and from ourselves. The result has been an age of darkness worse than anything humans have ever imagined. And few even bother to notice until it's their necks on the chopping block.

Answer 8

Russia still has some socialist policy. socialism partly allows government owernship and private ownership of establishments. Communism is completely state controlled.

Answer 9

In many ways, yes, but there are differences between all socialist parties. Communism is one form of the socialist ideal, but almost every country has its own unique, cultural version. Like all political theories, socialism is adaptable to its context.

Answer 10

Socialism is just a theory. Communism is putting it to work.