What is Communism?

Answer 1

the government owns all businesses, and no busienss makes profits.

The govenrment is represented by the people, so it means the people own everything. people do not own possesions, as everything you own is not yours, but everyone in the countrys.

No one would earn more than another person, it would be completely equal. e.g. the manager would get the same as the sweeper. The doctor would get the same as the nurse.

in the UK it can be argued that the NHS is a communist idea, because the government owns it, and we vote for the government so in turn - we all own the NHS. The NHS is funded by tax, which everyone pays - even people who do not use the NHS have to pay for it.

Its well complicated, but i think the main principle of communism is ECONOMIC EQUALITY.

Liberal and conservative people see communism as a bad system - as it takes away youre freedom to own property or amass wealth.

Answer 2

Communism is as Justin has described it.

One of the things that Karl Marx said, was that the worker's should buy shares in the industries which employed them, thus they would become the owners of the means of production.

What happened to Communism, as in the Paris Commune and later the Russian Revolution, is that it's idealism got snuffed out and replaced by an elite leadership with little or no connection to or of the working class.

Communism is really part of the class war. However, I do not think either Marx or Engels had revolution on their minds but more obtaining power through the ballot box. For example, here in UK, Marx and Engels were instrumental in getting the Chartist Movement going which eventually lead to the common working man getting the vote. This unfortunately did not extend to the common working woman until after WW-ONE.

Answer 3

Based on Marxist/Lenin philosophy, basically giving Government the power to regulate personal acquisition - whereby the more skilled, hardworking, enterprising people get ahead and make a ton of money while other, less motivated, or less talented people do not.. The concept was "From each person according to his ability, to each, according to his need. Idealistically it sounds like the most wonderful idea - nobody wants for anything, and everybody gives of his best. Ahh, but they forgot the key ingredient.... Motivation. If there is just no point in striving to do something better than the next person, because you will get no better reward than the guy who doesn't want to do anything, why bother? Besides that, nothing proved to be better suited to that old saying "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely" Those who were the rulers of the Communist Regime very soon became corrupt, and powercrazy. They, themselves, had no intention of wanting for anything, or confining themselves to the simple handouts given to the rest of the folks. In fact, over time, they became just as bad as the Russian Aristocratic System that they came to replace, following the ousting of the Russian Royal Family. It was a virtual dictatorshiip because the Zsar and his Queen, and the royal household were dominant in everything. One dictatorship was simply replaced by another one.
I suspect the Democrats of this country are about to inch their way towards a notion of their own where they would ;pass laws to basically control how much money and power the big bosses of "free enterrise" ventures will be allowed to have and wield. Once again, it sounds like a good idea when you think about the shinnanigans of the bosses of Enron Corporation. But it's a slippery slope down that path that could lead to something suspiciously like Communism, where vast amounts of money would get sucked from high earners and given to the unwealthy in free programs and services. Why work for a living when the Government is gonna hand you everything on a plate? It also makes you wonder what will happen if a Government comes to power, that essentially de-controls our borders so anybody can just walk right in, never become a citizen of the country, or a legally registered alien- but also be eligible for all those 'freebies' paid for through taxes by all the rest of the hardworking population. I think a person could easily put a broader interpretation on"communism" to include them also.

Answer 4

Communism is a social model largely composed by Karl Marx and practised in Russia till about 1991. Continuing models of Communism include Cuba and North Korea.

Basically it supposes that everyone works towards the greatness of the state. There are no class structures, work and labour is esteemed as beneficial to all. Your labour is shared by the whole country. So take a factory. The workers all own an equal share of the factory, and the work they do and what they produce goes to the government to take an distribute to others that are making their own things for the country. Idealistically everyone provides for everyone else and in so doing are looked after. However, sometimes this works better and sometimes it doesn't, as government can be a tricky thing to organise amoungst "equals"

Answer 5

As an idealogy, communism is about everybody having an equal stakeholding in the resources of a state, the state contolsd everything and the world is beeeeaauutiful.

However, what you end up with is a poor, underfed, uneducated and over-militarised paranoid population and no export. Plus, there's always got to be someone in "ultimate" power, which is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Soviet Union was a Communism state, China is becoming more centre than left now, but was a classic communist state. North Korea till is.

Answer 6

Communism is a political ideology which seeks to distribute privilege equitably amongst all who form part of the society that has adopted it. Sadly, in practice human nature always seeks to improve it's own position, and as a result communism as a system of government is just as inappropriate as all the others...

Answer 7

What was communism it`s fast going out the door what
with China going more capitalist and western orientated
Cuba will also as Castro is about to expire.
It`s just to keep the people down say how many children
they can have and keep the elite in power.

Answer 8

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownership of the means of production.

Answer 9

In reality it is a very fair almost perfect political and social system for human beings to live within.
The problem is that no politicaian or ruler has ever implemented it, or tried it.
It was vilified and demonised by the USA but for no reason as no one ever practiced it.
It could be the best system (we may never know) but we would have to re-educte our corrupt politicians.

Answer 10

Communism is where an economic or social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single person and their political party.