can a person be communist, but reject totalitarianism?

Question

even though I like communist ideas I still don't agree with many things that communist countries have done or are doing. Like for example the death penalty, military dictatorships, jailing those who oppose the government, just to name a few.

Super - You forgot Korea

Answer 1

I believe that people confuse Communism with Leninism and Stalinism. Marx always foresaw that a socialist future would be based on a free society. It was Lenin who used the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (which went against the writings of Marx who foresaw power in the hands of one class rather than one person) to bring about Marx's vision, or rather his view of Marx's vision. Lenin never had any doubts or qualms of suppressing dissent as he believed without a doubt he was right in his view of Communism. The biggest debate around Communism in Russia was whether Communism could be brought into Russian society, and applying following Marx's model that a society has to go into period of advanced industrialisation and capitalism before it can move into Communism. The Russian economy in 1917 was not there as it was still highly backward in its industry and social development. Lenin believed that by suppressing dissent and forcing through his vision he would free the Russian people from wage slavery. Stalin was a ruthless dictator who used the excuse of communism to suppress and persecute his opponents.

Answer 2

A couple of communist countries are communist in terms of the principles their countries were founded upon, but they are not totalitarian, they are embracing human rights. Countries like Vietnam and China are examples of countries that are communist in terms of idealogy, but have granted a lot of rights to their own people. Totalitarian regimes that embrace the communist idealogy were like the former Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, and East Germany. Totalitarian communist countries can almost not survive anymore because people over time get tired of oppression and usually take action against such regimes, which is probably why Cuba is the only totalitarian communist country left.

Answer 3

Communism in its pure form seems quite utopian, but every experiment has failed miserably. The fact is, limited resources make it nearly impossible. You should read the writings of Karl Marx, especially the Communist Manifesto to learn more about it. But our current system of capitalism has generated the greatest surplus, the greatest wealth, the best technology. Competition is great for society and progress, and a market driven economy ensures speedy development and unlimited potential. Communism has bread death, destruction, and depression.

Answer 4

I agree... of course... but I think many of those countries that claimed to be communist were really much more like dictatorships...

Saddam held elections and claimed Iraq was a democracy... that doesn't make it a democracy though, just because he said so...

people seem eager to believe bad things about things that they are told not to like... so believing a dictatorship is "communism" was really easy in the 80s... but that doesn't mean it was communism...

Answer 5

Totalitarianism is a degeneration of sorts that occurrs when a party's greed undermines the cooperative goals of communism. It's not an inborn trait of the system; its just something that happens because people suck.

Answer 6

I suppose its impossible to commit to being just a communist. Actually, its hard to commit to just one political party - no matter who you are or what you think. I wouldn't call yourself a communist - you're just you.

Answer 7

Maybe in theory, but I have never heard of such a person.

Answer 8

That person would be a Socialist.

Answer 9

you can be anything you want to be just as soon as you grow up