Could socialism/communism every truly work or will it always be impractical?

Question

I think it works better in theory than in practice. The book Animal Farm explained it perfectly. Semi-socialism could though(if you consider free health care semi-socialist).

I think it would be a wonderful system though if it actually worked the way it was originally intended to, but fat chance.

Answer 1

Ok bare with me on this one its quiet long but worth it. See a lot of people when asked about socialism simply say "oh well it doesnt work" without actualy knowing or understanding its history and infact the system itself. They may have picked up something over TV or learned something in school or heard some propaganda from someone, but than I ask you why would anyone living in a capitalist country realy be exposed to any true information about socialism when all that the right wing governemnts want to do is prevent a socialist revolution. In fact history does not prove these people who think that socialism doesnt work correct. An analysis of of Russia is a good place to start. Marxsism (real socialism different from Stalinism that many people think is true socialism) is the idea of a society that is able to provide for everyone according to his/her needs. It is a society where the workers (not government) own the means of production, it is the notion that people should hold political power and that the governments do what the people want them to do. The people as a majority own the state and its economy. Excluding the Paris commune (first workers state) which in all its glory lasted for a short time because of the circumstances facing it, the Russian Revolution and the state that emerged from it is an example of the first socialist society. The leaders of the revolution that sought to end the feudal system and free the masses from their supression was led by Trotsky and Lenin. What emerged from the revolution is considered to be the most democratic state in history, examples of this democracy are as follows, the workers owned the means of production and held political power, they had the power to over throw the government at any point if they found it to be unfair and the politicians did not have a higher wage than a normal worker and the people had the power to limit even the president's earnings. However Lenin and Trosky and other revolutionaries wanted to spread the revolution to other countries because socialism cannot survive in an islotated country it must be global. Workers all accross the world were inspired by the Russian revolution. Countries all accross the world, Sweden, America, Germany, England, South American countries, Asian countries were on the brink of a socialist revolution. Capitalism and right winged governments were very scared of this and they knew that they had to stop this movement if they were to protect their priveliges, their power over the workers and their ritcher classes. So what did they do? They adopted socialist ideas and programs which is what they call now democracy to satisfy the workers and prevent a revolution however these programms were only meant to be temporary and we can see them being destroyed by the govenrments today. So Russia was faced with circumstances that did everything to prevent its socialist development such as, revolutions in other countries were destroyed it was isolated and Russia was generaly (before the revolution) a backward country and did not have the resources to provivde for everyone, so out of this was formed a beurocracy and emerged Stalin. Who went on to seize political power for himself and a few priveliged others, who destroyed socialist qualities, who betrayed the Marxist revolution, who massacered Trotsky's folowers as to get rid of any opposition and who created a deformed worker's state. The only thing and I mean the only socialist thing in Stalinism was a central and planned economy, even though it was owned by the government when realy it is supposed to be owned by the people its structure was basicaly socialist, this type of economy proved to be far, far superior to the capitalist one and during world war 2 it proved itself to be stronger than than that of capitalist Germany's. However this deformed workers state could not last forever, Trotsky had predicted that it was either going to go forward into socialism or backward into capitalism, however for it to go forward the people had to rise against the dictator type governemnt and over throw it but for it to go back to capitalism the governemnt had to brake the workers as has happened. Also similar examples of this Stalinist regime were China, Cuba, North korea, Eastern Europe and so on. So what does this prove, it proves that socialism cannot work in one country but it must start as a collection of many countries and than spread because no one country has the conditions for socialism to survive in it. It doesnt prove that socialism doesnt work because of some inherent man's greed. Those scared of equality ought to know that socialism doesnt mean everyone gets the same amount of everything it means that everyone is catered according to his her needs that is what true equality is each person has what they need, this also means that basicaly all the people in the middle class will actualy live a lot better than they do now. History also proves that no socialist country failed because the workers had no incentive to work. Without capitalism and a capitalist society all the things that make socialism not work disappear. Few things are inherent society shapes you and what type of society that is greatly influences what type of person you will be.

Answer 2

In my opinion, the perfect system of government, is just like the system described in the Conversations With God books, by Neale Donald Walsch. I believe it is described in book two, and elaborated on in book three. But, in order for it to work, our society as a whole would have to be a great deal more spiritually evolved than we are at this point in time.

The worst system of government that I could ever imagine, is the nightmarish New World Order that the Global Elite want to bring about!!!!

Answer 3

NO, because Jimmy Carter will change into the Antichrist and he will serve yet another time period in workplace after the demise of Obama. The angel Gabriel advised me that Jimmy Carter is the Anti-Christ and that he is going to regulate his call and divorce his spouse! Obama is going to die first and then the Anti-Christ who change into between the previous 7 Presidents will take his position! Rev. 17:10 And there are seven kings: 5 are fallen, and one is, [and] the different isn't yet come; or maybe as he cometh, he might want to proceed a short area. those 7 kings were; a million. Gerald Ford 2. Jimmy Carter 3. Ronald Reagan 4. George H. W. Bush 5. bill Clinton 6. George W. Bush.... is spoken of interior the winning stressful (and one is) because till Reagan died all 7 were alive! 7. Barack Obama.......and one is yet to go back! he will die some days after he will strengthen taxes! Obama is likewise in Dan. 11:20 Then shall arise in his sources a raiser of taxes [in] the honour of the dominion: yet interior of few days he will be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in conflict. Rev. 17:11 And the beast that change into, and isn't any longer, even he's the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perditio

Answer 4

Communism would work but only if business is directly controlled by the people via a democratic system of voting instead of through the government itself and if real estate was limited to a reasonable amount (say a cap of 50,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet). Laws must defend the rights of the individual from the masses and defend the rights of the masses from the individual. The problem with capitalism is that the individual is given the freedom to overpower the rights of the society, but the problem with communism is that the society is given the freedom to overpower the rights of the individual. There must be some form of mixture, but public ownership of public things is the only way for society to function properly otherwise it is not balanced. Since businesses have the power to affect us all and trample on our rights as a group we must take control of them as a group. This means direct public ownership, not indirect through the government...

Answer 5

The problem with Socialism is that it robs people of their humanity.

Think about it. For socialism to work everybody has to pitch in and do their part right? The more detractors there are the less efficient a Socialist system works. As such people have to be kept in line. Have to go along with the grand plan. Non-socialist systems promote diversity. Socialism cannot afford diversity. Anything not devoted to the collective good, the collective will damages the collective. As such the collective must react. Must bring these people in line. So it starts as "education". When that fails more severe methods are needed.

This same principle quickly echoes through every aspect of a socialist society. In the end it is a regimented system that makes military institutions look Bohemian. That's the irony of it. People flock to Socialism because they want the opposite of what Socialism brings. They want fairness, justice. They want all to have a decent opportunity. In that mistake belief they attempt to enforce equality. That is the second key flaw. Equality is never a good thing. People are people. We are all good at something. By deffinition being good at something means we are unequal. To attempt to quash that inequality is to attempt to smother the very spirit that makes us human. Equal opportunity not equality is a just system. Equality is to tear people down to the lowest common denominator. Equal opportunity is just to not discrimanate against people. To give everybody a fair shake. Whether they do anything with that opportunity is up to them. How is it any more just to force somebody to partake in something than it is to deny them the opportunity? It's not, both are unjust. Socialism, at least the Marxist brand that has swallowed up Socialism since the 50s is about tearing people down. About the collective will and collective good. It's about taking things from people. All of this is unjust on the most basic level of humanity. It is a worse action than often the injustice that the Socialist seek to remedy.

I can and have gone on for pages about the flaws in socialism as a concept and in practice. They all boil down to a denial of our own humanity. They are attempts to force us into an unnatural system. One that denies the best and worst of what we are. They are also reactions to class systems that long since ceased to exist. So it is a backwards looking system of redress. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be in car with somebody looking at where we are going rather than where we have been.

Answer 6

Real equality is against human nature. Hiumans seem to need someone to trample, be richer than, be stronger than. No matter what the government does people are people and there's no changing that. Sad but true? Well we all learn from

Answer 7

There is no freedom or liberty in either. So as soon as it starts, it starts to fail and then fail miserably.

It is a system based on envy believe it or not. Envy of the rich in which it tries to duplicate to the masses by making them either not care, or kept too impoverished to even notice.

Instead, wealth and power ends up in only a handful of devious miscreant people, just like capitalism! Only without the liberty or freedom.

Sorry, but capitalism still beats any of them handsdown.

Answer 8

Socailism/communism ignores the individual's desires for wealth and recognition. There is little to motivate people to work and even less to motivate them to do a good job.

"Free health care" is never free. It is paid for in one way or another. Insurance companies collect enough from everybody to pay for your needs or the government taxes you to pay for the doctors, medicine, hospitals,etc/

Answer 9

sadly no form of government is good. and more sadly no government is even worse. communism is weak because power is impossible for one (or a few) men to handle. if few have power they become corrupt... if non have power then they feel no responsibility to anyone or anything. every type is dependent on the moral standards of the leader.

theocracy...

Answer 10

Socialism, yes; communism, no.

Ever read The Dispossesed by Ursula K. Le Guin? A really interesting look at an anarchic society.