Do you think Communism could work if the leaders had the same life style as the people?

Question

I am not a Communist, but have often wondered if it could work.
The trouble is, the leaders always have a better life style than the the workers and that is not how it is suppose to be...

machine H,
I have read Animal Farm, several times, a great book!
Thanks for your answer.

K Marx!!!,
I didn't say it wouldn't work, I was asking your opinion!
Thank you for your answer...

You are posting very interesting answers. I intend reading them all again when I've recovered from work.

Thank you very much, Cassandra

Answer 1

Well,first of all,we must put the concept of ' lifestyle of people' clearly,because we haven't got a decided definition of it since it is quite comparative and varies from place to place.
Take the lifestyle of people in Afghanistan or in an African country and the one in any of developed countries for example and you will see how different they are.However,it is clear that lifestyle has a lot to do with how much the society is developed and that the technical and social development diminishes the separation between the lifestyles of leaders and people.
We all know that all communist systems have been put up by some adventurer and armed groups who genuinely claimed equality at first but their successors became tyrants at last and the sense of inequality between lifestyles had already and strongly existed among the people where they established communism.The gap between them and their people was caused not only because the successive leaders were greedy,but it was traditionally taken for granted and the people itself were not technically and socially developed .And,we witnessed what happened when people became more conscious in formerly communist countries-To be honest, one must accept that they spent a lot of time,money and energy to keep up with military requirements to compete with capitalist world.
As a consequent, scientific and social developments will lead to communism automatically without creating such inequalities.
As some sociologists claim, the human history itself is a journey or an evolution to real communism or whataver you call it.
(I am really sorry that they deleted your question unfairly,it was a really good one)

Answer 2

No - it can never work.. Marx/Engels did not allow for basic human greed into their equation.. you will always have people who want more than others and also those who are willing to shirk/not do their fair share of work for the common good.

Incidentally Russia/China/Cuba and the like are not good economic models for communism.. all of them had not first established and economic system that Marx/Engels said was essential for sucessful communist state so at least in economic terms they were all doomed to a degree/absolute failure from the outset..

Added to this is the Adam Smith 'Wealth of Nations' model of economics which most western countries use.. to reverse this now would be virtually impossible - just look at countries like the US in which even to be associated with the communists in the middle of last century was severely derided.. those with/those who have/those in power do not want to relinquish it..

Great Q though

Answer 3

Uh..that's why it's communism. The leaders live in luxury while there people live in trash. That's why communism is frowned upon. They have no chance of bettering themselves. Heck. Just look at our democratic society. Do you think even 1/5 of the people we have in congress now would be there if they didn't have the lifestyle they got now. HELL NO. But I guarantee you that if those people only made 50 G a year...we would have better people in office. Cause they would have to love the job to be there..and the deficit would go down cause we wouldn't be paying those Losers so much money to play with themselves. More money could go to education, schools, government funded programs. But it's not gonna be that way cause it's all about the money.

Answer 4

I've read some of the other posts (ok, just one) and I have to say that just because the leaders had the same life style as the people Communism wouldn't work in reality. In theory, everything works perfectly but those darn intangibles get in the way. People are not going work as hard for everybody as they would for themselves. The problem with Communism is there would be no innovation because the person or group of people who did all the work wouldn't be justly compensated.

Answer 5

It works IN THEORY ONLY...just like a lot of other things. A lot of things work in theory, but when you add human nature into the mix...thats where everything goes to pot. Read George Orwell's Animal Farm...an excellent book that perfectly illustrates the Communist delusion of equality and Utopian paradise.

A couple of folks have already brought this up, but there is a great quote that says "Under Capitalism, man exploits man, under Communism its just the opposite"
I never heard a truer statement.

Answer 6

I don't think it will work. I am a Chinese that live in Beijing and you can get your answer by just comeing to my country. If the leaders had the same life style as the people they will quickily understands that free market is the only way that works. Just 20 years ago in China we are like North Korea, ones the leaders are discover that free market is the only way, China jumped from a mess to one of the world's super powers.

Answer 7

You may not be communist but you sure are ill informed. Communist China works. Communism only failed in states where the economic reform was not up to speed. It had nothing to do with lifestyles as you are made to think. Its the economy that does it. If lifestyles had anything to do with it do you think Britons would have been impressed with its Royals who spend all their time in nightclubs drinking £100 a shot booze and pictures in the papers with enough castles and antiquities to feed the planet for 50 years. Read between the lines.

People must not forget that because we live in a system where the ruling classes are opposed to it so the media information is biased.

Answer 8

i do not hate it. I do in simple terms not like it. It in simple terms leaves too many open areas for damaged possibilities. Like some would have already said, it truly works tremendous for the authorities yet truly undesirable for the individuals. in simple terms because China is reliable at conserving it really is prestige quot on the topic, would not unavoidably advise that they even like it. the in effortless words rationalization why it really is kept Communist-sensible is by using it really is inhabitants overflow. as well, China (human beings) is starting off to make sure in a extra democratic view now because of the way it really is. until eventually you obviously comprehend the thanks to correct dispute human nature, perfection and equality gained't ensue. those with skill are also constrained to so a recommendations because the guy sweeping the floor commonly used for some thing of his life. you imagine the guy who can stand likes that? also, I do in simple terms like the way you tried to advise the Jamestown allegory, notwithstanding it really is used truly incorrectly as an celebration. For them on the time, it became in simple terms in effortless words animal nature at that factor.operating jointly for a common objective, which became effortless survival as a community. they did not actually have a powerful authorities operating, so that you'll't even fairly call that Communism in all appreciate. So lower back, i do not hate it. I do in simple terms not accept as true with it.

Answer 9

Socialism can work its just that the rich and greedy don't want it to.

Dunno about Communism. I feel that its failed everytime its been tried but maybe one day someone will get it right.

Any country where kids can starve whilst other have so much they waste it is an anathema to me. That's why I have so little faith in Capitalism, but not sure if I could be called a fully fledged Communist.

Answer 10

No, it will never work as long as there are "leaders". Marx described communism as the economic system that would exist when people no longer had a problem of scarcity, at which point the state could "wither away". That should be the goal.