2007-03-24 12:37:49 · 15 answers · asked by vagabond79 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
Communism deserves a much worse reputation that it gets.
Here's the plain truth about Communism: it is a system that pervert's man's true nature, which is self-interest. While self-interest sounds bad on the surface, it is the primary motivator for the advancement of civilization throughout the ages. If people didn't want a better life for themselves and their families, they wouldn't work nearly as hard, they wouldn't take big risks, and they wouldn't use their innate intelligence to try and find some way to be prosperous.
The irony is, selfishness ends up benefitting all of society. Do you think that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb out of compassion? Do you think Bill Gates worked so hard on Microsoft because he wanted people to be more knowledgeable?
Communism can only survive on lies and intimidation. Once people in Eastern Europe saw the truth about the West, they could no longer endure living like third class citizens while people just across the border relatively lived like kings.
Why do you think one of the first thing a Communist government does is take absolute control of the press? It's not because they want people to be informed.
Communism said it was going to create a new, selfless man. Instead, they created a nightmare. People under Communism are afraid to even speak with their neighbors, because a neighbor might betray your trust, and one slip of the tongue about not liking the government, and you are in serious, serious trouble.
Communism needs a lot of people to stay mediocre, so in school teachers will discourage bright students by always criticising their performance. It's an unstated rule that uncommon intelligence is seen as a potential threat. Therefore, if you show a tendency towards brilliance, you will be harshly treated and discouraged at every turn. Communism needs slaves, not cowboys.
2007-03-24 12:56:59 · answer #1 · answered by pachl@sbcglobal.net 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It has a bad reputation, because it didn't work in most places and we have seen the catostrophic affects. USSR, China, and North Korea, but when Karl Marx wrote his essays on this subject, I think he envisioned something different. In Sweden, the country works together for the good of the nation. They are considered Socialist but they have many of the same qualities we attribute to communism. They sure figured it out and they have one of the highest national averages of standard of living in the whole world.
A true modern day example of communism on a micro scale would be families. We work together to help our family in a communal effort. That is what communism is.
2007-03-24 19:44:49 · answer #2 · answered by Eisbär 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes...and no!
The communist weren't much different than we are! All the wealth made it to the top and the rest are poor!
One-half (1/2) of this country makes between $5,000 and $30,000 a year and 9,777 people control almost all of the wealth in the US!
Though I believe in free enterprise, that is not what is practiced in this country! And I don't believe in Communism either! I hate dictatorships!
2007-03-24 19:48:08 · answer #3 · answered by cantcu 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it does. It is a great theory but it cannot ever work properly in practice because its philosophy goes completely against human nature. It can only be enforced by dictatorship, which in itself goes against the theory of communism.
Edit: What does tweetylvr07 mean, "This is America"? Believe it or not, not everyone on this site is from America. How do you know the questioner is American? What has communism got to do with America (except for the national anti-communist hysteria that gripped America in the 50s)? Please don't be so arrogant.
2007-03-24 19:43:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
In theory, No.
In reality, Yes.
The problem with communism, in reality, is it presupposes the existence of a benevolent, gracious, brilliant, super-elite, who will control the means of production.
In reality, we got Stalin, and "The Party". They were 3% who controlled the means of production for their own benefit, while the other 97% suffered horribly, or died of starvation, or were murdered.
2007-03-24 19:51:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, kind of. It certainly is a flawed economic system, in that it gives people an incentive to not work (this incentive increases along with the size of the civilization in question). However it is also certainly not the evil ideology from Satan that it was portrayed as during the Cold War.
2007-03-24 19:42:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. The people responsible for implementing it do.
Everything looks great on paper - Chrisitanity, Capitalism to name a few. Getting it to work properly in the hands of mankind, though, is more of a struggle than it's worth
2007-03-24 19:42:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes. It causes conflict competition but allows its gov. to weild unwrittin authority. Gov. by proclaimation.
2007-03-24 20:00:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Communism is gross, repugnant, repulsive. It allows the government absolute control- totally evil.
Power currupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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2007-03-24 19:45:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You would probably need to ask the 100,000,000 that have died as a result of communism to get a really true answer.
You have to be kidding, right?
2007-03-24 19:47:42 · answer #10 · answered by rmagedon 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋