Why do you view communism/socialism/marxism as a bad idea? Is your opinion an educated one?

Question

Meaning have you actually studied the above ideologies and then made a negative assessment? or are your opinions ignorant?

Answer 1

If anyone here had actually studied communist ideology, they'd realize it has never actually existed. It's come close in a small handful of areas, and those areas are very rarely mentioned. One was immediately following the October Revolution in Russia, particularly in the Ukraine, before the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, when peastant armies and demoractic workers councils (autonomous Soviets) ran their own lives. Once Leninism took over and a state was formed, the rest of the world formally called it communism, when it really became anything but. In much smaller scales, there was the several day uprising of Kwangju, South Korea, the current uprisings in Chiapas and Oaxoaca, Mexico, the workers rebellions in Argentina, or the smaller factions from the Spanish Civil War (such as the Durruti Column), which have all much more closely resembled true communism.

In these cases, it has thrived, only until stamped out by overwhelming external military force (such as when the Red Army butchered Krondstaat and the RIAU, or when the South Korean military and American special forces murdered almost everyone in Kwangju), not because of "human nature".

Frankly, I'm a communist. I'm not a Marxist. Both Marx and Lenin claimed the need of the transitory state, and from the transitory state, you open the door for the tyrant, you lose any semblance of true egalitarianism, and you create tolitaritarianism, not communism. Both capitalism AND the state need to be confronted, simultaneously.

Answer 2

Well, if you mean here on R&S, I hope I do. I know my grammar and spelling are bad (almost wrote is), but it is the message one is trying to convey that is important. True, grammar and spelling help get the point across easier and make it easier to be taken seriously. Spell check does not work all the time and sometimes I try to cut and paste for the reasons above. Yet I can get pressed for time and just write as best I can so the person can recieve a good answer which should not be confused with a scholarly work. My Father, who only has a 6th grade education, can barely write and yet when he does I do not write him back or correct him. He deserves respect and is quite smart on spiritual matters and other areas as well. Plus there are few pieces of equipment he cannot operate. We of the College set could learn from his example. Only a fool passes up knowledge because of grammar and spelling.

Answer 3

The theme of Marxism/socialism is "from each according to what is able: to each according to their need." The idea that each person will practice "share and share alike". There is no person left in need because the government takes care of everything every person needs from cradle to grave.

However, this errors on several levels: (1) It is contrary to human behavior. People just don't share alike. Those in power get more. There is no motivation for working hard only motivation to move into the ruling elite. (2) it requires an extremely powerful central government. The result is totalitarianism. The government becomes huge and repressive. (3) It must stop all dissidents. The government must control the press. It requires everyone to believe the same, act the same, follow instructions... there is no place for those who want to change the government.

In the end it is an economic time bomb ready to implode upon itself. What begins as an attempt to save humanity, ends up destroying it.

Answer 4

Democratic Socialism is great.

#1 country on the United Nation's list of Quality of Life:

Sweden: Democratic Socialist

#2: Denmark: also Dem. Socialist

#4: Canada: currently a conservative leader, but still universal healthcare/eduction

Marxism/Communism, while great in theory, are always ruined by radical leaders that go on murderous rampages and ruin the ideology for all intelligent peopel (with the exception of Marx and Lenin, they were both great men)

Answer 5

Because the ideology is just that.. its an idea.
An Idea for communism that in practice isnt feasible.
Some people work harder than others. Also some people will always seek to get ahead of other people.
Socialism is similar but to a lesser degree in those senses.

Answer 6

I have looked at them, but Communism was never intended to be a form of government, it was supposed to be a form of economy only. Since it was instituted as a type of government, it has only failed, no matter what country you look at. Communism is only a more extreme version of Socialism with violence for Communism and a more peaceful movement for Socialism. Marxism says that Capitalism is evil, it does not work, blah blah blah. says that people are separated into 2 classes of people, bourgeois and proletariat. None of these has actually worked very well in real life. So, I have studied these, and have come to the conclusion thatthese are failed and bad ideas.

Answer 7

the problem with these system is that they need totaliterenism to exist. as we know dictatorships and controling governments lead to a loss of freedom, banning of religion, isolation from the outside world, and social indoctrination.

if we could get totaliterenism taken from the picute these ideas would be much better.

these ideologies also don't benefit those who work harder- because they get the same no matter what they do.
not to mention that some communist states choose your job for you, so you may work to a lesser level due to hating what you do or from being over-educated.

if we were to mix some marxist ideas with our current system things would be better. if we worked on a sense of community (even if it had little to do with politics and econ) and never threw away another citizen we'd be better. and it would be great if we took care of all of our people and give all classes equal control, respect, and representation

Answer 8

INTERESTING QUOTE

Granted that the XIXth century was the century of socialism, liberalism, democracy, this does not mean that the XXth century must also be the century of socialism, liberalism, democracy. Political doctrines pass; nations remain. We are free to believe that this is the century of authority, a century tending to the " right ", a Fascist century.
- Mousolinni, The Doctrines of Fascism
http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm

Answer 9

I would totally support a democratic socialist country as long as all the people are placed as equal and I fear that will never happen. To many people with plenty of money and control and still to many racist. But our country needs to be more socialist than it is now and I fear the young will keep silent and the older are dreaming of S/S and their 401 K. Its a mess.

Answer 10

I did, indeed, find myself studying those ideaologies in college. Oddly enough, though economics classes often included a substanitive overview, mostly in classes that had nothing to do with economics or politics. Literature classes, for instance.

Like any utopian or egalitarian ideal anyone's ever tried to implement, they're nice ideas turned disasterous by human nature.

Capitalism, which is a lot less utopian, and based on human self-interest, has generally worked out a lot better.