what's the difference between communism and democracy?

Question

can you give me a list of the differences between communism and democracy.

Answer 1

Communism- Few elite very rich at the top, redistributes the wealth to the people. No incentive to work hard because the reward is the same as those who don't work hard. Goverment controls everything.

Democracy- Upper, middle and lower class. Those that work hard are rewarded the most. Freedom to make your own choices in life.

Answer 2

Communism is the highest stage of socialism. At which stage the state begins to wither away and there is a truly classless society. Democracy can exist within a socialist society. It did during the Paris commune and the first several years of the USSR until Stalin screwed things up.

But heres the difference: socialism (true socialism, based upon workers councils) entails a workers democracy. A democracy of the workers. The US government is considered a bourgeois democracy, where the rich upper social class is in control. Not the workers.

Again someone will of course attempt to refute my statement by saying communism doesn't work, it can't, its proved it can't work etc etc. As someone before me has stated communism has never been reached in any country. Even in those declaring that the are/were communist. Socialism has been achieved to an extent.

Unfortunately people associate communism with Stalinist totalitarianism. They automatically assume that because the USSR turned out that way and China, N Korea etc blueprinted their systems upon Stalinism (which is completely alien to Marxism) that every single attempt at building a socialist society will turn out that way. Such reasoning is ignorance. They view things from an incorrect historical abstraction. They fail to understand the reasons why these attempts in these countries turned out as they did: backwards economy and culture etc.

If one really wants to understand socialism, read books by Marx, Trotsky, and Rosa Luxemburg among others to see what they really said themselves before you write off socialism once and for all.

Just remember: communism isn't synonymous with tyranny just as capitalism isn't synonymous with democracy.

Answer 3

Communism is a political theory that advocates the elimination of private property; a system wherein goods are owned in common and are available to all as necessary; part of the Marxism-Leninism doctrines which support a totalitarian form of government wherein the state controls everything, from what job you do to where you live.
Democracy is a system of government wherein the people rule, and all power is vested in the people.
The United States of America is a democratic Republic, a system wherein government is ruled by those representatives elected by the people. It's time for the U.S.A. to become a true democracy, because it's obvious our elected representatives are doing a very poor job of running the country. -RKO- 06/24/07

Answer 4

First you have to qualify that there has never been a working communist nation. There are communist ideals...but they are impossible to apply on a national level.

The idea of a democracy is that all persons have the right to participate in the process. You participate by voting, or running for an office yourself, or helping a person to run for office. In a democratic system representatives create the laws etc.

The idea of the communist countries is the same to that level. However, all property, industry and resources supposedly are owned by all the people. However, in practice...it creates apathy and waste as everyone is going to 'earn' the same so why should anyone want to work hard.

It is a complex question...and this is a sound bite forum. I suggest you read some full books and articles instead of relying on this format.

Best.

Answer 5

In an unbiased sense

Democracy is one in which the people rule, and they choose the direction of the country right or wrong, and if someone isn't represented well or doesn't participate it's their problem

Communism is one in which all people are on the same level, and they are all treated as vital workers to a better nation and society striving for political, social, and economic justice.

Answer 6

Since communism is an economic system while democracy is a political one that would be a good place to start.

Answer 7

Communism has never worked completely due to the basic corruptibility and greed of most humans and the godlessness of that society. The credo of communism is "to each according to their need and from each according to their ability" It is noble but the tenets of an anti-religious society are abhorrent to most humans because we need something in which to believe to be complete and satisfied.
Democracy allows and purports to support that all men are created equal with equal chances for success in a 'free' society no matter where they start in the society or who they are. The unfortunate fact is that wealth tends to accumulate to the most talented or lucky at first but is then concentrated and passed on to heirs which give them massive head starts over other members of the society and perverts the basic tenets of Democracy. People divide into de facto economically enslaved social groups with little practical freedom. In the end the credo of democracy ( and the free market principal) become so cynical that it can be rewritten "to each according to their greed and apathy toward others and from each according to where they start on the socio-economic ladder and how easy it is to subdue their pursuit of happiness".
Democracy to me even with its shortcomings is better than communism.

Answer 8

Communism encourages people to produce and share for everyone's benefit in a society, Democracy encourages the rich people to plunder and screw everyone while convincing their poor white trash victims they are benefiting by the presence of greedy rich sum.

Answer 9

Democracy = government for the people, by the people

Communism = government for the despot, by the despot, and the people are the peons who carry out the despot's wishes.

Answer 10

Man people debated that question in pages and pages....it is a PhD subject and u want a quick answer?:)