Do people really understand what Communism is really about?

Question

All opinions accpeted. I just want to know what you think about it and how many know the idea of Communism.

Answer 1

Marx did not foresee his ideal society revolutionizing itself into the totalitarian regime for which it is now known. He did not take into account that calling for a massive bloody revolution would lead to so many problems. This is where human nature takes its course. It is simply human nature that causes certain individuals to rise to power, even in situations where one is not anticipated.

Human nature and competition sink in, as the smarter become the all-knowing leaders. This is not so much to say that competition is a negative aspect of the economy; on the contrary, it has been very much an overall positive influence. Communism also does not take into account that human nature has a tendency to create competition. People strive to do their best, for when they do they are most often rewarded.

Communism does no such thing, and provides for one of the main flaws that attributes to its failure.

In Marx's ideal communist world, the entire populace is equal, and shares everything. There is no competition, and no one is rewarded more or less based on his or her individual achievement. Yet with this newfound sense of a worldwide sharing, there, in theory, is no poverty or hunger. Marx advocated free public education and tax rights for the common people, and believed communism should occur in more economically advanced countries. He discusses in his manifesto how the proletarian factory worker is exploited by his bourgeoisie, and then later by "the lower strata of the middle class-the small trades people, shopkeepers, and retired tradesmen" as they go about their daily lives.

Marx encourages all levels of the middle and lower classes to bring to a halt these relentless attacks on each other-the very same people with whom they should be fighting the bourgeoisie. This situation draws parallels to the Los Angeles Riots of the early 1990's. The destruction and violence ruined neighborhoods, while not even addressing the real problems at hand. Accordingly, as Marx proclaims, the proletarians must stop their constant attacks on one another, and concentrate on the bourgeoisie. With this must come a massive uprising, calling for "working men of all countries, [to] unite!"

Answer 2

Most people know enough of history to realize that Communism is a one-way ticket to dictatorship. But, beyond the fact that it does not allow a free market, private property, etc. most are quite frankly largely ignorant of what communism actually is--so much so that they frequently confuse it with socialism. Though that latter mistake is at least as much do to the propaganda of the right-wing as anything else.

But very few people have ever read even a good summary of what Marx wrote--or have read acutal histories of how the various communist states were established.

And that lack of knowledge has cost our country dearly. A wider and more fact-based understanding of communism would have helped prevent some of the drastic foreign policy mistakes of the Cold War--including the whole Vietnam mess. We overreacted time and time again to perceived threats that simply wern't based in fact. Had our political leaders understood better what they were facing, they would have also understood the inherant weaknesses of communism, rather than seeing it as some sort of "monolithic" force capable of overrunning the world.

Answer 3

From my own knowledge, Communism is a form of government tries to create a society in which people are all equal on everything ( They're all...poor equally). After 5 mins of searching the web, i found some other addition info.

Basic concepts: Marxist philosophy, Class Struggle, Proletarian Internationalism, Communist Party.

Ideologies: Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, Trotskyism, Junche, Left, Council, Religious, Anarchist.

Notable Communists: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong.

Answer 4

Communism is a great theory on paper.

However in practice it does not work, and never has. There is nobody left to watch the government, which soon becomes a dictatorship.

In a communist society there is no freedom of speech, freedom of choice, or freedom to decide your own future.

Answer 5

Yes it's about murder and oppression. It seems like a good idea until it's implemented and then the people realize that it's the ruling elites vs the peasant masses.

Answer 6

I think the Communist Manifesto should be required reading in high school. That way most people would know more about the Communist way of life, and appreciate our Republican way of life more.

Answer 7

People who lived under communist regime knows now clearly what's about since they are prey of the capitalism offered for them in exchange

Answer 8

Yes i do and no way would i live under it. Check out its history and what it has done and still doing in the communist countries.

Answer 9

No they don't. A lot of liberals in America believe that the only reason it hasn't worked is that it hasn't been tried in the US. They are sure we could make it work, no matter how many Americans it would kill.

Answer 10

it must be ok, our country borrows billions from china and sends millions of our good paying jobs over there to slave and child labor, so it must be a good thing right?