Simple explanation of differences between socialism and communism?

Question

Is there a simple way of explaining the differences between the two?

Also, if China is communist, how is there are people there becoming wealthy?

Isnt a communist society a classless society, where everyone is equal?

Answer 1

I'm afraid there is no simple explanation of the difference between socialism and communism.

Communism generally refers to/derives from Karl Marx's vision of a society of common ownership that emerges from industrial class struggle.

Socialism refers to societies that incorporate some degree of common ownership, which may or may not be related to Marx's ideas.

All-in-all however, it really depends on the context. A few examples

1) Marx at first used the terms interchangeably, or he would refer to communism as one kind of socialism because there were competing ideas of socialism at the time. Since his ideas were becoming dominant, and since a group called the Communist League was disbanded in 1848, he started calling himself a Socialist exclusively.

2) The USSR was often called communist because it was inspired by Marx's ideas, but in actuality it was very different from anything Marx had written. For example, Marx said that only an industrial country could experience a communist revolution (he was thinking of the UK), but Russia was an agricultural country. The same thing was true of the Chinese Revolution of 1949.

3) During the Cold War, there was a strong left-wing influence in the nations of the Middle East and South Asia. The parties calling themselves "communist" generally favored an alliance with the USSR while those calling themselves "socialist" had similar ideas but wanted to remain un-allied.


Some people still call China a communist country, but it has been undergoing market reforms since the late 1970s. They now have a stock market, private property, etc. They have also become one of the most unequal countries in the world during that time and the discontent among the rural poor threatens the nation's stability.

Communist societies are in theory classless, but not necessarily equal. Marx's slogan goes "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

Answer 2

Socialism involves state control or ownership of certain key industries. Communism involves state control or ownership of all means of production.
In China the government may be headed up by the Communist Party. But, the entrepreneurs in coastal and southern China couldn't care less. Economic reforms introduced by Deng Hsaio Peng many years ago have turned those areas into centers of capitalism.
In theory a communist society is supposed to be classless. But, in the former Soviet Union there were "Vlasti" (elites) in the party. There were even special shops set up where only the Vlasti could shop, using certificate rubles instead of the standard ruble which others had to use as currency.

Answer 3

Socialism is a broad array of ideologies and political movements with the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation.[1] This control may be either direct, exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils, or indirect, exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by state or community ownership of the means of production.

Communism is an ideology that promotes establishment of a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production.

Answer 4

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/socialism
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/communism

Socialism, in theory, is a stage on the way to communism.

Like every other political and social movement, they might look one way on paper, but be very difficult to fully implement in practice. So, even when countries adopt communism or socialism, there are many aspects of those countries which are not socialist or communist, because becoming fully communist or socialist is a process. Also, systems have a tendency to evolve based on the reality of a situation, so China is finding that allowing some capitalism to creep in, they as a country become more wealthy, stable and powerful.

Answer 5

so·cial·ism
–noun 1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

com·mu·nism
–noun 1. a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
2. (often initial capital letter) a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.
3. (initial capital letter) the principles and practices of the Communist party.

Answer 6

Yes socialism is communism by consent. Communism is socialism at the point of a bayonet.

Answer 7

http://www.marxmail.org/faq/socialism_and_communism.htm

Answer 8

communism is a more radical than communism