Define Communism

[Imperialmajesty]

I personally feel that the Wikipedia definition is the best.

"Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism

What do you guys think? Agree or Disagree, and if the latter, what is a better definition?

 

[Ulyaoth]

That's marxism. There's other communisms.

 

[mechaerik]

Marxism is the original, and best form of Communism. Most other forms can be described as cheap attempts and imitations.

 

[kulade]

This Thread:

 

[TopDog]

Communism is red. What colours are democracy and facism?

 

[mechaerik]

Democracy is blue. Fascism is black. At least that's what Hearts of Iron told me.

 

[Gustave5436]

That's marxism. There's other communisms.

Marxism is the dictatorship of the proletariat. Egalitarian, democratic society, wherein the means of production are under communal control and are freely accessible to all, is libertarian socialism.

Communism is red. What colours are democracy and facism?

"Representative democracy" is red/white/blue, fascism is all black.

 

[mechaerik]

Wrong. Leninism is the dictatorship of the proletariat.

 

[Gustave5436]

Wrong. Leninism is the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Marx invented the idea, Marx's libertarian contemporaries (Bakunin) fought him over it. Hence the split in the IWA, between the authoritarians under Marx and the libertarians most notably represented by Bakunin.

 

[plarq]

Marx as authoritarian and Bakunin as libertarian?

Hardly. It's the usual split among radicals, in this case, radical socialists. A split about trivial matters comparing to the mass oppression of all socialists. (The enemy is out killing us and you argue about that an apple is not an orange!)

Stalin and Trotsky split is more like a power struggle rather than an ideological rivalry.

 

[Angst]

Marx invented the idea

But did still render it temporary; Lenin did not.

 

[PiMan]

I use the definition "anarcho-socialism"

 

[ComradeDavo]

There are various forms of communism.

The important difference is whether it is a)democratic or b)not-democratic.

Russia, Cuba, China, Vietnam, North Korea.....none of these have been democratic.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

 

[Munch]

The important difference is whether it is a)democratic or b)not-democratic.

All power to the soviets vs "All power to the soviets".

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I see words being used here with the wrong definition attached to them.

 

[RedRalph]

I see words being used here with the wrong definition attached to them.

Try the 'CFC turned me into....' thread for some more of that

 

[Huayna Capac357]

There ya go.

 

[Dachs]

That looks like a dandy outline of Marxism. What about everything else?

 

[Smellincoffee]

Any government policy that makes capitalists nervous.

At least, that's our working definition here in the good ol' US of A.