This forum is for the communists here. OK, go ahead... convince me. Why is COMMUNISM the better alternative to what I think is the best system now, CAPITALISM? Give me your reasons for why Communism is superior, and how it would work in practical terms. I'm listening.
Because i have no real knowledge of economics or human motives and a lot of misplaced trust in the state... Seriously though, when you here the words 'the people' it means 'the government.'
Under capitalism the owners gets most of the wealth, as they own the means of production, and the owners intrest is aways counter to the intrests of labour, from slaves to sweetshops, owners wants pay the creators of wealth (the workers) as little as possible. Communism states the bosses needs the workers, the workers don't need the bosses! The idea is that the workers overthrow their bosses and distribute the output of wealth amoung themselfs.
Because we need democracy. Captialism is economic facism, we need to live in a society of equals. It's better for the human race as a whole.
Capitalism and Facism are about as opposite as you can get. Under a facist state the government pretty much controls the economy, ditto communism. How is giving people the freedom to do business facism, sure people are 'exploited' but that is going to happen under any system anyone can dream up, including communism.
How is it unfair that the people who sunk their money into a high risk venture not be rewarded when it pays off? And exploited is such a loaded word. According to communism all forms of labor is exploitation, from you hiring a maid to clean up to a man building a factory. And bosses need workers just as much as workers need boses, somebody has to build and own a factory, and everybody else needs a job. Or else our system of currency will fail and we'll enter another dark age. Is my boss exploiting me? sure as hell he is. Am i grateful to have a decent job for ten dollars an hour, damn straight!
They don't create wealth, they usurp wealth by limmiting access to the means of production. Argentina showed that workers were able to run factories far better then the bosses, as for new factories workers can build new factories.
If the people want socialism like they do in venezuela, bolivia, cuba and mexico yankee imperialism shouldn't be aloud to stop it.
I don't know what you mean by "communism". Do you mean the communism that communists fight for, or the socialism in Cuba? Before we can even tell you the advantages, we have to know which system you are talking about. Here's an idea why we have to find an alternative to capitalism: Because 32 000 people die each day and hundreds of millions more in capitalist nations because of starvation, lack of water, preventable diseases, lack of nutrition. The list goes on and on. Because half the world's people live on less than $2 a day. Because three families – Bill Gates, the Sultan of Brunei and the Walton family – have a combined wealth of some $135 billion. Their value equal the annual income of 600 million people living in the world’s poorest countries. An equally good question would be: "Why capitalism" How can you bare to live in a world where racism, sexism and homophobia blight the lives of ordinary people, where the mind numbing drudgery of most jobs crushes your soul, where poverty is a real problem for the great majority of people on this planet when some people live in disgusintg luxury? How is capitalism sustainable when all the decisions are made by the rich, and they usually conflict massivly with the needs of the poor? How can you justify a system where a child starves to death every 3 seconds? How can you justify a system where 650 people own more wealth than the poorest 50% of the planets population? Take a look at these links: http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp http://www.worldrevolution.org/Projects/GlobalIssuesOverview/Development.htm
Looking into the crystal ball lately? I have the impression more and more that all pro-capitalist arguments reduce to this assertion in one form or another. The fact that there's very little scientific knowledge of "human nature" or that such a thing even exists suggests the following reply: There's no such thing as human nature! Prove it exists! The insatiable greed that you rightwings posit at the heart of "human nature" is clearly not common to all humans at all times...and even when present, has taken many different forms, by no means all of them purely materialistic. Once you have all that you can use, "greed", if still present, becomes pathological. In capitalist society, one in which uncertainty about the future is always present, you have to keep trying to accumulate more because of the risk of losing what you have. So it makes "rational sense" to be greedy under capitalism, to always want more. In an egalitarian society (communism) where you would always be secure against sudden destitution, greed for more than you can use would be, literally, crazy. Sort of like the Mormons who keep a year's supply of canned food in their basements...simply wacko.
Communism or socialism has nothing to do with "hate ideology". To bring the issue of "democracy" up. Democracy comes from the greek word, "demokratia" which in turn comes from the words "demos" (originally meaning "people") and krato (meaning, to hold) or kratos (originally meaning, strength, power, authority - in modern greek meaning "State"). Capitalism is anti-democratic. Those who rule in a capitalist nation are the tiny rich minority who have control over every aspect of society. The tiny but powerfull minority has control over everything, and this minority reap the fruits of the labor of millions of people. Today, a tiny minority (say, 1000 people) rule and control the whole world, where over 6 billion people are living. These 6 billion work for that tiny elite, and most people in this group of 6 billion people, are impoverished, and can't even afford the buttons on the shirt they produce for the rich. What do Marxists want? A classless, stateless society where money is abolished and people work according to their ability, and take what they need. We want to end the society where you are either exploiter or the exploited. Class society is a society based on brutality. How is that going to happen? Marxists aim to get rid of the capitalist class ("the rich") from society, and let workes like you and me take over. From there, society will progress towards communism (a social system I haven't talked about yet). Instead of a few having control of billions of dollars, we will spread it equally. There will be no beggars, no illiteracy, no people dying from preventable diseases. Basically, in a capitalist world, a tiny elite will have control over the entire world. Needless to say, that's how the world is today. It isn't just something that peopl e say. It's the truth. You just don't notice it that much because the rich are so few, and you barely notice them. You are surrounded by workers, and one might be led to believe that there are only workers in this world. Imagine a casino. There's tons of wealth there. Plenty of chips to go around. Capitalism is like a big casino. You have a few winners, but the rest of the people in the casino, lose. Some get bankrupt, some have to sell their wifes or kids in order to continue to play, and people are constantly nervous because you might end up in a financial crisis. Nothing is sure, everyone is insecure, and the winners control the table, preventing the others from winning. Get the picture? What happens in the revolution... Is that we take those who control the table and have the chips, and supress those who kept us down. Then we, the majority, take control: If a socialist society was a casino, the chips would be distributed more or less equally, everyone would control the table, and everyone would be a winner. Later, in the a communist society, there will be no need to supress those people, because we (who once were losers) are 1000 times as many as them. So if they want to join us people and get a new chance, and when there is no resistance we will put down our guns (the state). Then, we will work for the common good, and people can take as many chips as they want. That is only possible because there are so many chips. However, we didn't have access to them before, because a few rich bastards took control over the table and made us work for them. But now we do! Viva la revolution Las Vegas! So to sum up: A tiny minority who are winners, and millions of others, big-time losers. Or, a society where people co-operate and where everyone is a winner. What's it gonna be?
Have we not been through this before, or are you playing dumb on purpose? According to Marxist theory you have to go through a transitional stage in order to reach a classless society (ie communism). This transitional stage is known as socialism. Cuba is in many ways a primitive socialist state, but still a socialist state, at least in my opinion. Is the state controlled by the proletariat in Cuba? Yes. Are the workers and the peasants in control of society? Yes. Are production aimed at need, not of profit? Partly. Are the Cuban people class conscious? Controversial. My conclusion: Cuba is at least socialist leaning. Is Cuba communist? Let us see. A communist society will be a society without classes, without state apparatus, and without money, where people will work according to ability, and take according to need. Is Cuba a classless society? Nope. Does the state exist in Cuba? Yep. Does money exist in Cuba? Yes. Does the rule "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" apply in Cuba? No. Is it possible to implement communism in Cuba at this moment? Hardly. Conclusion: Cuba is not communist. There is not a single trait of communism in Cuba, with the exception that the majority is in power. Cuba is not communist. I repeat, Cuba is NOT communist. What is capitalism? Capitalism is simply 'the rule of the bourgois (capitalist class). In short, what is socialism? Socialism is the rule of the proletariat (the working class). If we would apply your logic, we could claim that there are no camels in this world, because scientists claim that the Carribean Monk Seal is extinct.
Capitalism is simply the control of the capitalist class. If it is a totally free market, or not, is not relevant. What matters is that the capitalist class is the ruling class. Profit is the motive production, and it is the way the capitalist class survive. The government is controlled by the same people (the capitalist class). They are not the enemy of the capitalist class. No. They are the capitalist class. The state exist in order to protect the ruling class and keep order in society. "Pure capitalism", can only mean that the capitalist class are in total control. Well, they have pretty much succeeded at that. You might see the philosophical idea, however, you do not recognize, or see the class relation, which is the basis of society. In a socialist society, the proletariat (working class) is the ruling class. They have taken control of society and supressed the capitalist class. Production is aimed at needs of the proletariat, not profit. People are class-conscious That is socialism. A camel is a camel. A rotweiler is a rotweiler. And the Carribean Monk Seal is only that: A Carribean Monk Seal. If the camel is top-trained or sick, does not matter. It is still a camel.
