“Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.” – Frank Zappa
Too true. This, along with several other factors prove Communism’s incompetence. Old Karl probably didn’t think of this. On paper, Communism is brilliant, a worthwhile plan to solve the world. But in reality, it is, quite unfortunately quite different. Below I have listed some of the reasons for which communism has been a faraway, and an altogether impossible dream:
- Everyone must be altruistic: For communism to really work, the people and the government must be purely altruistic, because theoretically, in Communism, everyone is the same, yet for some reason, the government is always rich, and the people are always poor. For all the people to be truly altruistic is impossible, for most people are self-serving. After all, we are humans.
- Everyone is perfectly equal: This is one factor in which the government excels in: everyone is equal, poor, (excluding the government officials). The people have the same things, they talk the same language, and they all work. There is no space to be different. The people might all be the same, but what about the government? Strangely, the government officials tend to be corrupt, arrogant aristocrats, who go around smoking Havana Pures, and to busy eating Fois Gras to be preoccupied about the people living in deplorable conditions naught but a mile away.
- No incentives: As a citizen in a communist country, you are expected to work. You might have been working as a farmer for the last 40 years, yet nothing has changed. You don’t want to be a farmer, and you don’t even own the farm. You are demoralized by the fact that you are treated the same as the lazy next-door farmer, who barely works a drop, by the government. In communism, there aren’t any incentives, such as raises or promotions to make an effort in doing something. The government does have a method to make you work, though. Funnily enough, it’s coercion. This method might work, but it surely knocks the will to do a good job out of you. You barely do what is required of you. What’s the point of doing more if you know that you will still receive the same rations, and that you will still be doing the same job until death pays a visit? As Xenophon once said: “Willing obedience always beats forced obedience.”
- Economic miscalculations: In communism, the government is in control of the country’s economy, and must therefore take care of all the people’s needs. Not only is such a nationalized system very inefficient, it is also faulty. It is almost impossible for a government to take care of all the needs of the people (think of all the things: toothpaste, vegetables, shoes, shirts, meat, diary products, medicines, etc.) as well as the needs of their industry. They must prioritize their production, and usually have an excess of certain products, and an extreme deficit of other products. Capitalism isn’t prone to this because of the Supply and Demand system (if a product isn’t on the market, a company starts off, realizing that there is money to be made, and if there is an excess of products, price goes down). The USSR, for example, during the space race, prioritized its resources on building rockets, and because of it, the Russian people went hungry.
- Culture is forbidden: In communist Russia, as well as China, among other communist nations, the past culture and history must be edited and deleted to show only pro-Communist information. This obliteration of literature, history, and of religion (in the USSR, religion was forbidden, as the communist believed that religion was to be replaced with human goodness, communism) may cause a momentary “red movement” but reduces patriotism. After all, a country without history doesn’t have a future. The past is what teaches the people about the future, as well as inspires some, and deters others.
Had communism worked, it would have been the utopia that all humans have searched for since the beginning of times. Shamefully, it has worked out to be an utter waste of time. It’s just another man-made idea. After all, we are humans, and the way of humans is to err.
Tags: altruistic, capitalism, communism, cons of communism, government, pros and cons of communism, USSR collapse, USSR cons, utopia, why communism doesn't work
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January 25th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
All I can say is excellent article. Keep up the good work!
American society has grown spoiled and soft. Embracing ignorance over education. They need to realize what is written here is the flat out truth.
Socialist in America have been trying hard to sanitize marxist ideology for the people to vote that in power. Sadly, its all rhetoric and once voted in power its almost impossible to get out of power.
I have been disabled from a work injury, and have had many people wonder why I am still against socialized medicine. Pointing out some of the hardships I had to endure blaming the past Republican presidency. My reply is that although our system may not be perfect, it’s still better then what other countries with socialized medicine have by far.
Famous words from The Who in Won’t Get Fooled Again… “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” ring so true. The majority of people are to blame for their short comings. Being on disability life hasn’t been a joy ride, but this doesn’t constitute me to embrace the ugly system of communism, or even socialism which is just a pinker form of communism.
People who fight for a marxist/maoist/gramcian system usually get what they want, only to find out they screwed themselves with no way out.
This happened in South Africa with communism gaining foot in their politics. Since apartheid was lifted, we found out that it had nothing to do with segregation of races, but segregation of communist who were radicals.
In a short time, their education systems took a dive bomb nose dive as to push for highly liberal agenda curricula, workers constantly on strike to the point most places go with out utilities for a few hours each day, and their kugerrand is now pretty much worthless. However, communism is now in and life is nothing but one huge party that the uneducated, nonworking society every day.
I know this from a good friend who was black living in ZA all her life who embraced apartheid and set me straight on what it was really all about. Well, soon as good ole boy nelson mandela was free and elected, a huge hammer and sickle was right behind him as he spoke after winning their election.
I fear this will be how the uneducated masses in America will push upon us, just like mouthy spoiled disillusioned children wanting to be heard at the sake of destroying others.
The scary thing is to me; we helped bail out the soviet union to get rid of communism for all who wished to end it. China is pretty much only communist in name for the most part as I have a cousin living there since the student rebellion running a chain of food marts ‘pretty capitalist and we helped them’… but if America turns communist, who will help us get rid of it? To many foreign countries secretly drool to see the United States fall out of envy, so I can see them easily turning their cheek on us.
Personally I am all for bringing back H.U.A.C… As Aristotle said: the only man to fear the law is a crooked man. And the only ones I seen in history books wanting to end H.U.A.C. were the already questionably socialist/communist in Hollywood and such, trying to tell others to fear their demon and fight for them as cannon fodder.
It’s as simple as this: If your not communist or socialist, then if ever brought to be questioned, then you have nothing to fear. It would help end the seeping scourge that is slowly intoxication our disillusioned youth.
June 7th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Interesting article, and a lot of people would say the same. But, there is a but. Communism as it is subscribed by Marx or even Lenin is a bit outdated, and it didn’t really had a decent test run. A lot of communist governments used this form of socialism to blind the people, as it was fascist communism. It can only work when people are motivated, as in any other form of government, even kapitalism(and this is where communism has a plus point, i’m sure i don’t have to explain this), and when it can work along with other communist countries, it can’t be turned selfsufficient over night. And this is where communism has a plus point, i’m sure i don’t have to explain this. And it would take an entirely different organized system, which would take some time balancing out, because it would be pretty complex indeed. And to counter what was said about huac, the way communist were and are treated in the U.S. was a lot like the way the fascist communist governments treated the people that didn’t go along. Another point is that in kapitalism the kapitalists have the power, and won’t just give it all away, as it is for well…, ever.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Great article! That’s just what I meant. Communism is shame for the planet Earth and human civilization