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Communism




Communism is a theory and system of social and political organization that
dominated much of the history of the 20th century. In theory, communism is a
classless society in which all property is owned by the community as a whole
and where all people enjoy equal social and economic status. As a political
movement, communism sought to overthrow capitalism through a workersÕ
revolution and redistribute the wealth in the hands of the proletariat, or
working class.

Marxists believe that just as society has evolved from feudalism to
capitalism, it will evolve into socialism and eventually communism.

Early Communism

Communist ideas have existed since ancient times. Primitive humans, living
in tribes, worked for the benefit of their entire clan and shared the fruits
of their labor.

Many western intellectuals have advocated Communist ideas. In his
4th-century BC work The Republic, the Greek philosopher Plato proposed the
communal ownership of property by an intellectual ruling class, to put the
welfare of the state above personal desire and moderate the greed of the
producing classes.

In 1534 John of Leyden turned the city of Munster into a commune called "New
Jerusalem" in expectation of the Second Coming and introduced polygamy
(going partway towards Plato's ideal) before the city was taken by a
Catholic army, leading to a massacre. Thomas More's Utopia was organized
along communist lines.

The idea floated around during the Enlightenment, exerting varying amounts
of influence on the philosophes. The greatest amount was on Rousseau, who
was to have the greatest influence on the French Revolution.

Many 19th Century idealists, disgusted by the ongoing oppression and
decadence created by the Industrial Revolution, broke away from society to
form communal utopias-although most were short-lived. An example was Robert
Owen's New Harmony community in Indiana.

The Ideas of Marx and Engels

The ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, epitomized by their Communist
Manifesto, transformed communism into a revolutionary movement. Marx and
Engels claimed Communism did not have to occur in isolated communities, but
globally. According to the Manifesto all history can be explained in terms
of class struggles. In each society, a minority of people owned or
controlled the means of production, constituting the ruling class. The vast
majority of people owned and controlled very little.

At the current stage of capitalism the dominant bourgeoisie (or capitalists
who controlled the means of production) exploited and oppressed the
proletariat (or industrial workers) by paying low wages while keeping the
profits to themselves. In other words, workers were compelled to labor not
merely to meet their own needs but also those of the exploiting ruling
class. Marx thought it was only a matter of time before the working classes
of the world, realizing their common goals, would unite to overthrow the
capitalists and redistribute the wealth. The establishment of communism
would be the inevitable outcome of a historical process.

According to Marx, capitalism would evolve into socialism then eventually to
communism. Marx specified a transitional period in which the workers would
form a socialist society. A temporary dictatorship of the proletariat, would
be needed to seize property from the bourgeoisie minority.

Communist Countries and Governments

Communism is sometimes also used to mean, particularly in capitalist
nations, a totalitarian regime run by the Communist Party where central
planning is employed as a means of production and distribution. Because
totalitarian regimes of this nature have often committed human rights abuses
of varying degrees, some regard this idea of Communism as a dangerous
ideology, similar to fascism or nazism.

Marxists dispute this usage, reserving the term communism only for the final
evolutionary stage of society (see socialism). In Marxism, communism refers
to the ideal stateless, propertyless, and classless society with no
oppression or exploitation and general abundance and freedom. Society runs
in accord with the principle: To each according to their needs, from each
according to their ability. A common exemplification of the concept is "if a
successful architect is single, he only needs one bread a day, and if a
member of the proletariat has seven children with his wife, they need nine
breads a day; neither have to pay for the bread at the baker's, and they
both ask for exactly as much bread as they need -- the same applies for any
other property, such as the apartment or the car".

Many nations in the 20th century were run by such Communist Parties, who
identified themselves as true communists implementing socialism, and
attempted to govern themselves according to their interpretation of Marxist
principles. The following is a list of countries that have had
self-proclaimed socialist republics:

   * Afghanistan
   * Cambodia
   * People's Republic of China
   * Cuba
   * Ethiopia
   * North Korea
   * Laos
   * Soviet Union and its Soviet Republics
   * Vietnam

Quite a few other countries not listed above have been more or less
constrained to become socialist republics due to international
circumstances, while some of the countries listed above probably wouldn't
have been so eager to become socialist, should the international
circumstances been different.

For a general discussion of the practical consequences of communist rule,
see communist government. For an exposition of the formal and semi-formal
mechanisms of government and constitutional workings in communist countries,
see communist state.

Note: According to the 1996 third edition Fowler's Modern English Usage,
communism is always written with a small "c". Big "C" Communism (and its
related forms) refers to a political party with that name, a member of that
party, or a government led by such a party.

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