this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024
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Communism
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The recurring issue with Communism in practice is that it requires true equality amongst its citizens and there's always some asshole or group of assholes who want power and dominion over others, so it seems to repeatedly fall into a practical dictatorship.
Capitalism at its best requires businesses to find and deploy the most effective and efficient means of product delivery in order to compete with each other, which means that the consumer will always have the best product at the best price allowed by the market. The problem is that greedy assholes either conglomerate competing companies into monopolies, or otherwise collude with one another to maximize their profit margins.
From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs. - Marx in 1875.
Its not about equality, it's about fair distribution of goods and services produced by the society. As in, it is fair that national leaders get to fly planes to travel abroad frequently,for example.
Why does Communism require "true equality amongst its citizens?" What does that even mean, in practical terms? How would a group of people take advantage of this to form a "practical dictatorship?"
Capitalism does not deploy the most efficient means of product delivery, but the most profitable. It means weaker but more profitable products are pushed, and rampant consumerism of useless trinkets is pushed for profit. Collusion and monopoly are not why Capitalism cannot work, those are merely symptoms of a broader exploitative system that naturally decays due to issues like the Tendency for the Rate of Profit to Fall.
What of Marx have you read? Or any leftist theorist? I can make some suggestions for reading material if you wish.
Do you imagine a communist system that has classes of people?
Castro, Zedong, Putin
You're arguing Communism on a philosophical level and capitalism on a practical level.
As I said, I'm not well read and unprepared for the higher level argument you are seeking here.
I appreciate your desire to educate, but I'm too busy being exploited by the current system to dive further into social philosophy. When you guys are ready to rise up I'll be there, but I won't be a part of the debate on which system we should implement going forward.
If you are referring to the Marxian term, ie proletarians, bourgeois, etc. Of course not. Do you instead mean people must be paid equally, and there can be no management? Also of course not, Communism isn't a bunch of horizontal organization and equal pay.
Putin is a Capitalist, so I am unsure of what you mean by including him here.
As for Mao and Castro, Mao lost power within the CPC over time and Castro retained power democratically, neither of which maintain your points. This appears to just be vibes.
What on Earth does that mean? I am advocating for Communism on both practical and philosophical grounds, this is just gibberish.
I am trying to get to a base level of understanding so we can have a conversation. I wouldn't even call it an argument, I am just trying to get you to understand your own preconceptions.
Revolution doesn't happen just because people vibe it into existence, it's a consequence of deteriorating Material Conditions. If you don't have time to read Marx, why do you have time to discuss Marxism online with strangers? This entire convo would have been better spent comprehending the bigger picture of Marxism.