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Communism in theory vs in practice (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's pretty clear that you haven't read Marx, and think Communism means "immediately implement a far-future, highly developed society devoid of any remaining class antagonisms" through fiat, by pushing a button, but this would make Marx howl with laughter.

A Socialist system is one where public ownership of property is primary in society, and in all of those societies this is true. Having money, wages, even classes is indeed contradictory to late-stage Communism, but they never claimed to be. Socialism is the long, drawn-out process of erasing those contradictions, which cannot be waved away but must be erased through building up the productive forces and erasing their foundations, and the method of doing as such is to hold all large industry in the control of the public, and increase this control over areas that develop into large industry.

I recommend checking out my Marxist-Leninist reading list, at least the first couple of sections, before trying to take an authoritative stance on Marxism.

[+] [email protected] -8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I have read Marx, thank you very much and you even said I was right about what communism means so maybe you should take a look at your own reading list.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

No, your belief that Socialism must be devoid of any contradictions is anti-Marxist and goes against Dialectical and Historical Materialism. By that definition, "Real Capitalism" hasn't existed anywhere either, as all Capitalist systems have had single proprietorships, public ownership, and more that contradict the Capitalist system.

Explain this quote from Marx himself, in Critique of the Gotha Programme:

But these defects are inevitable in the first phase of communist society as it is when it has just emerged after prolonged birth pangs from capitalist society. Right can never be higher than the economic structure of society and its cultural development conditioned thereby.

In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labour, and with it also the antithesis between mental and physical labour, has vanished; after labour has become not only a means of life but itself life's prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-round development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly -- only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!

Wait, I thought Socialism couldn't have contradictions, according to you? Why is Marx saying even Communism would have contradictions? Why is Marx talking about society as it develops, and not as magically appearing with the touch of a button?

I'm being sarcastic, of course. If you want to learn more about Marxism I can help you along, but without accepting that Socialism is a lengthy process of working out contradictions, and that therefore it is categorized by Public Ownership being primary, you'll end up walking yourself into endless traps.