this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2025
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[–] Mark12870@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It is terrible to see so many comments here celebrating communism. Communists were ruining our country (Czechia) for over 40 years and led it to economical collapse. When we tried to reform the regime in 1968, the Russians invaded to stop it. Communism doesn't really work, and it has already been proven.

Also, I have to say the country worked in a bizzare way. The government robbed everyone of their property, so in return, people were stealing from public supplies.

So please try to study something first about communism in Eastern Europe before you start to celebrare this regime.

[–] ghost_of_faso3@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 week ago

So please try to study something first about communism in Eastern Europe before you start to celebrare this regime.

If anyone has a sincere interests in studying this in detail its other communists, perhaps you should do more study on modern conceptions of communism (China) and the informative post made by Cowbee.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago

While the Soviet Economy did begin to stagnate towards the end of the Soviet Union's lifespan, it did not collapse due to economic failure. The economic collapse happened right after the USSR was dissolved, leading to spikes in poverty, food insecurity, a loss in healthcare, and an estimated 7 million excess deaths. The reasons the USSR collapsed were more nuanced than simply saying the Soviet Model "didn't work," because fundamentally it did, and it worked quite well for most of its existence. Stephen Gowens' essay Do Publicly Owned, Planned Economies Work? goes into detail on what legitimately worked quite well, and where it started to falter and eventually was dissolved from the top-down.

The reasons included the following problems:

  1. Liberal reforms that gave the Bourgeoisie power over key industries (such reforms were actually a major desire of the 1968 Dubcek platform, in even greater quantity, hence why it was shut down by neighboring Warsaw Pact countries)

  2. A firm dedication to planning by hand even as the economy grew more complex and computers too slow to be adapted to the planning mechanisms

  3. A huge portion of resources were spent on maintaining millitary parity with the US in order to dissuade US invasion

  4. 80% of the combat done in World War II was on the Eastern Front, and 20 million Soviets lost their lives, with no real economic support from the West in rebuilding despite taking the largest cost of war

  5. An enclosed, heavily sanctioned economy relied on internal resource gathering, closed off from the world market

Countries like the PRC have taken to heart what happened in the USSR. As an example, the PRC shifted to a more classically Marxist economy, focusing on public ownership of only the large firms and key industries, and relying on markets to develop out of private ownership. This keeps them in touch with the global economy without giving the bourgeoisie control of key industries, and thus the bourgeoisie has no power over the economy or the state.

Moreover, as a consequence of collapse, polling from Pew Researcg suggests 77% of Czechs believe they are worse off economically than under Socialism. This is generally true in various degrees across the other post-Soviet states, had the USSR not been dissolved, it would have likely continued to improve conditions at a faster rate than modern Capitalism, and the misery it has brought.

[–] thedruid@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Because at then end ,power over the people is given to the state. When you give the state the means of production and that state falls under the sway of humans with power, you get corruption and death.

Once a place has enough people, anonymity happens. We stop knowing our neighbors and leaders. We don't see the corruption they can now hide. Communism gives an easier way to leverage that corruption and power more easily

Socialism, more specifically forms of democratic socialism ( and with today's tech it can be one vite one person), is far more scalable and stable

We need a new constitution with more power given to the people and LESS to the state

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Communism gives no more anonymity or room for corruption than Capitalism or Socialism. Further, Communism is Socialism developed to a higher stage. Socialism itself is an economy where public ownership is the principle aspect, ie has control over large firms, key industries, and the state. All Socialism is democratic, so I'm not sure what you're trying to say, I don't see why you say it's more scaleable when Communism is a global and fully publicly owned version of Socialism, ie Socialism developed to its natural higher stages. Even further, the government is made up of the people, assuming proper measures are in place, you can't give more power to private interests and keep it democratic.

[–] thedruid@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm sorry history has proven you wrong. You're glossing over so many issues in this statement, I really don't know where to begin

I sincerely hope you have a great day. I'm not disengaging because of anything you said, I just don't have the energy. Please. Have a great day

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

History has proven me correct, from the data I've looked over and the books I've read. If you specify, then we can go over what I think is relevant to the conversation, rather than me just regurgitating facts and book recommendations. I am oversimplifying, but it was a response to an oversimplification to begin with, specificity helps direct conversations.

Hope you gave a good one too, but for future reference, disengaging right after saying "you're entirely wrong" isn't really disengaging, I still have to respond to what I think is a directed attack. You don't have to respond if you don't want to, but disengaging while doing so is ceding the last word, so to speak.

[–] thedruid@lemmy.world -1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Stop. I don't have patience for bloviation and self aggrandizing I sincerely wished you a good day. I do not care at all what you think of my disengagement. That farewell was your hint that I don't have patience for this fantasy that has been tried , failed and regurgitated.

Please honor my wishes and simply go Have a good day. If you have to get the last word, so be it. I won't be responding

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago

Insulting me then telling me to have a good day is childish behavior. If you don't want to have a conversation, don't try to exit it by trying to suggest whatever I have to say is devoid of value.

Communist parties have successfully built Socialism throughout the world, and this continues to this day. The PRC is now the largest economy on the planet when adjusting for Purchasing Power Parity, and has seen the greatest alleviation of poverty in human history. The USSR may have dissolved, but during its existence it brought a doubling of life expectancy, tripling of literacy rates to 99.9%, dramatically lowered wealth inequality while rapidly growing the economy, provided free healthcare, education, and childcare, and dramatically improved women's rights.

No Socialist state has been a mythical wonderland, all have faced great struggles both internal and external, but we know it works because we can track metrics and gauge trajectories. Facts and history do not align with your assertions.

[–] Edie@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

As cowbee said, you can't disengage and then continue to engage. Either disengage and do not include your arguments against what the other has said, or continue to engage.

[–] Nonbinary_Sahrah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Not quite. Dont get me wrong capitalism sucks and we should get rid of it, but for example colonialism is older than capitalism and part of its cause. So is colonialsim the root cause of evil? not quite again before colonialism there where still a lot of repressive and very hierarchical societies so again to frame capitalism as the root of all evil is ignoring a whole bunch of other repressive systems that are older but are certainly strengthend by it.

So if you want to simplisticly frame something as the root cause of evil then it would be "opressive hierarchies are the root cause of evil". but maybe im biased here since im an anarchist

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Fun fact: the first capitalist ventures were colonial missions (Spanish missions to the Americas). The first publicly traded corporation was the Dutch East Indian company.

Though I'd say the root of all evil is imperialism or the desire of some to spread and maximize their control and wealth.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago

I think it's more trying to say that Capitalism is the root of modern systemic evil. Capitalism grew from feudalism, and feudalism grew from what came before it, each class society grew the next, but today Capitalism is the form that is hegemonic, specifically Imperialism.

Also, I disagree about hierarchy being the issue, I'd say class is. Interclass hierarchy is usually oppressive, but intra-class hierarchy isn't necessarily a bad thing, and is often a necessary component of specialization, management, and administration in increasingly complex production. I'm a Marxist-Leninist though, so that guides my views.

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