Prakash RP: A Defence of Communism-

Source: Communist Party USA- No thanks to communism! 

Source:The New Democrat

Communism, at least in how its been practiced up until the last thirty-years, or so with the Soviet Union collapsing and the People’s Republic of China moving to a form of state capitalism and the same thing with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Communist Republic of Cuba, has been a government philosophy built around a big centralized state. That the central state, is the country and owns the country and everyone inside of the country are essentially subjects of the central state. With the central state being responsible for the welfare of the people and taking care of the people. While at the same time preserving the communist state. Even if that means locking people up and killing them if they are seen as threats to the communist regime.

Now if this if the definition of communism, then I believe only a Communist, or Marxist could defend that. But lets say I’m wrong about what communism is and I don’t consider myself to be an expert on communism. And that it really is something a lot more positive than that. And a communist state, is not what we’ve seen North Korea collapse into. Keep in mind, the word communist comes from community. It that a country is a community and that members of that community share with each other for the betterment of society as a whole. So no one has to go with out, or has too much. And that the central government, is in charge of making sure that everyone has what they need to live well in that community. That they have enough money, food, housing, health care, education, etc.

But if my second definition of communism is correct and the first one is wrong, then what makes communism better, or different from socialism? If the difference between a Communist and Socialist, that the Socialist tends to be more democratically oriented? That they believe in multi-party systems and elections? A list of both welfare and individual rights and that everyone is entitled to a certain amount of autonomy over their own personal and economic affairs? That the Communist, believes in the welfare of their people and that everyone should be taken care of. But is so in love with themselves and their political system, that they believe they are entitled to absolute power and don’t deserve to have any opposition whatsoever?

If I’m wrong about the differences between a Socialist and I mean Democratic Socialist, or Social Democrat, take U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to use as an example and a Marxist like Fidel Castro, or someone like that and that Communists, do believe in at least a certain level of both personal and economic autonomy, which means freedom at least in America, then why do you need both socialism and communism, if they’re the same thing? And I welcome anyone who actually understands communism to answer them on this piece. My guess is they aren’t the same thing. That their good reasons to be a Socialist, because again Socialists believe in at least a certain level of democracy and freedom. Both personal and economic freedom. As we see with Bernie Sanders and social democracies in Europe.
Web of Stories: Jacek Kuron- The Idealized World of Communism