The Communism - Research Paper Example

Communism What is the definition of communism? Communism is considered to be a further step ahead from Marxism. It is considered to be a society which is classless. The wealth is redistributed so that the control of the wealth does not lie only in the hands of the rich people. The privately owned businesses are converted into state property which then functions for the benefit of all the people of the state rather than a group of people. As the name implies, it is a form of economic governance for the entire community. Communism upholds the fact that the basic needs of the society should be provided to all irrespective of any class difference. It also promotes the fact that every worker should be rewarded for all his work and also holds a share in the profits. Communism is broadly defined as a movement which aims to fulfill all these aims. It tries to end wage labor and private property in terms of economics. Hence it is considered by many to be a form of governance which provides equality to all the people. The word communism is derived from the community which means that this type of governance takes the whole community when taking decisions. The rich do not get richer in a communist society and the poor do not get poorer. Moreover the state decides as to how the resources have to be allocated in the society. This creates a state of equality in the society because of which people do not have to fight for supreme power. Karl Marx defined communism in the following words “Communism is for us not a state of affairs that is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement that abolishes the present state of things [emphasis in original]” (Holmes 2009). The workers in a communist government are not trapped to a single job as they have the freedom to change jobs whenever they want to. According to Karl Marx “Society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming a hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic” (Fandel 2008). 2. Who were the leaders of communism? Over the years it is seen that many leaders have come who believed in the stability that communism could provide to the whole society. Vladmir Lenin of Russia provides a suitable example of a leader who believed in the roots of communism. He broadened the views of the general society regarding the difference between socialism and communism. He stabilized the roots of communism in Russia where people previously were unaware of the concepts. Lenin gave the concept of imperialism which considered collectivization and industrialization to be the main factors which would introduce communism in the whole society. He also argued that the properties owned by people should be taken over by the government so that equality can be promoted in the society. Mao Zedong of China followed in the footsteps of Vladmir Lenin and started a Chinese revolution on the basis of communism. He created the Communist Party of China and made land reforms which would take over land from the land lords. Thus he also followed the steps of Lenin to grow China into a communist state. Joseph Stalin was another leader who followed in the steps of Lenin and created the communist policies in Soviet Union known as Stalinism. After Lenin, Stalin was the one who took forward the legacy of Lenin and created the communist policies of Soviet Union. (Holmes 2009) 3. What are some problems with Communism? The major issue with communism is that it interferes in individual’s life at a very high level. The level of interference is so high that the liberty of an individual is highly violated. There are intensive restrictions on a person’s ability to give his/her opinion; an individual loses his freedom of speech within a communist economy. Besides this freedom of speech, an individual has to face severe restrictions and interferences with respect to his/her religious affairs and he/she would also face many troubles moving around. The commuting of each and every individual is highly monitored with the aim of strengthening control and power over the people living within that particular country, individuals would also find it difficult to shift themselves into other countries with hurdles such as high fees and extensive paperwork required for such movements (Fandel 2008). The other matters that are highly criticized within a communist economy are the facts that these economies face several issues such as shortage of goods such as products of basic necessities, other class/creed issues, etc. All these problems and issues lead to an increase in the economic problems of the communist country. The economic problems of the country can be increased because of the short comings related to communism. In communism the governments try to create a classless society regardless of the special talents that people are provided with. It is because of this reason that a communist government faces problems when appointing officers to specific positions. Moreover if these positions are not held by people who have the right talent then the government can fail and this can create problems for the whole country. Moreover the wages that workers have to be paid depend on the government itself and this creates a problem again. The people are only paid at a subsistence level and hence they can only fulfill their needs such as food and shelter. When the question of personal interest comes the governments cannot fulfill these interests of people. It is because of this very reason that the capitalist governments present the view that the communists cannot progress further. Their economy may be stalled at sometimes because of the simple life style that people have in these countries. Thus it can be said that a communist government poses some economic problems which can affect the whole country (Fandel 2008; Holmes 2009). References Top of Form Fandel, Jennifer. Communism. Mankato, Minn: Creative Education, 2008. Print. Top of Form Holmes, Leslie. Communism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Top of Form Laski, Harold J. Communism. New York: H. Holt and Co, 1927. Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More