Basic Questions about Marxism

[ZeppelinE6]

*****
EDIT:
To clarify confusions and clear up misunderstandings as pointed out by other posters:

2. I meant the removal of "personal property" in its entirety, not "private property."
4. By "government provided" services and goods I am referring to things such as health care, education, food, shelter, water, etc. What I am curious about is whether or not I can "purchase" a fiction novel, ping-pong table, or Nintendo Wii. Are these kinds of luxuries maintained? How does one (for lack of a better word) "earn" them?
7. & 8. By "private life" I mean free time, hobbies, activities, etc. As asserted by posters, it seems the absolute freedom of communism wouldn't allow for banned activities, books, products, etc, for "political" reasons, correct? In regards to privacy, I'm thinking in terms of scanned e-mails, tapped phones, etc.

I know these "explanations" might only lead to more confusing results, but hopefully this edit helps.

*****


Alright comrades, I'm a college student and have been exploring Marxism for nearly a year now. I've read the Manifesto several times, however, being the only Marxist I know, I have had no one with which to discuss or analyze it (or correct my misunderstandings). So, here are some basic questions I have regarding Marxist beliefs and my interpretation of the text. Please correct me if I am mistaken with any concept or understanding below:

1. Does Marxism require atheism?:confused:
My perception was that religion, as long as it doesn't disrupt the established communist system, is acceptable. Marx even says himself, "Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people." Perhaps I am misinterpreting his meaning, but I assume it is not necessary to entirely remove religion. Is it acceptable for a citizen to be open about his religious beliefs (not as preaching), or would he be censored?

2. While Marx advocates abolishing the bourgeoisie private property, does this mean abolishing private property in its entirety?:confused:
My understanding is that the Bourgeois "property" was the means of manufacturing the products the proletariat was exploited to produce. Does Marx mean that if I have a table in my house that another citizen can "unjustly" take it because we "share" property? I am not referring to the government's right to seize property here.

3. Is there still a form of paper currency within a communist nation?:confused:
Marx notes high taxes for citizens. Does this mean there is still money that circulates? If they have money, what do they do with it? This brings me to my next question:

4. Are there certain goods that are not provided by the government that can be purchased with the paper currency?:confused:

5. Is there mandatory military service?:confused:

6. Which civil liberties (if any) are guaranteed? Which are not?:confused:
People often say we are "free" here in the States while those in communist nations are "not free." I know this is in regards to dictatorships, but does this have any relevance to pure Marxism?

7. What areas of private life are controlled? What areas are not?:confused:

8. Is there a right to privacy? Is there a "big brother's always watching" policy?:confused:

9. Can a child grow up and become whatever he or she wants (i.e. doctor, lawyer, etc), or is his or her career chosen for them? Also, are there opportunities for advancement (can a general doctor become a surgeon, or a janitor become a manager, etc)?:confused:

10. In terms of housing and transportation, does everyone get a cookie-cutter house and a cookie-cutter car (if not public transportation)? Does the doctor receive the same luxuries as the janitor? Are there luxuries at all?:confused:
I know that favoring the doctor over the janitor creates a quasi-class system, but I just can't seem to justify in my mind the janitor (cleaning floors) receiving the same as the doctor (saving lives, on call 24/7, far more education, etc).


That's basically all of my questions (at least the most important ones to me). Forgive me if I've missed something important in my reading or if my questions are entirely irrelevant. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Also, I would appreciate anyone pointing me towards other works to read that might address my above questions more thoroughly.

Thanks again comrades!

Cheers,
Sam

[Broletariat]

Alright comrades, I'm a college student and have been exploring Marxism for nearly a year now. I've read the Manifesto several times, however, being the only Marxist I know, I have had no one with which to discuss or analyze it (or correct my misunderstandings). So, here are some basic questions I have regarding Marxist beliefs and my interpretation of the text. Please correct me if I am mistaken with any concept or understanding below:

1. Does Marxism require atheism?:confused:
My perception was that religion, as long as it doesn't disrupt the established communist system, is acceptable. Marx even says himself, "Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people." Perhaps I am misinterpreting his meaning, but I assume it is not necessary to entirely remove religion. Is it acceptable for a citizen to be open about his religious beliefs (not as preaching), or would he be censored?

2. While Marx advocates abolishing the bourgeoisie private property, does this mean abolishing private property in its entirety?:confused:
My understanding is that the Bourgeois "property" was the means of manufacturing the products the proletariat was exploited to produce. Does Marx mean that if I have a table in my house that another citizen can "unjustly" take it because we "share" property? I am not referring to the government's right to seize property here.

3. Is there still a form of paper currency within a communist nation?:confused:
Marx notes high taxes for citizens. Does this mean there is still money that circulates? If they have money, what do they do with it? This brings me to my next question:

4. Are there certain goods that are not provided by the government that can be purchased with the paper currency?:confused:

5. Is there mandatory military service?:confused:

6. Which civil liberties (if any) are guaranteed? Which are not?:confused:
People often say we are "free" here in the States while those in communist nations are "not free." I know this is in regards to dictatorships, but does this have any relevance to pure Marxism?

7. What areas of private life are controlled? What areas are not?:confused:

8. Is there a right to privacy? Is there a "big brother's always watching" policy?:confused:

9. Can a child grow up and become whatever he or she wants (i.e. doctor, lawyer, etc), or is his or her career chosen for them? Also, are there opportunities for advancement (can a general doctor become a surgeon, or a janitor become a manager, etc)?:confused:

10. In terms of housing and transportation, does everyone get a cookie-cutter house and a cookie-cutter car (if not public transportation)? Does the doctor receive the same luxuries as the janitor? Are there luxuries at all?:confused:
I know that favoring the doctor over the janitor creates a quasi-class system, but I just can't seem to justify in my mind the janitor (cleaning floors) receiving the same as the doctor (saving lives, on call 24/7, far more education, etc).


That's basically all of my questions (at least the most important ones to me). Forgive me if I've missed something important in my reading or if my questions are entirely irrelevant. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Also, I would appreciate anyone pointing me towards other works to read that might address my above questions more thoroughly.

Thanks again comrades!

Cheers,
Sam

1. Marxism is a first and foremost rationalist and materialist form of thought, there not being any real proof of God being a Christian Marxist is kind of hard to justify. That's not to say we're going to kill all Christians or something, if somehow religion does persist after Communism is established they'll be free to do as they like so long as it does not oppress anyone else.

2. This is the abolition of Neo-lockesian inception of private property, that is property on a jus ad rem basis. It would be reestablished on a jus in rem basis. In laymen's terms this just means property is redefined based on use and occupancy.

3. Not currency persay, at worst there'd be something like labour notes which after exchanged would be worthless. Think of them like theater tickets. Some trends would argue for the abolition of all forms of paper currency and the like though.

4. There is no government under Communism. Communism is a classless society so dividing society into governed and governors would create classes thus going rightly against what Communism is.

5. Maybe not mandatory, and it really depends on what stage of the revolution we're in. If world-wide Communism is establish then wars will be mostly if not entirely done with. pre-world wide Communism it may be necessary to defend yourself from imperialist and otherwise capitalistic nations though.

6. Communist nation is a contradiction of terms. Mostly the rule to follow would be "don't infringe on anyone elses liberty" liberty in this case being defined as acting without limiting someone elses ability to act.

7. There is no control except yourself over your own life

8. You should probably have the right to keep nosy neighbours out of your house yea.

9. Kids can train and work in whatever field they like and advance as far as they want or can.

10. Houses won't be cookie-cutter any longer (They are under Capitalism though, see Levittowns and factory-line production). They will be built according to what they will be used for and be specifically designed according to that.

A person wouldn't be a janitor as a full-time job I highly doubt. Everyone would work that sort of job if it still existed at all, technology for the most part can be implemented to rid ourselves of such trivial and menial labour. So the question is irrelevant.

What other works besides the Manifesto have you read? I would recommend reading a book like The Conquest of Bread along with Wage Labour and Capital to get a better idea of what Anarchy and Communism is all about.

[Muzk]

1. Does Marxism require atheism?:confused:
For one to be marxist, one must reject all religious morales. Communism has its own morales, religion has its.


2. While Marx advocates abolishing the bourgeoisie private property, does this mean abolishing private property in its entirety?You're confusing personal property with private property.

What you personally own, a table or TV or whatever is something that you need for your own personality, these things don't need to be abolished. In fact, those are the fruits of your own labour, which noone should be able to take from you.

Private property will be entirely done away with by the revolution. Exploiting workers off of their labour is the driving force of capitalism, and it is done by nothing else but private property. The people consume, for example, food - why don't they then own the means of creating such, but a parasite sucking the life out of society?



3. Is there still a form of paper currency within a communist nation?:confused:No.
You have to see the manifesto in its historical context, those were demands made in the 18th century, demands of the communist party of that time.


4. Are there certain goods that are not provided by the government that can be purchased with the paper currency?I don't think we would allow a black market to exist, especcially because there is no reason to create such since everyone has what one needs.


5. Is there mandatory military service?Really depends if there's a need for such in socialism, in communism, no, since it's a global system.


6. Which civil liberties (if any) are guaranteed? Which are not?Durr, we should strive to give everyone every bit of freedom possible. The only liberties which people have right now which would be abolished are the rights to take away the rights of others through the means of wage labour, forced taxes etc...

People often say we are "free" here in the States while those in communist nations are "not free." I know this is in regards to dictatorships, but does this have any relevance to pure Marxism?
You're certainly not as free as you think you are, but well... no, oppression is the opposite of marxism, since it's the doctrine of our liberation from oppression.

7. What areas of private life are controlled? What areas are not?:confused:None :(


8. Is there a right to privacy? Is there a "big brother's always watching" policy?:confused:No :(


9. Can a child grow up and become whatever he or she wants (i.e. doctor, lawyer, etc), or is his or her career chosen for them? Also, are there opportunities for advancement (can a general doctor become a surgeon, or a janitor become a manager, etc)?:confused:I don't have the exact quote here now, but Marx wrote down somewhere that if every person in society enjoys full education and freedom, one can fish in the morning, bake cake in the noon and do whatever you want to in the evening. There's no reason why one wouldn't be able to strive for higher positions either. There's no material motivation though, since everyone gets what one needs in communism.


10. In terms of housing and transportation, does everyone get a cookie-cutter house and a cookie-cutter car (if not public transportation)? Does the doctor receive the same luxuries as the janitor? Are there luxuries at all?:confused:You get what you need, we strive for abundance of products, as well as maximum possible luxury for every person.


I know that favoring the doctor over the janitor creates a quasi-class system, but I just can't seem to justify in my mind the janitor (cleaning floors) receiving the same as the doctor (saving lives, on call 24/7, far more education, etc).That's because you still think in the old-fashioned way. On the way to communism there has to be a complete re-education of the whole population.


Damn was I bored. Now, you probably live in America, seriously if you don't want to fuck up your grades, do what your teacher says. Say that communism is oppression, killing, and a huge failure. Say that America is as free as a nation can be, and that all americans live a nice life. Will get you good grades! Except if your teacher is actually a good one...

Btw: there's way too much to learn about marxism, like, for example you probably dont differentiate between socialism and communism, marxism and communism etc.


You should really check the encyclopedia of marxism (http://marxists.org/glossary/index.htm)

Now, bed time...

[Zanthorus]

1. Does Marxism require atheism?:confused:

The short answer would be no as long as your concept of God doesn't interfere with e.g Marx's ideas about history.


2. While Marx advocates abolishing the bourgeoisie private property, does this mean abolishing private property in its entirety?:confused:

Marx has a rather unfortunately idiosyncratic (Looked at through the lens of the modern age anyway) definition of "private property". It would probably be instructive here to go back to Marx's critique of "crude communism" from the economic and philosophic manuscripts:


The antithesis between lack of property and property, so long as it is not comprehended as the antithesis of labour and capital, still remains an indifferent antithesis, not grasped in its active connection, in its internal relation, not yet grasped as a contradiction. It can find expression in this first form even without the advanced development of private property (as in ancient Rome, Turkey, etc.). It does not yet appear as having been established by private property itself. But labour, the subjective essence of private property as exclusion of property, and capital, objective labour as exclusion of labour, constitute private property as its developed state of contradiction – hence a dynamic relationship driving towards resolution.

What Marx is trying to get across is that the basis of private property is labour. In the initial merchant guilds of the towns of the Feudal era property was based mostly on labour as per the standard capitalist apologism for private property as a reward for effort. However in the capitalist epoch proper the products of labour came to stand over the producers in a way antagonistic to them - capital. The basis of the capitalist's capital stock is the labour of his workers. Yet this capital also constitutes the basis of the workers degradation. This is the fully developed form of the antagonism between propertied and propertyless.

The way to abolish this antagonism is to abolish what Marx later on called "class property":


The Commune, they exclaim, intends to abolish property, the basis of all civilization!

Yes, gentlemen, the Commune intended to abolish that class property which makes the labor of the many the wealth of the few. It aimed at the expropriation of the expropriators. It wanted to make individual property a truth by transforming the means of production, land, and capital, now chiefly the means of enslaving and exploiting labor, into mere instruments of free and associated labor.

To put it simply - "private property" for Marx simply means ownership of the means of production. No, someone will not be allowed to just walk in and take your table. However everyone will own the means of production in common and organise them according to a common plan to meet social needs.


3. Is there still a form of paper currency within a communist nation?:confused:

Sort of, although Marx never necessarily regarded it as "money". In a footnote to Das Kapital he says that Owen's labour notes schemes for example are "no more money that a ticket to the theatre" because they're based on associated labour.


Marx notes high taxes for citizens. Does this mean there is still money that circulates? If they have money, what do they do with it? This brings me to my next question:

I think you're slightly confused. The rest of your post seems to take the "ten points" of the Manifesto as the content of communism. However these points were only supposed to be demands for the transitional phase between capitalism and communism. When communism was reached the public power would lose it's political character and cease to be a "state" as such.

[Zapatas Guns]

I am pretty sure I can speak only for myself with these questions. I don't know what kind of litmus test this gives me. When I was in college I studied Marxism, Feminism, and historicism.

1. I don't believe Marxism requires atheism although I do think religion in and of itself is another form of control and can be exploitative but not always.

2. No one can just walk into your house and just take something because that is still stealing. They would be enriching themselves at your expense.

3. This is a point of contention. I would like to think in a perfect Marxist state money would be an anachronism. However it may be a necessary evil for awhile during a transition. What do you use with money? The same thing you use money for now, to buy things.

4. I think this is another point of contention and I would like to hear other people's opinions on this.

5. I don't think so. Only under dire circumstances like 5 million Nazis invading or something like that.

6. That is in the 'eye of the beholder' argument. I can say communists are free. I say anarchism is true freedom, which I do believe. Capitalist countries are the least free. If you think being a wage slave is freedom than you have most likely been propagandized a lot.

7. That depends on the issue. I think pornography in general should be controlled because of where it comes from and the circumstances it arises from. Anything that is exploitative in general. We have to get into specifics.

8. Again I would like to hear what other people have to say first. I think people have a reasonable right to privacy.

9. There would always be room for advancement. But remember the part that says "to each according to his abilities?" Some people simply do not have the ability to be doctors. On the other side of the coin, would you want someone that could be a doctor scrubbing floors unless it was necessary?

10. I think they should receive the same. Where the extras come in, or the privileges, are within the context of your job. So if you are a janitor and you are exceeding your expectations then you would have more than a doctor that is screwing around. I don't know if others agree with me on this though. I think a doctor has the ability to give a lot more to society and he should.


Very good questions. I think more people should add their opinions. I hadn't really thought about 4 & 8.

[syndicat]

1. Does Marxism require atheism?:confused:

No.



My perception was that religion, as long as it doesn't disrupt the established communist system, is acceptable. Marx even says himself, "Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people." Perhaps I am misinterpreting his meaning, but I assume it is not necessary to entirely remove religion. Is it acceptable for a citizen to be open about his religious beliefs (not as preaching), or would he be censored?

your interpretation is correct.


2. While Marx advocates abolishing the bourgeoisie private property, does this mean abolishing private property in its entirety?:confused:

You need to distinguish personal property or possessions from productive property, that is, property in means of production or land. The idea is that the means of production which are used by workers to produce things for society are to be owned in common by the society.

but your shoes, the car you get to work in, etc are just personal possesions not productive property. this could even include your house.



My understanding is that the Bourgeois "property" was the means of manufacturing the products the proletariat was exploited to produce. Does Marx mean that if I have a table in my house that another citizen can "unjustly" take it because we "share" property? I am not referring to the government's right to seize property here.


No. and don't confuse social ownership with government or state ownership.



3. Is there still a form of paper currency within a communist nation?:confused:


In what Marx calls the "early phase of communism" there would be the equivalent of money and prices.



4. Are there certain goods that are not provided by the government that can be purchased with the paper currency?:confused:

why do you think of goods being provided by "the government"? Workers man manage industries and this may included distribution centers where you may buy products, that is, exchange your consumption entitlement for products. maybe by "government provided goods" you're thinking of social services like health care, eduation, etc. There may be things that are provided by the society to people without requiring payment and other things that you pay for...if that is what you mean.



5. Is there mandatory military service?:confused:

I'm not sure if Marx discusses this but there might be.



6. Which civil liberties (if any) are guaranteed? Which are not?:confused:
People often say we are "free" here in the States while those in communist nations are "not free." I know this is in regards to dictatorships, but does this have any relevance to pure Marxism?

I wouldn't confuse what exists in the "Communist" countries with authentic socialism. Authentic socialism requires direct participation in democratic decision-making and this won't be genuine unless people can hear and debate the different viewpoints that exist. if some minority group can repress the rest of society, it ain't authentic socialism.



7. What areas of private life are controlled? What areas are not?:confused:

What do you mean by private life? What you do at home? in your free time? Why should there be controls on this? authentic socialism is the free and direct management of social and collective affairs by the working class. totalitarian one-party regimes aren't genuinely socialist.



8. Is there a right to privacy? Is there a "big brother's always watching" policy?:confused:

see above.



9. Can a child grow up and become whatever he or she wants (i.e. doctor, lawyer, etc), or is his or her career chosen for them? Also, are there opportunities for advancement (can a general doctor become a surgeon, or a janitor become a manager, etc)?:confused:

No because you can't grow up to be a member of a dominating and exploiting class. Thus the present differentiations in the job hierarchy were produced by class society and will need to be changed, to equalize the power that workers have.



10. In terms of housing and transportation, does everyone get a cookie-cutter house and a cookie-cutter car (if not public transportation)? Does the doctor receive the same luxuries as the janitor? Are there luxuries at all?:confused:

There should be equal pay per hour of work for everyone, yes.

But this doesn't mean everyone has to live in the same cuttie cutter houses. That's because, a self-managed socialism could have a system where families get to work with construction worker groups to design their own houses, to meet their preferences. If they want to put more of their income into more space or whatever, why not? There would be no distinction between mansions and hovels, tho.



I know that favoring the doctor over the janitor creates a quasi-class system, but I just can't seem to justify in my mind the janitor (cleaning floors) receiving the same as the doctor (saving lives, on call 24/7, far more education, etc).

why do you suppose there will be janitors? right now people can avoid cleaning their own offices because there are desperate people who can be hired at low wages to do it.

[ZeppelinE6]

Wow, thanks for the great answers. They really cleared up a lot of my issues. Pondering question #1 has always been an interesting topic for me. I don't know if I'll get stoned for saying this, but I am a devout Roman Catholic yet I feel it is possible for Orthodox Marxism (correct term?) and religion to coexist. However, that is another discussion for another day.

All of your responses have raised two more questions:

1. What/is the legal system in a Marxist community?:confused:
How are the "law breaking"/uncooperative individuals dealt with? A communal jury I would suspect?

2. So as not to embarrass myself, when referring to my political ideology, if I espouse the philosophy of Marx should I call myself a Marxist, Orthodox Marxist, Communist, Marxist Communist, etc?:confused:
In the past few hours I have come to realize the absolute wealth of terms involved in politics. Any clarification would be much appreciated! Thanks again!

Cheers,
Sam

[Die Rote Fahne]

1. No. Marx describes religion as an opiate of the masses. However, he does not suggest it be suppressed or eliminated to create a communist society.

2. To Marxists, Private property is capital. Personal property is, according to Marx, hard won by the proletariat. If you work to get something (you build a house; or you do work for someone who in return builds you a house) it is yours.

3. Money will exist in the socialist stage or the "dictatorship of the proletariat". However, once the state and class is ended and a communist society follows, money will also cease to exist.

4. Marxism requires the dissolving of the state. Ergo, the government ceases to exist.

5. Marxism does not call for any mandatory military service. It may be a tactic used by tyrant self proclaimed "socialists" who do not realize you need majority support.

Also, referring to number 4. The military will not exist as it is a part of the state. It will be the collective responsibility of all, who support it, to maintain and fight for communism.

6. The idea of authoritarianism is used by some self proclaimed "socialists" to maintain power over the working class. However, it is an idea that is antithetical to Marxism.

7. No areas are controlled. The state ceases to exist and a person is to do anything they please so long as it DOES NOT negatively affect others.

8. Privacy is a right that is to be respected. Once again, it was not respected by self proclaimed "socialists" who abused their power to rule instead of create a dictatorship of the proletariat.

9. A person is free to choose what they please. All training and education is available for them. If they wish to be a doctor they can, so long as they meet the educational requirements (i.e. graduate high-school with a minimum set of marks).

10. People will get homes that will accommodate their family. Why do they get homes? Government mandate? No. The people as a collective will ensure that EVERYONE has a home. Then you work to expand the home.


This is the best I can do. I'm really tired and my mind is elsewhere.

[BAM]

I think you're slightly confused. The rest of your post seems to take the "ten points" of the Manifesto as the content of communism. However these points were only supposed to be demands for the transitional phase between capitalism and communism. When communism was reached the public power would lose it's political character and cease to be a "state" as such.

Agreed. In a later preface to the Communist Manifesto (I think it's in 1872/3) Marx and Engels, now commenting on a 25 year old work, reject the political programme altogether, saying that it would have to be worded differently on account of changed circumstances and because the Paris Commune had shown that the workers cannot simply take over the existing state apparatus and "wield it for its own purposes", implying that revolution involves a qualitative change in the nature of state power.

My own interpretation of the 10-point programme was that it was just a list of concrete demands around which to organise and build a communist workers' movement, something to make the Communist Manifesto more than just a radical gesture. The demands were entirely provisional.

[Zanthorus]

2. So as not to embarrass myself, when referring to my political ideology, if I espouse the philosophy of Marx should I call myself a Marxist, Orthodox Marxist, Communist, Marxist Communist, etc?:confused:

This can vary from individual to individual. I personally call myself a "communist" because I'm not naieve enough to believe that Marx has the final word on anything and because I'm wary of associating myself with a lot of what passes under the "Marxist" label. Just call yourself whatever gets the point across and you feel best fits you :)

[mikelepore]

Many of these questions are about possible legal and political systems, and are not questions about a classless society's economy. Maybe this will be more clear if people say "capitalism" and try to answer the same questions. Assume an imaginary and hypothetical society, and now say that it has capitalism, that is, there is such a thing as investing, a stock market exists. Now, about that hypothetical society, tell me, does it have compulsory military service? Does it have privacy or is Big Brother watching you? Des it require atheism? You can't answer, because these are questions about the legal and political system, and not the economy.

The classless society will have an economy based on production for social use, and not production for sale with a view to profit. The industries and service will be public institutions. Among the people who agree with that objective, and identify themselves by such names as "Marxists", there is no general agreement about the kind of political system that should go along with such an economy. I would align myself with those who support strong constitutional protections for civil liberties, and I would oppose those who would establish a totalitarian society.

Among not only beginners but also many seasoned students of Marxism, there is a great misconception that it's meaningful say "what would the system be like?", as though the shape of the future were in the bag and ready to jump out. There are an infinite number of possible futures. People will get the one that they assemble out of all the pieces. If the people make the mistake of discarding the right to privacy and freedom of religion, that mistake will be due to an unenlightened status of political philosophy, and it will have nothing to do with the economic objective of socialized production.

[Broletariat]

Wow, thanks for the great answers. They really cleared up a lot of my issues. Pondering question #1 has always been an interesting topic for me. I don't know if I'll get stoned for saying this, but I am a devout Roman Catholic yet I feel it is possible for Orthodox Marxism (correct term?) and religion to coexist. However, that is another discussion for another day.

All of your responses have raised two more questions:

1. What/is the legal system in a Marxist community?:confused:
How are the "law breaking"/uncooperative individuals dealt with? A communal jury I would suspect?

2. So as not to embarrass myself, when referring to my political ideology, if I espouse the philosophy of Marx should I call myself a Marxist, Orthodox Marxist, Communist, Marxist Communist, etc?:confused:
In the past few hours I have come to realize the absolute wealth of terms involved in politics. Any clarification would be much appreciated! Thanks again!

Cheers,
Sam


1. If we're assuming we're already within a Communist society, then the most compelling incentive for crime will be largely gone, poverty. Sociopaths and the like who have mental disorders will also likely vanish due to the dominant-subserviant establishment of Capitalism disappearing to feed such a disorder. Those who do remain around will largely be rehabilitated, crime would be a very isolated incident.

2. Just saying you're a Marxist would get the point across to most people. Communist would work too, though if you're using these terms to the general public they usually aren't very receptive of such left-wing ideas.

[ZeppelinE6]

My mother raised an interesting question to me this afternoon. Here in the States, we may pay $500 dollars for a plumber to replace a 12" pipe. All we have is the pipe, and that, obviously, did not cost $500. We are paying for the service; the plumber's time and expertise.

In a communist society, how would a plumber be compensated for his or her work? Would their work be considered a duty to the society as a whole and, thus, receive no compensation? I guess my general question is what are the duties of citizens within a communist society in regards to each individual's personal skills and expertise?

[Broletariat]

My mother raised an interesting question to me this afternoon. Here in the States, we may pay $500 dollars for a plumber to replace a 12" pipe. All we have is the pipe, and that, obviously, did not cost $500. We are paying for the service; the plumber's time and expertise.

In a communist society, how would a plumber be compensated for his or her work? Would their work be considered a duty to the society as a whole and, thus, receive no compensation? I guess my general question is what are the duties of citizens within a communist society in regards to each individual's personal skills and expertise?


This largely depends on what kind of Communist society we're talking about now. Some people would advocate for a completely currency-free society where you work because it's what you want to do. Others would say we need a new type of currency that would act more like a theatre ticket and be awarded based on how many hours you work or something like that. Others still would say we should have currency based on energy-accounting, though I'm not entirely sure what this entails completely. I think it's that each citizen is given x number of energy credits and the amount of energy it takes to make a product/service will be deducted from those energy credits.

[syndicat]

You have to start from the understanding that it would be a classless society. The vast differences in power, knowledge and income of people at present reflects the class system we have here. There is no system to ensure that people get to develop their potential.

in a system where the resources come under the collective control of the working class, they can ensure maximum resources for developing each person's skills and abilities and so on. with more widespread skills, people can't use their skills as a wedge to gain a greater share of the social product. so you won't have medical specialists making $300,000 and on the golf course by 3 pm while others are homeless.

in what Marx calls the "early phase of communism" there is an obligation of the able-bodied to work and people are compensated for their work, but on an equal basis.