Introduction+Some Things I Need Cleared Up.

[AMLeftist]

Hey, guys. Im new around here. I've always been interested in communism ever since we "learned" about it in grade school. Looking back now, we were told a brief definition followed by mass killings which occurred under said regimes.

The definition stuck with into high school where I had a history teacher who promoted us to think on our own and come to think of it, im pretty sure she was a socialist herself. This class sparked that interest.

Years later, here I am. I align myself with the left and believe many philosophies brought up my Marx and others. Ive always needed to have some things cleared up but never had anyone to ask... Do these have a certain "blueprint" or are they open to to interpretation by the many schools of communist thought? If so, are there examples I can read?

Abolishment of private property: When I was younger, I always thought this meant everyone owns all the land and if I wanted to, i can build a house wherever I find suitable... Or does this mean all government property is now public? Your own house/apartment is open to all?

How would "getting paid" work? Would we all still get checks at our jobs/mail? Except those of us who work in "less desirable" jobs would see bigger checks and others would see smaller checks? Would everyone just get checks mailed by the "government"? Or would we just trade goods we produce? If so, would stores/retails disappear?

1 more, we would just work where ever we want? Like... I know we would all be in fields we want to and feel are good for society but would we just go or where there be the usual apply/interview?

Thanks, guys!

[red cat]

Welcome to Revleft.

Social contradictions are very complex in nature. But still, by working out their interrelationships and by looking at the regions where the masses have seized power, we can expect the future communist society to have certain features. Communist lines of thought differ in only the means to achieve a communist society. They mostly agree by the features of the communist society itself.

By property, communists mean bourgeois property or to be more precise, the means of production. So of course, under communism you are able to build a house or ask for a house to be built for you wherever you want, as long as it doesn't collide with public interests. Your house remains your own until you decide to leave it or the local commune asks you to leave it.

In exchange for the service you provide to the society, the society will provide you with all your needs. You won't be "paid" by cheque or cash, when you need something you will be able to pick it up from the local store or ask the commune to supply or build it for you. Communism implies equal development, so that there is nothing such as a more "desirable" job. Everyone is free to choose his own job(s), other than in times of possible extreme crises, when the society needs to focus on specific fields. But we doubt whether such a situation will ever arise or not, given the technological advancements that are expected to take place under communism.

Interviews etc. today are competitive in nature. The requirements to be able to work in a certain field under communism are not expected to be anything more than meeting certain basic criteria associated with the job. So, under communism, one is practically free to choose from most of the jobs available today.

[Lyev]

Oh yeah, for the exact nature of a future communist society, Marx was careful about what he said here. I mean, he critiqued the French and English utopian socialists for intricately plan out every feature of this new social form. When someone asked Marx (purportedly), 'but who will clean the floors under socialism?', Marx replied, 'you will!' But here is what he says in The German Ideology: 'In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, 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, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic.' However, bear in mind I think he was kind of taking the mickey of Adam Smith with this comment; perhaps take it with a pinch of salt. Nonetheless, the bulk of the meaning is there -- this is the 'free development of the individual', as I understand.

[AMLeftist]

Thanks to both of you for clarification. I look forward to reading and learning here on RevLeft.

[Victus Mortuum]

The most important thing being new is to do some reading.

Probably find the time to read "An Anarchist FAQ", "The German Ideology", "Grundrisse", and "State and Revolution" if you can as a starting point. They're all available free online.

Edit: (By Online Social Anarchists, Marx, Marx, and Lenin, respectively)

[PhoenixAsh]

Abolishment of private property: When I was younger, I always thought this meant everyone owns all the land and if I wanted to, i can build a house wherever I find suitable... Or does this mean all government property is now public? Your own house/apartment is open to all?

Private property in the marxist sense means the means of production...you can still hoag your teddybear ;-)
(this is actually a reference to our childrens news which said communism ment everything belonged to the state even your teddybear). Your house is yours until you no longer need it.

Ideally nobody owns the means of production. Some communists believe the state is the ideal arbitrator on behalve of the people...however...most others do not.



How would "getting paid" work? Would we all still get checks at our jobs/mail? Except those of us who work in "less desirable" jobs would see bigger checks and others would see smaller checks? Would everyone just get checks mailed by the "government"? Or would we just trade goods we produce? If so, would stores/retails disappear?


That entirely depends on what philosophy of communism/anarchism you follow. But the main thing is that the monetary basis for society stops....so you do not get paid.



1 more, we would just work where ever we want? Like... I know we would all be in fields we want to and feel are good for society but would we just go or where there be the usual apply/interview?


You mean that we can work where we are needed? Yes...
We can also work in the field we want to work in...as long as there is a demand.

[Queercommie Girl]

Communism = Genuine and Complete Worker's Power and Rights.

Enough said.

[zimmerwald1915]

Hey, guys. Im new around here. I've always been interested in communism ever since we "learned" about it in grade school. Looking back now, we were told a brief definition followed by mass killings which occurred under said regimes.
Your questions have basically been answered, but I have to ask about this. Why exactly were they teaching you about mass killings in grade school?

[Metacomet]

Welcome to Revleft.

Social contradictions are very complex in nature. But still, by working out their interrelationships and by looking at the regions where the masses have seized power, we can expect the future communist society to have certain features. Communist lines of thought differ in only the means to achieve a communist society. They mostly agree by the features of the communist society itself.

By property, communists mean bourgeois property or to be more precise, the means of production. So of course, under communism you are able to build a house or ask for a house to be built for you wherever you want, as long as it doesn't collide with public interests. Your house remains your own until you decide to leave it or the local commune asks you to leave it.

In exchange for the service you provide to the society, the society will provide you with all your needs. You won't be "paid" by cheque or cash, when you need something you will be able to pick it up from the local store or ask the commune to supply or build it for you. Communism implies equal development, so that there is nothing such as a more "desirable" job. Everyone is free to choose his own job(s), other than in times of possible extreme crises, when the society needs to focus on specific fields. But we doubt whether such a situation will ever arise or not, given the technological advancements that are expected to take place under communism.

Interviews etc. today are competitive in nature. The requirements to be able to work in a certain field under communism are not expected to be anything more than meeting certain basic criteria associated with the job. So, under communism, one is practically free to choose from most of the jobs available today.


Thanks for the explanation, the private property bit was something I was wondering about as well.

[norwegianwood90]

Your questions have basically been answered, but I have to ask about this. Why exactly were they teaching you about mass killings in grade school?
In my US History class (during my sophomore year of high school, I believe), we basically learned about "communism," which was effectively defined as the Soviet Union under Stalin. The impression was given that mass murder and genocide were intrinsically part of communism/communist politics. We did not really discuss Cuba, China, North Korea, Cambodia, or any of the other so-called "communist" countries. I just remember my teacher saying that, "Communism works great on paper, but it doesn't work in real life because there's no motivation to become a [insert highly paid occupation] if you're going to earn as much as everyone else."

[Landsharks eat metal]

In my US History class (during my sophomore year of high school, I believe), we basically learned about "communism," which was effectively defined as the Soviet Union under Stalin. The impression was given that mass murder and genocide were intrinsically part of communism/communist politics. We did not really discuss Cuba, China, North Korea, Cambodia, or any of the other so-called "communist" countries. I just remember my teacher saying that, "Communism works great on paper, but it doesn't work in real life because there's no motivation to become a [insert highly paid occupation] if you're going to earn as much as everyone else."
Wow... that was exactly like my high school experience with Communism except we did learn a bit about China, too. I had the same history teacher for three years and had to deal with his snide comments about "those stinkin' Commies" just as I had become a leftist. (Now I have a different history teacher, but it's an economics class, so this guy is all into free market/cappies bullcrap.)