Communism as a state of affairs?

[Queen Mab]

In the German Ideology, Marx and Engels state:


Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence.

But in the Critique of the Gotha Programme, Marx talks at length about 'communist society'. Is this society not a 'state of affairs' that has to be established (through revolution)?

I think Marx and Engels' point might be that communism already exists in the material reality as the movement towards a communist society, and that this society is simply the full development of forces already existing, not any ideological programme to be imposed on the world. Am I right?

[The Idler]

I'd say so yes. But this will not be good news to sects with ready-made programs, minimum, maximum, transitional or otherwise.

[Thirsty Crow]

I think Marx and Engels' point might be that communism already exists in the material reality as the movement towards a communist society, and that this society is simply the full development of forces already existing, not any ideological programme to be imposed on the world. Am I right?
Definitely right in that ideology (what Marx called "doctrine" in his day) imposed on the world is bollocks.
Though, what exists is the possibility and the human basis for communism - the proletariat. And the characteristics of the future society can be derived from the understanding of the present state of things and what is needed for a different kind of society - so wage labor and the consumption of commodities becomes replaced with freely associated labor and free access.

[reb]

I think it's important to understand that communist society is not a state of affairs to be implemented, as per the quote, but rather it comes about through the abolition of capital. Hence, the transformation of capitalism to communism through a revolution. Not a revolutionary coup which establishes a political party into power which then "builds socialism" so that we can transition into communism. The whole concept of building socialism is totally stupid anyway and utopian because the way to build socialism is to build capitalism.

So yes, communist society is not a state of affairs to be established as if it was some sort of planned society by a party. It is the actual movement of the proletariat towards it's own emancipation that creates communist society.