Do you think it would be possible or practical for britain to be run by communist?

[TmRwilson]

I am currently completing a school project and need some more opinion based research any of you guys have an opinion on this it would be great! Thanks in advance! :grin:

[Tim Cornelis]

Could you specify the question a bit?

Countries certainly can be run by communists, but that doesn't make the country communistic. This is a communist forum so of course we believe it to be both possible and practical to have communism, although this necessarily involves the abolition of the nation-state (or multinational states for that matter).

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Yeah, I hope this doesn't ruin your school project, but it seems to me that the question is taking the wrong tack: It's not a question of whether or not "Communists" could run Britain, but whether or not the British people broadly could organize their social lives along communist lines.
I mean, I think, in the abstract, the answer is almost certainly yes - people in general have organized societies along stateless, moneyless lines for most of human history (class society being something of a recent aberration).
Of course, for a school project, I assume you're looking for something a bit more rooted in reality. Do British workers, at this moment, have organization suited or conscious will to expropriate the capitalist class? I don't think so, no. Of course, I don't think capitalism looks particularly stable at this juncture, and certainly anti-capitalist futures have been put back on the table in popular discourse, so, y'know, a year from now? Five years from now?
I wouldn't rule it out.

[The Idler]

A 'communist party' can take power in one country but not bring about communism.

[jullia]

Everything is possible but is should be extravageant.

British are very liberal by mind and are still attach to their queen.

[Creative Destruction]

I am currently completing a school project and need some more opinion based research any of you guys have an opinion on this it would be great! Thanks in advance! :grin:

Could you tell us more about your project? We might be able to better answer your question then.

[Red Star Rising]

I am currently completing a school project and need some more opinion based research any of you guys have an opinion on this it would be great! Thanks in advance! :grin:

Well, we believe that it is not only possible but absolutely required; Communism has to be international so all or most countries must accept it, including Britain. As to whether Britain would be the "starting point" or just one of a chain of localized revolutions making up a world revolution is anyone's guess but as of right now I don't think that the working people of Britain, blue collar or white collar or whatever, have the right psyche for a Communistic revolution.

But who knows what the next wave of austerity will bring - there is not yet a good enough understanding of what Socialism truly entails and not enough disdain for the establishment in Britain but I think that there are some signs that it is "possible". In the absence of the far left, which virtually vanished under Thatcher, lots of working class people and middle class even have been swinging to the far right because the "immigrants make a great scapegoat. This shows that the electorate is sufficiently pissed off at the current establishment to go for a radical alternative (UKIP does make use of a lot of left-wing rhetoric and populism whilst advocating the opposite) if Communists presented the 'alternative alternative' I'd say it may be possible within a few years.

But I do agree that the project title needs to be rephrased - it's not a matter of a political party coming to power. While it's true that the proletariat have to be recognised as a political power (consisting of workers and intellectuals), Socialism cannot happen without the mobilisation of the workforce in opposition to ALL aspects of the current political establishment, it's important to understand this when you say "run by communists."

[RedKobra]

Everything is possible but is should be extravageant.

British are very liberal by mind and are still attach to their queen.

Liberal? Are we? I'd say if anything we're quite a reactionary bunch. We're still a very old fashioned class based society. We've still got hangers on from the feudal system; barons, dukes, marquises, lords, lady's.etc We've got a state church that sits in our highest chamber. We're distrustful of change, even when its in our interest. Just look at the referendums on electoral reform & independence for Scotland.
And as for our feelings toward the royal family... I would say bar the occasional over reaction, often craftily whipped up by the media, when one of them dies the best the public's attitude to the royal's gets is complete antipathy and more than once in my lifetime the royal's have been regarded with outright hostility. I wouldn't believe the polls that get run periodically the questions are always ridiculously slanted to find in favour of monarchism over republicanism.

Our problem is we're extreme sceptics when it comes to the authority of individuals, we tend to cynically undermine even the most true hearted. Slander them, cut them down to size. When it comes to institutions, traditions and procedures, on the other hand, we dig our heels in and turn our refusal to consider other, better options into a kind of virtue.

[jullia]

Liberal? Are we? I'd say if anything we're quite a reactionary bunch. We're still a very old fashioned class based society. We've still got hangers on from the feudal system; barons, dukes, marquises, lords, lady's.etc We've got a state church that sits in our highest chamber. We're distrustful of change, even when its in our interest. Just look at the referendums on electoral reform & independence for Scotland.
And as for our feelings toward the royal family... I would say bar the occasional over reaction, often craftily whipped up by the media, when one of them dies the best the public's attitude to the royal's gets is complete antipathy and more than once in my lifetime the royal's have been regarded with outright hostility. I wouldn't believe the polls that get run periodically the questions are always ridiculously slanted to find in favour of monarchism over republicanism.

Our problem is we're extreme sceptics when it comes to the authority of individuals, we tend to cynically undermine even the most true hearted. Slander them, cut them down to size. When it comes to institutions, traditions and procedures, on the other hand, we dig our heels in and turn our refusal to consider other, better options into a kind of virtue.

My bad, i made a bad translation from my native language to english.

In economic field, British are the opposite of socialists. No solidarity. What is the english word for this?

But yeah as i said british are attach to their queen and are conservative.

[The Intransigent Faction]

My bad, i made a bad translation from my native language to english.

In economic field, British are the opposite of socialists. No solidarity. What is the english word for this?

But yeah as i said british are attach to their queen and are conservative.

"The British" do not all feel that way. The United Kingdom is a name on a map, and the people living there today have conflicting interests between workers and capitalists. Some people will tell you that every British person has common interests and every French person has common interests. The truth is that British and French workers have the same interests because both are workers.

The word you are looking for is "alienated", and it is a problem for communists, yes, but it can be solved.

As for your original question, The Idler's answer was great. A communist movement can start within a nation and workers in a nation can take control of how stuff is made, but communism is international.

I tried to keep the language really simple. I hope that helped.

[The Idler]

Everything is possible but is should be extravageant.

British are very liberal by mind and are still attach to their queen.
God save the Queen.

[Lord Testicles]

The word you are looking for is "alienated", and it is a problem for communists, yes, but it can be solved.

I think Jullia meant "liberal" as in Liberalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism) and not as in "willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas."

[jullia]

I think Jullia meant "liberal" as in Liberalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism) and not as in "willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas."

Thanks,
it's what i want to said. I improve my english skill but i have still works.:o

[Lord Testicles]

Thanks,
it's what i want to said. I improve my english skill but i have still works.:o

It's not a problem. I imagine that most of us don't expect all (or even most) of the forum members to be native English speakers.