Socialism and Communism - clear definition would be great...

[ingenio]

At 19 I should probably know better about these things, but anyway, I'll just ask the people in this forum.

I understand that Socialism wants to create a class-free society, which I think isn't so bad because I have come to despise American capitalism. Well, Lenin was socialist, right? Now, what was the difference between him and Stalin? How did socialism become communism?

So: Is the American view of socialism etc. just a result of long-time propaganda? How did they get their views? I guess they were just trying to create the ultimate super-duper-bad enemy for the U.S. ... just as usual.

I have thought a lot about Socialism, only to realize how little I know about it. One thing is sure, I am opposed to globalization - how are people like you and I going to profit from it? It's great for people who already own big companies and can now move to any country. My country has been with the EU for some years now, but I think it's just the same. I'm just really frustrated with politics and our politicians, who only work for their own good instead of the people who voted for them. Our schools and universities are very short of money, but they don't care - they think they have to invest millions in Eurofighters, like that would help if some country were to attack us. Why not invest in education? I think sometimes that they try to keep people from getting a higher education where they will learn to think critically.

CAN THIS BE RIGHT?????

I'm pissed off with politics - I think what we need is a BIG change, we don't need no America in Europe.

Well now I actually wrote more than I intended to - nevermind :) I look forward to getting some answers to my questions.

greetings
ingenio

[Supermodel]

There's a new book out that you may want to check out, it's called Communism and it's a fairly good read considering the weight of the topic matter. It's at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067...7318035-5175255 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679640509/qid=1028833025/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/002-7318035-5175255)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0679640509.01._PE30_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[bluerev002]

first off id like to say welcome ingenio

and i agree with you on what you said.

i also think they dont want us to get a higher education.

thats what fahhrenheit 451 is about.

[maoist3]

According to Marx,

socialism="from each according to his/her ability,
to each according to his/her work."

communism="from each according to his/her
ability, to each according to his/her need."

http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/faq/commievssoc.html

[ComradeJunichi]

Isn't that book, Communism, about how it was a very bad thing?

[Marxman]

Look, socialism fights for communism and it eventually leads to it because it's like a collateral thing. Communism never NEVER existed on this planet, not even socialism. Communism is a long process of humanity that isn't accomplished over-night and the first step of communism is the liberation of the proletariat from the clutches of the burgeouis and thus creates the workers' state as it was in the time of great Lenin. After Lenin, the bueracracy was forming in Russia and it lead to Stalinism with Stalin (of course) as its tree. You see, the horrible things that happened in the USSR after Lenin were a result of Stalinism, which has got nothing to do with Leninism/Socialism/Marxism/Trotskyism/Communism but has got to do a lot with Bonapartism/Opportunism/Menshevism/Bueracratism/Parasitism. After the October revolution, all the revolutions have started where the October has ended, that is with Stalinism. Revolutions like in China, N Korea, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Cuba were all Stalinistic. All those countries today have got nothing to do with socialism/communism, except planned economy, which is in Stalinism in the hands of the bueracratic elite and not in the hands of the people. A socialist revolution like it was in Russia in 1917 called the October revolution is a real one. That was a socialist revolution as mass support for the Bolshevik party was accomplished and thus Bolsheviks were democratically elected. They freed the proletariat and Russia was from 1917 to 1923 a workers' state. But Stalinism immediately started to form after the tragic death of the great Lenin.

[antieverything]

This is only the marxist view, of course. Go to www.red-encyclopedia.org for more complete definitions.

[Nateddi]

"Communism: a history" by Richard Pipes is a book filled with right wing rhetoric. What can you expect from a person who served with reagan.

[Conghaileach]

How is Stalinism tied to the Menshevik party? Didn't they believe in a party made up of the workers, instead of the vanguard party idea epitomised by the Bolsehviks? If anything, Stalinism was very elitist.

[peaccenicked]

Whats in a name? Perhaps it is what we mean by these words but people use them in many different ways and contexts. The way Marxists think is that there is no real difference, Lenin used socialism as the lower phase of communism. We dont find that in Marx, but we do find the lower phase of communism.
Lenin used the word 'communist' to differentiate from those parties who aligned themsevles with the second internationale and supported WW1, mensheviks were included in the latter.
Stalin represented a tiny faction of the bolsheviks that went over to the remnants of the fuedal aristocracy.
That is why all the leading bolsheviks and many of their supporters, those who did not escape or cave into the climate of fear were killed.

[pastradamus]

anything to the left can be described as socialism.
Communism tends to be more leftist in economics than the form described as socialism.

[Marxman]

Marxism fights for communism from day one. I've given you a clear definition already and please don't read cappie books about communism because obviously their subjectiveness will only mislead someone. The point of any marxist is to observe, learn, teach from many perspectives of science, the objects for observations are mostly social groups or politics, kind of like anthropology. Marx gave a broaden definition of communism and said that it's the highest stage of our cultural level. Please, more facts about communism are definitely to be learned from Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Lenin. Each and every one of them knew that communism isn't done over-night and that the process os long. Therefore, socialism is the next step of workers' democracy, which would definitely be accomplished in Russia if a) the revolution would spred internationally and B) there wouldn't be Stalinism. But all those who wish to be communists like I am too, must know the role of the proletariat!

(Edited by Marxman at 9:48 am on Aug. 10, 2002)