I'm not sure of my beliefs...

[Samuel]

Hello,

I don't believe I am as leftist as most people here. I don't believe that the USSR was a workers paradise. I don't believe that Stalin or Lennin are heroes. I believe that the Theory of communism is rarely as successful as its practice. I think we should look to Cuba as an example of what communism should be. Again, my beliefs are not well founded, and by information is shaky at best, but I have decided to become involved here to learn and make my decisions better.

Samuel

[bunk]

hmmm, you have a lot to learn my young padwan.... :ph34r:

[Super Mario Conspiracy]

I don't believe that the USSR was a workers paradise.

You are right. The Soviet Union was not the worker's state that the leftist movement is fighting for. Neither were the other countries that "adopted communism". One of the great let-downs of the Soviet Union was the lack of democracy, the secret police, that workers did not have any choices but to follow the state.

Some of us call this type of government stalinism, since Stalin was the one who contributed most to this kind of government.


I don't believe that Stalin or Lennin are heroes.

And you don't have to believe that to be a leftist.


I believe that the Theory of communism is rarely as successful as its practice.

Well, since there never was any real communism in history, we can't really say that it has been put to practice. In fact, there has never been any socialist states in history so far (although groups of such kind have existed) - the country must be controlled by the people, and no government has allowed it's people to make the decisions to this date (at least, not in the way it should be).


I think we should look to Cuba as an example of what communism should be.

Cuba is not a communist country. Communist "states" and "countries" are in fact contradictionary - since a communist society does not have a government. And in order for communism to work without being overthrown by capitalism, the whole world must be communist.

Cuba is not socialist either, although it is close to socialism. In socialism, the people can remove the leader (president, premiere etc) by will, this is not the case in Cuba. Democracy is one of the main stuff socialism is built of - how else can socialism be "for the people"?

Cuba is, in a way, a benelovent-dictatorship. That is - I'd prefer living in Cuba rather than in North Korea (which adopted it's own system of stalinism - called juche).


Again, my beliefs are not well founded, and by information is shaky at best, but I have decided to become involved here to learn and make my decisions better.

You can always find more info on Wikipedia:
http://www.wikipedia.org

Most info there is accurate.

[bolshevik butcher]

Yeh,n most of what oyu ahve said is a common cliche. The ussr was a stlainist dictatorship. Stlain was a brutal dictator. Personally i view lenin as a hero, but a lot of people on this stie don't like him.

[Samuel]

Thanks. Your welcome and quick address of my comments proves to me that this is a community where I can begin to understand Socialism.

Samuel

[Zingu]

You sound every "newb" to Communism, afflicted with what is the false image of Communism, Communism is not the power of the state investaged with control of the economy and totalitarianism.

Rather, it amaziginly is the oppisite, the absence of the state, of borders, of class antagonisms and runs on a gift economy.

Yeah, you have alot to learn young padawan! :lol:

[*Hippie*]

There are people who believe the USSR was a workers paradise? :o

[El-Bortukali]

Originally posted by *Hippie*@Jul 13 2005, 09:47 PM
There are people who believe the USSR was a workers paradise? :o
yes, has there are people who believe in the Cuban revolution there are also people that believe that USSR was once a worker's paradise...

was it, or was it not the USSR the first state to install the dictatorship of the proletariat? was it, or was it not the USSR the first state to abolish man to man exploitation, racism and machism?

If that is not being a worker's paradise then i do not know what it is...


we all are well aware of the Soviet errors and brutalities, we all know the crimes and the errors of their ways, yet the Soviet Union was the first socialist state in world history, i think it deserves at least a little credit for that....

[*Hippie*]

Well, I do give it credit. But when you start calling it 'paradise', that would turn people off the idea of communism. The true workers' paradise has not yet been fully realized. The point is to keep fighting to achieve it someday and learn from the errors of the past.

[El-Bortukali]

yes you are right, i was being somewhat illusional when i called it a workers paradise, but you know when you mess with USSR you mess with a communist pride :D

[doVla]

Hey i'm new here i saw this topic and i'm glad that's on,i'm new in whole story and can you tell me what is marxism,trotskysm,and to reply on this all posts,i agree to Samuel in 1.st reply and i think taht communism is rare in practice-...correct me if i'm wrong... thanx

[Seeker]

can you tell me what is . . .

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=25786

[angus_mor]

Hello new comrade, I wish to welcome you to the community first off, and I have had trouble myself w/ the contradictions of what people WANT society to be, what it is, and what it should BE. I first resolved that I was a communist, but after a debate w/ a conservative neighbor, I took a deeper look into soviet socialism, it wasnt what it was hashed up to be. I withdrew a bit from socialism, and resolved to be merely leftist. But after looking at other communists, like Che Guevara, I realized that I was a Democratic Socialist. It took me two years to realize what my ideology is, so dont rush yourself, or even give a shit about what you are, or claim to be. There are a lot of benefits to independence, no mass confusion, unreasonable loyalty, or urge to vote for said candidate just because he/she is representing that party. Plus the ultimate benefit, the ability to think for yourself.

"I did not free the people, the people freed themselves."-Che Guevara

Good luck comrade

[Redvolution]

Welcome!

I'm mostly in the same boat as you comrade, so no worries. My advice is to just read read read and find who inspires you and learn about their theories, who inspired them, their contemporaries, counter-arguements, etc.

A good website that will tell you your political spectrum is http://www.politicalcompass.org/ but don't even take that as truth. I hate to be cliche, but take everything with a grain of salt!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!

And listen to The Clash :lol: