I know you get this a lot...

[CCCPneubauten]

Every time I bring up socialism or communism everyone tells me it never existed, when it did it was mall scaled and failed.

What in the world do I respond to this with?

[LSD]

Every time I bring up socialism or communism everyone tells me it never existed

They're right.


What in the world do I respond to this with?

You point out that in 1500, capitalism didn't exist; and that in 500, neither did Feudalism.

Times change.

[CCCPneubauten]

Very true, I say the same with religion, such as no one thought the Roman gods would 'die' and look at them now, but I never thought to apply the same logic to ecnomic systems. Good thinking.

[Red Leader]

Just tell them how primitive thier logic is if they say this to you.
It doesnt take a genius to figure out why the excuse "It can not work because it has never worked" is just plain ignorant. Them explain to them marx's theory of the dialectic. In other words, capitalism is eventualy going to collapse and in its place, there will be nothing left but socialism (then communism)

[redchrisfalling]

ummmmmm.....
I may be wrong here but wasent there communism, libertarian socialism, anarchism etc in northern Spain for two and a half years during the civil war. What about the USSR between the end of the civil war and the NEP. There have been examples of our belifes (be it communist, anarchist, whatever) at some point in history, unfourtunatly they were wiped out by an cruel and unaccsepting society, then erased from the history books by the totalitarians who want to protect the status quo. Mans liberty is an eventuality and idealistic systems has worked in the past.

[Red Leader]

Yes, there have been examples of our believes in history, but in extremely primitive forms. Howver as for COMMUNISM, that has never happned simply based on the definition. It cannot work in a closed off, bordered country. It only works internationaly, globaly. So yes, there have been many forms of socialism (transition stage) and your example of the spanish civil war is a very good one, however it was not communist simply becasue it existed seprarate from the rest of the world. If the spanish socialist communes and villiges that existed during the late thirties were globalized, then it would be commnunism

Comprende?

[I'd Rather Be Drinking]

Two things:

Communism is a movement not a state of things. It exists right now.

Moneyless economies WERE introduced on a small scale in areas of Spain right after the revolution. They then had to grow to a global scale or be destroyed... the latter happened.

[CCCPneubauten]

When I mention Spain, Early USSR that seems to just let them win, as these countries were destroyed or changed. Plus I continue to get a 'Well, they had a bad economy!"

[KC]

Communism is a movement not a state of things. It exists right now.


Communism is many things. One of them being the movement. Another being the socio-economic system.