Communist debate

[bartleby]

Comrades,
I am giving a lecture which is supposed to be a segwue into a debate. The lecture is going to be about the advantages of Communism. This lecture is a class assignment and the class deals with issues in science and religion so if you could give me advice or talking points on those topics I would be very much obliged. Any comments would be helpful, keep in mind that this lecture will be given to students that are largely Christian and will for the most part have preconcieved state sponsored ideas about Communism, so this will be a tough task to make them see through or past their preconcieved notions.
Thanks,
Bartleby

[Entrails Konfetti]

Make sure you stress the point that Communism's original relationship to individuality was that "Individuals make up society" and not " the individual is subordinate to society". Compare and constrast that with Capitalism how the elite are individuals, but everyone else aren't; they are just cogs to the elites' machines.

Also, stress that an abundance of material resources are necessesary for communism, otherwise we have totalitarian governments.

Politics is afterall about who gets what, and how. To abolish politcs, there needs to be an abundance of resources so everyone can live comfortably (though not necessarily wallowing in wealth), instead of the game of politics we will just have an adiministration and mediation of the apparatus of society.

Make sure to incorporate how democracy with socialism, and communism must be inseperable.

Goodluck! :)

[bartleby]

Thanks that is very helpful, particularly the point about individuals making up society. I was honestly struggling with reconciling communism with individualism, but your point allows me to look at it in a different light now.
Bartleby

[redstar2000]

You have, by definition, a hostile audience...and that's a tough proposition no matter how you handle it.

If these people are "largely Christian" as you say, then it's practically certain that religion will quickly take "center stage" even if you don't even mention it. They "know their enemy" a hell of a lot better than we do. :(

So...

1. You can lie...quote from the descriptions of the "Jerusalem" church in the Acts of the Apostles and strongly imply that communism is "just modern Christianity". If you really want to lay it on thick, root out some quotes from "Liberation Theology" (start with Wikipedia).

2. You can tell the truth...that is, be deliberately confrontational and explain to them that communism means the end of the godracket. Keep a careful eye on the exit and bring a bodyguard or two. :o

I'm glad you're in this situation and not me; but I wouldn't wish it on anybody. :lol:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

Well, whether or not religion is, by its history, against murder and war and everything else. They will see these problems and other problems like poverty as being able to be solved via charity.

Communism is basically attempting to create a world, which I don’t think many people would have a problem with, atheist Christian, Muslim or whatever. Well other than religion not having an influence over society at all, they might disagree with that.

But, I wouldn’t suggest talking about it from the position of: religion is bullshit; there is no god, that’s what communists think.

But from the way : Communism wants to end all the things wrong with the world, cept communists don’t look to god, but look to the current system and try to analyze it and see what can be made better. In the hope of ending poverty, war, crime ECT.

Try to make them realize, it would be in their own interest to have a communist world. If you attack their religion, they will perceive it as a character attack, and all their rationality (what’s left anyway) will go straight out the door. From that point, they would disagree with you about anything.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Just be honest about the religion issue. Tell them you disagree with religion (assuming you do) and most communists have a strong stance against it. However, attempt to shift the conversation to communism as an economic theory. Let them become "religious" commies. Though contradictory, the idea of religious communists is better than religious capitalists - and realizing the truths about communism can lead to atheism.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

The most important thing to stress is that communism issupposed to be a democratic system and that most communists disagree with soviet-style communism. Stress that in communism everyone is equal and prospers together rather than in a capitalist society where only the lucky and very skilled prosper. Also, since you have a christian class, Talk a little about christian communism and how jesus's dispiciples lived in such an exsistance after Jesus's death.