Hypothetical Questions on Communist Society

[The Grey Blur]

I've had quite a few discussions with people when they discovered I'm a Communist and occasionally it will end up as the person querying me as to how "x" will be run in Communism. I give a general outline. They then ask how "x" would relate to "y" if "z" happened...in other words creating these mad hypothetical situations that A) couldn't be bothered figuring out and B) have actually no clue as to how they would pan out. How can I avoid these deeply hypothetical questions and steer the conversation or their queries more to Socialism, the revolution, the working-class, stuff like that?

[Die Neue Zeit]

You'll also have to add "the transition to socialism, revolutionary state monopoly 'capitalism' under the exclusive dictatorship of the proletariat" to your discussions. ;) Personally, just say that any discussion on communism per se is a utopian enterprise that no serious Marxist wants to or should enter into.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Tell them to look it up on-line.
You know they won't, and so they won't bother you ever again.

[Rawthentic]

What I try to explain is that those are small, practical details that will be made when we arrive there, and the most important thing to understand that, regardless of how unpractical communism might seem under capitalism, class antagonisms are irreconcilable like Lenin said , and this must lead to working class revolution.

[KC]

Move this to Learning or Chit-Chat.

[which doctor]

Tell them you really don't know exactly how everything will work out. That's something to figure out when the revolution comes.

[Whitten]

I'd ask them how the gladitorial games and slave training is supposed to work wide-scale in capitalism. And then explain that things change over time, some things wont exist under communism, but alot of things that couldn't exist before will. The unknown tends to scare people.

[RebelDog]

We can never say for sure what society beyond capitalism will look like. We can, however assume, that by the simple fact that the workers and communities will be empowered and have the ability to shape their own futures, that as a society we will be in a far better position to surmount any obstacles to progress faced by the human-race. All through history human societies have faced different problems. Surely a society based on equality, co-operation, solidarity and collective action is better placed to deal with problems. A contemporary example might be how Cuba copes with the hurricanes compared to the US. Cuba isn't communist, but it is to a great degree a co-operative and planned society and it copes with hurricanes so much better than its super-rich capitalist neighbour.

[The Grey Blur]

Originally posted by Zampanò@May 06, 2007 04:18 am
Move this to Learning or Chit-Chat.
Yeah it probably should.

Thanks for the replies guys.

[Janus]

Yes, it is sometimes frustrating to answer such hypothetical questions but it is good knowing that people are critical and skeptical (even if some of them are "annoying"). I usually try to turn it around and point out the faults of capitalism in dealing with such issues.