Marxism Socialism and Communism

[christiancl]

What is the difference between Marxism Socialism and Communism? Please specify in detail.

[Random Precision]

Well, "socialism" as it stands doesn't appear to be defined very well, as the category could include anyone from Tony Blair to Mao. The only one thing that unites socialists seems to be a belief that humans can create a freer, more just world. But what this world is, how this is to be done, and by who break this "ideology" into thousands of fragments.

As for communism, there seem to be many of the same problems in defining it as with socialism. The main difference between communism and just plain socialism, although it is certainly vague, seems to be a belief in a violent revolution of some sort to change the current state of things. Although it is important to note here that most who call themselves communist would also call themselves socialist, there are many socialists who believe that the key to a fairer world is through gradual, peaceful development under the framework of a bourgeois state.

Marxism, on the other hand, is a much more specific set of ideas that include historical materialism, the proletariat as the revolutionary class, and the workers' state to build socialism. I would recommend reading The Communist Manifesto, as well as Principles of Communism to get a better grasp of it.

[Q]

As you're asking for the definitions of socialism and communism in it's Marxist context, I shall link to MIA (http://marxists.org) on this:
Socialism (http://marxists.org/glossary/terms/s/o.htm#socialism)
Communism (http://marxists.org/glossary/terms/c/o.htm#communism)

In short socialism is a transitionary phase between capitalism and communism in which it solves the problems of capitalism (like material inequality, unequal development of the planet, the chaos of the free market, the problem of low and backward culture, etc.).

Mind that socialists set a big difference between revolutionary and reformistic goals, this split is permanent since 1914 when the German reformists accepted the German war funds, setting in motion the biggest war in history of the time. This reformistic branch is called a social-democracy. Mind that before WWI all revolutionaries and reformists were called the social-democracy (http://marxists.org/glossary/terms/s/o.htm#social-democracy).

But even then these social-democratic parties have made another turn rightward in the last period after the fall of the USSR, making them fully bourgeois. This is called social-liberalism by most of these parties. So, I disagree with "Hope Lies in the Proles": Tony Blair has nothing at all to do with socialism. Maoism/Stalinism/etc are totalitarian caricatures of socialism, instead of genuine direct democracies in which the working class and peasantry sets its priorities.

[Ismail]

Originally posted by Q-collective+December 23, 2007 06:29 am--> (Q-collective @ December 23, 2007 06:29 am) Maoism/Stalinism/etc are totalitarian caricatures of socialism, instead of genuine direct democracies in which the working class and peasantry sets its priorities. [/b]
Maoism/«Stalinism»/etc are called «totalitarian» by people like Tony Blair, who are reformists and have nothing to do with Socialism.

Socialism (in my view) is the transition stage in Marxist-Leninism (Socialism would be the Leninism part, with the concept of a vanguard party and so on in order to progress into a Communist society) and thus Communism is the end result in which the state withers away.

Normally I would not turn this into a «I shall show you a specific viewpoint» but since Q-collective has stated something that I obviously do not agree with, I too shall do the same. During Socialisms existence, it must engage in class struggle. Ergo, purges (which are usually non-violent and simply mean being ejected from the party) are a way to prevent the vanguard party from becoming corrupted. See Conditions for Admitting New Members to the Party (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1922/mar/24.htm) by Lenin.

Us Hoxhaists (supporters of Enver Hoxha, Prime Minister of Albania from 1944-1985) believe that if a Socialist nation has a culture, an economy, etc that does not reflect Marxist-Leninist views and class struggle against the bourgeois, then this paves the way towards revisionism, which basically means socialism in name only. Hoxhaists believe that the Soviet Union post-Stalin abandoned Socialism (both economically and culturally) and became an imperialistic power in its own right, as we believe to be the same with China, Cuba (although it has improved slightly since its days as a Soviet puppet), and so on. In short, we are dedicated Marxist-Leninists.

We of course believe that the Soviet Union under Stalin was democratic, as was Albania under Hoxha, and so on. We do not support dictatorships.


Q-collective
But even then these social-democratic parties have made another turn rightward in the last period after the fall of the USSR, making them fully bourgeois.We also disagree with this. There is little difference between a «somewhat» bourgeois party and a bourgeois one. Both are against Socialism and thus are to be opposed in normal circumstances. Also, they began turning rightward since the 1970's with stuff like «Eurocommunism».

[mikelepore]

socialism is a transitionary phase between capitalism and communism

... was a distinction that was proposed by Lenin in 1905. It was never the view of Marx or Engels.

Most people confuse Lenin's terminology with something else that Marx actually did suggest, but not contrasting those two words -- that he expected that there would be the "first phase" communism, in which workers would be paid incomes by the hour, and then "higher phase" communism, which wouldn't use money. [On the last few pages of "Critique of the Gotha Programme"]

In the writings of Marx and Engels, The only difference between socialism and communism is that the word "socialism" was allowed to be used more loosely, calling communes and coops "utopian socialism" and sarcastically calling liberal reforms "bourgeois socialism", while the word "communism" was to be reserved more specifically for either of two things: (1) the modern positions of Marx, Engels and the Communist League; (2) the "primitive communism" which once existed in tribal societies before private property and the state were invented.

[christiancl]

thanks guys!