What is Communism?

History of Communism

Communism as an ideology has been the best critique of capitalism.

Marxism’s Brand of Socialism

See Hegel, Engels. Lenin applied their theories. Hegel looked at the clash of ideas, of opposites and out of the crisis comes synthesis forming a new idea. Marx puzzled over master exploiting slave, lord exploiting serf, capitalist exploiting worker.

Marx claimed that reform is not enough. Action was required. Das Capital is optomistic. Change is natural and things are getting better. The Communist Manifesto states that capitalism is inappropriate in which the worst of our nature is stimulated, that there is an evolutionary process to socialism. Utopia can be attained through aggressive effort of the working Proletariat (wage earning without property, unsafe working conditions as a result of the Industrial Revolution).

Society has chained human beings because of economic arrangements that prevail. Chained – to be alienated from our true selves. “Working men of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains.” Our chains are seen to be capitalism. The goal was to abolish the two economic classes to end exploitation and abolish capitalism to be liberated. The process of history will stop in a classless society. Give according to ability. Take according to need. No exploitation. How does that work, exactly?

The goal was for the proletariate to own their own labour. The enormous fear that a communist revolution would take hold in Canada galvenized the businesses to voluntarily establish benefit plans for their workers to enhance worker loyalty. It worked.

Class status has shifted to one of economic position. Religion and language and ethnicity are irrelevent. Economic status remains relevent.

See Proudhon on poverty and property.

See Marx and Proudhon from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.