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I won’t take a position here on whether or not communism can truly be achieved or whether the Soviet Union’s attempt is the only way, but you repeat two major m
by jonathanyc 8y ago
I won’t take a position here on whether or not communism can truly be achieved or whether the Soviet Union’s attempt is the only way, but you repeat two major misconceptions in your post:
(1) Different people did receive different wages in the USSR, and managers even received bonuses if they met performance targets.
(2) “Communism” as defined by communist thinkers is primarily the state of existence where the means of production, e.g. factories and railroads, are universally accessible to everyone, rather than under private and exclusive control. This doesn’t really imply anything about government at all, and perhaps even presupposes the non existence of the state, which after all is claimed to primarily exist to mediate interactions between the classes.
- nvcl 8y agoEvery attempt at communism in human history has ended in the same disaster. It is always some group of bureaucrats and talkers taking over and stealing from the workers they are supposed to be protecting. Bureaucrats and parasites are also a problem in Western democracies, but less pronounced.
- jonathanyc 8y agoI literally made a point about how I’m not disagreeing with that (and I don’t disagree with it). You should read the comment you’re replying to.
- glass_of_water 8y agoRegarding point 2, without a government, what would prevent groups from forcefully taking over the means of production and limiting access?
- jonathanyc 8y agoDefinitely a weak point. Of course, the analogous problem in capitalism is where a company is so successful that it can pull the ladder up behind it and inhibit competition.