> There must be a better way. There was a better way, in the history of Russia/Ukraine. After the popular uprising of early 1917, the self-organized communitie

> There must be a better way. There was a better way, in the history of Russia/Ukraine. After the popular uprising of early 1917, the self-organized communities (the soviets) started to reshape the country, even forming actual Communes (such as in Cronstadt Russia and Huliaipole Ukraine) in the spirit of libertarian socialist revolution of the Paris Commune, which also sparked at the height of war (1917 was the peak of WWI, while 1871 was the peak of France/Prussian war). The problems started when Lenin returned from exile and organized a coup d'État against decentralized power (the soviets) as well as the remnants of Nation State power and applied his tyrannical doctrine of the "dictatorship of the proletariat", slowly rebuilding the State apparatus and secret services in the name of fighting the immediate threat (local monarchists and german invaders). If you're curious about that period, i strongly recommend to read Emma Goldman. She has very detailed recollections and anecdata from that time, both in her autobiography and in her publications (such as Trotsky protests too much, or There is no communism in Russia).