Looking for verified historical examples of where communism has failed and harmed humanity?

[Anonymous]

I am doing this for a research project. I also doing a counter research about how capitalism has failed humanity.

Just a few atrocities and hypocrisies that come to mind:

- the horror of the Hugo Chavez dictatorship that devastated Venezuela
- Stalin purges of the 1930s that resulted in the deaths of millions of people.
- China’s “great leap forward” that resulted in tens of millions of people.
- People getting shot and killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall heading west but never East.
- Bernie Sanders becoming a millionaire by publishing a book about socialism.
- BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors buying a mansion with unexplained money (although it is confirmed BLM received over 90 million.
- Examples of communist dictators accumulating vast wealth (Fidel Castro was reputed to be a billionaire).

Also for you people out there who hate capitalism you are welcome to post as well. But if you can source your example I would appreciate it.

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* China’s “great leap forward” that resulted in tens of millions of people starving

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Looking for the deeper thinkers out there who write lots of details and provide sources.

[DaveJord]

So according to Karl Marx's, the struggle between social classes—specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary communism.

www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marxism.asp#:~:text=Marxism%20posits%20that%20the%20struggle,inevitably%20lead%20to%20revolutionary%20communism.

So if you wanted to write a collage level research paper, all you have to do to find examples of where Communism failed, then research any Communist country that ended in revolution. So basically any former state of the Soviets Union, Ukraine or Vietnam, or North Korea for that matter. Find specific examples where communist's revolution took place and then communist state evitable failed and the country reverted back to a more liberal form of government.

Then research specific facts within these countries that contributed to the failure of Communism.

Now North Korea and China are among the few modern day communist states still left, so contrast the difference between the social classes within these states today. Because according to Marx a true communist state would have no internal struggle between social classes or would be void of social disparity. The issue is that Marx's never truly stated what a future communist state would look like. So you could argue that since there is no true example of a true communist state there is no way to prove one failed on the principals of communism alone, but fall to its own internal corruption and exploitation of labor.

Marx's also believed that Capitalism and Communisms were at two complete opposite end of the spectrums, and any other form of government in between were just socialist countries in the evolutionary process to becoming communist.

But the world has never seen a true capitalist country or communist country. Do its very possible according to Marx's own theories that Capitalisms and Communism do not truly exist and never have, because forms of government today are socialist in one form or another along an evolutionary process of becoming communist. So to date the closest thing we have in history to a true capital state is the United States, and the closes thing we have to a true communist state is China. But neither of them are truly Communist or Capitalist they are just two of the most successful countries to date at opposite ends of the spectrum.

[DCooper]

When communism fails, that never harms humanity. It's when communism succeeds that it kills millions.

[Asker]

That’s actually a good quote

[Soteris]

I honestly feel like you are missing the point here. Communism (and capitalism) are philosophies. The atrocities of various leaders such as Stalin or Mau is not related to the philosophy of Communism but is just your normal garden variety of authoritarianism hiding under the brand of something else.

While I am not actually that familiar with the shortcomings of Communism since its not really relevant to our current world events, these are not it. I do know a few Capitalist though to make an example of a systemic problem with a philosophy like this. Capitalism is fundamentally a fairly simple system but in my opinion it is an incomplete system because it makes various assumptions that does not necessarily have to be true.

One of these assumptions that Capitalism makes is that everyone has access to a job. Even if they for one reason or another do not have a job they at least have a reasonable opportunity to get one. If this is no longer true, if people can no longer be reasonably guaranteed to have a job then the capitalist society collapses because you can not survive in a capitalist society without a job and by extension, an income.

In other words, if something in the world were to change and jobs were reduced such as through automation and robots then capitalism might become unworkable and collapse society causing incalculable harm. This is not a problem of a leader or circumstantial situations causing problems, this is a fundamental problem with capitalism itself.

I do not know of a similar example in communism. As far as I can tell its a far more robust system that would not simply collapse because of new technology changing some base parameters. I guess if work itself becomes redundant it does sort of defeat the purpose of communism but even then it would not collapse society and hurt people like capitalism would since communism at its base would protect peoples right to a basic life.

[maximumpower]

first - define your version of communism. if it's true communism, which is rare, then it hasn't.
THEN, go to the library and pick up a few books on countries that have adopted communist governments, then consider how many of them - and their people - are truly satisfied with it.
by the way - this is an assignment for you to answer, not the community.

[Asker]

I already have a short list of examples. Just looking for more.

[StevieNix]

Can you give ONE example where communism has worked?

[exitseven]

chicago?

[StevieNix]

@exitseven
Is that the place where we don't talk about gun deaths?

[exitseven]

How about Cuba. Now that the Soviet Union has been dissolved they are no longer being supported by the Soviets like they were. People are hungry and things like farm machinery is not being maintained.

[Lyndsielee666]

How dare you disrespect grandpa Bernie like that.

[joeldalton]

Everywhere?

[Asker]

Whatever example you know of. I am willing to find verified examples of capitalism being exploitive of humanity as well.

[joeldalton]

Communism brings misery wherever it's tried. Your paper would have to list every example of communism every attempted.

[Asker]

I know. But I am looking for specific examples particularly hypocritical examples.