True or False: Communism is an economic system, not a politcal system?

[OtterMan68]

True: It's an economic system where there is central planning and no private property. Theoretically, you could have a democratic political system and a communist economic system.

False: Communism is a political system where a small group of communist officials run the country.

Updates

1 y

few who say it's a politcal system are saying how that system is organized. China has an oligarchy: a few communist party officials decide who the leader is, and he has a lot of power, but that's an oligarcy.
Maoist China and Stalin's USSR were autocracies.
China today has a mixed market economy just like every other country on they planet save N Korea, but it's an oligarchy, as I said even though it's run by a party that calls itself communist.

[SotiCoto]

I suppose at that it probably is an economic system. But then I tend to regard "economics" as a bit of a dirty word, as my hatred of capitalism has left me antagonistic towards all matters of currency.
I couldn't bring myself to agree with communism as I'm fundamentally individualist, but I guess if my life's worth is going to be dictated by so-called authorities then enforced equality would be the lesser of two evils... as compared to the financial tyranny of the capitalists.

[DrPepper12]

Both. Centralized public ownership of means of production can only work under an authoritarian system.

[OtterMan68]

so it would be impossible for people to vote for politicians who would implement an economic system of central planning?

[DrPepper12]

No. people can vote for the STUPIDEST SHIT yet their right to do so is still by virtue of they're being human.

[IslaTheWitch]

it's a political ideology that affects an economic system of the country it exists in

[KostasKouvalis]

You grew up in a Communist country so you're a good source ;)

[IslaTheWitch]

@KostasKouvalis lol yep, kind of unique experience at the beginning of my life

[laly520]

both an economic n a political ideology/system

[OtterMan68]

what is a communis political system?

[Alexandrubaschet08]

You're delusional, man.
In addition to the above, that power is centralized.
Also, private property does not exist, so the state/government can deprive you of any good that is supposed to be in its possession, from the house, the car, the washing machine, even the clothes on your back.
In communism, all citizens are equal in society, from the garbage collector to the nuclear physics engineer, the same salary or the same food rations.
The communist system is just a small political group of people who share their wealth equally to the detriment of citizens who are equal in poverty.
Many of the films before 1989 in Europe show prosperity and progress, but IT IS JUST PROPAGANDA!
I AM THE ONLY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISM COMPARED TO MY SISTER AND MY PARENTS, AND THIS HAS VISIBLE CONSEQUENCES IN OUR BEHAVIOR AND IN THE WAY OF THINKING AND UNDERSTANDING SOME THINGS AND EVEN ANTICIPATING OTHERS FASTER OR SLOWER.
THERE ARE HABITS THAT MAKE LOGIC FOR THEM AND NOT FOR ME AND VICE-VERSE.

[Syntosi]

It is both. Communism is a far broader category than something like capitalism is and contains many more schools of thought, some of which are economic and others political. Communism was pretty much designed to be an "all in one package" so to speak.

[OtterMan68]

so what is a communist political system?

[Syntosi]

Well, as I said earlier it has many different schools of thoughts which includes many different ways for how a political system could work. One example is a stateless society which would be a country with no, or a very minimal government structure. This one in particular is mostly theoretical since we have not had those in recent human history so we dont know how they would work in reality.

That said its just one example. Communism has been a favorite subject for experts to speculate on how a country could function for a long time now which has resulted in countless different models. If you could think of a way a country could function then some scholar has probably thought up a communistic model for it.

[DJB72]

As implemented it's a dictatorship of the least capable forcing the more able to work for their benefit or die, resulting in the mass slaughter of the population of china and the soviet states in the 20th century.

It's not an economic system, it's an economic disaster. It's not a political system, it's about power, not service.

[andreasderjuengere]

It's an economic concept that actually LACKS a system (that works).

After all: writing books in a comfy armchair (sponsored by a friend) and based on what he studied in libraries and such, Marx was kind of unfamiliar with the ''working class''.

But similar to Hitler or Trump, the guy had a good feeling for populistic trends.

Also: on a national or international level, economics automatically also become a political issue.

[Anonymous]

Socialism came from Christianity. It's a response not to capitalism which existed in America at the time but to monarch and feudalism which existed in Europe and especially bad in Russia. It was designed to make a fairer soceity for the common man. If you ever read animal farm socialism ends in one way.

[Kaneki05]

This can't be one without the other.
Communism fundamentally has politics that have to be in place for that economic system.

[OtterMan68]

how so? Can't it be voluntary on a large scale like it is in a smaller scale such as monasteries?

[Kaneki05]

Communism is designed to get rid of inefficiency, Religion would be one key points of that.
So all religious funding and houses of worship would be got rid of which is a massive political change.
And voluntary within it's self is right away inefficient.
Laws would all have to change for this system to be efficient as possible since that's the point of it.

[OtterMan68]

the irony of that statement: monasteries and convents are communists.
Why can't you have central planning without religion? As long as the churches are not producing goods for profit, they'd be in line with communism.

[Kaneki05]

No they aren't Communist tho Monasteries only work because they aspire for nothing more and they do have hierarchy and a class system, there whole thing relies on it in fact.
Communism is about improving our way of life to the best of our capability.
Monasteries are close minded, stay to the past nor make future advancements and are dictated by religion.
So sure if you wanted a society that never progressed we could do that, then anyone who goes against the faith we will just burn them or cast them out to die either way works if that's what you hope for.

But that's not what communism wants.

[OtterMan68]

In a monastery, there is no private property among the monks. Everything is collectively owned. They all work for free and share duties. Any money coming in goes to upkeep. How is that not communist?

[Kaneki05]

I just explained why it's not. Re-read. That's not all it takes to be communist.

[OtterMan68]

no, you didn't. You tried to explain how there could be on religion in a communist country, but monasteries are communist: no private property - collective property instead. No profits

[Kaneki05]

"No they aren't Communist tho Monasteries only work because they aspire for nothing more and they do have hierarchy and a class system, there whole thing relies on it in fact."
Literally did.
If you don't get my point, don't fault it with me not explaining it. Just look up what Marx thought about having class systems and that communism entire point was to get rid of that.

If you still don't get it then I don't know what to say.

[OtterMan68]

That’s a social system

[Kaneki05]

Yeah a social system which communism don't agree with.

There is no such thing as a ideology not including both politics and economics or social. These things all come together as a society.
Just go read any of Marx and Engels works you'll see they encompass all of it because that's how a society lives and thrives to the same goal.

[BTigers96]

It's Neither. Communism is a tactic used by people who want the power and authority to strip Life, Liberty, and Property from their fellow man.

[sawno]

I'd say its a bit of both, its an economic system but it depends on a political system with central planners and bureaucrats managing it all.

[exitseven]

It is a political system. You vote it in but you have to shoot your way out

[OtterMan68]

how is it organized?

[LiamS95]

Communism is a dictatorship where the people are opressed and the dictator and his friends grow rich.

[OtterMan68]

so you can have private property and profit?

[noohair]

Communism is a flawed economic system and will always fail as it is antithetical to human nature.

[KostasKouvalis]

Definitely false. Isla summed it up pretty well

[Anonymous]

communism is both and has disastrous effects when put into action

[Chelsdope0]

Definitely economical