Maktub said:There's one thing that puzzles me - why do many people from the USA mostly use communism as something to be avoided? It's like they're using it as a synonym for "evil", "bad", "wrong"...
I just don't get it. It's simply another way to administer things, it's failed because of external pressure (well, mostly at least) and it's been demonized in the USA for God knows what reason in the past. Communism doesn't mean that no one has a property. Have any of you guys heard of the "third way"? (not sure this is the exact term you'd use in English). That's mostly communism. Communism as it's understood nowadays translates into socialism which is what a healthy democracy would naturally lead to, as the government is ultimately (or SHOULD be, at least) in hands of the majority, and the majority isn't composed of rich, powerful people but rather of the kind of people you see in the local grocery or buying newspapers. I don't think their goal is to let other people gain a lot of money wiht their hard work. The least people would want is to have the same as most other people do and to ascend in a system of merits.
This system of merits is, maybe, another one of the reasons why communism (hardcore communism after WWII) failed. Everyone got the same even if they did no work at all, and if you wanted to improve, there was no room because you simply belonged to the populace, the uniform mass. That's been "fixed" with the implementation of an upper "ceiling" in a very controlled environment (mostly because it's transparent) in countries that live on the "third way" (some kind of mixture between communism and capitalism), namely the nordic countries. I do know for a fact that some former presidents of the USA have pointed at those countries and said they were evil and shit but that was clearly propaganda for some stupid quarrel back then that doesn't make sense no more and that only a few rednecks would swallow.
Anyway, not like I'm interested in making an apology of any way. I just would like to know why, in most of USAns minds, the word "communism" rings with the same tone of bells of the apocalypse as "terrorism" is beginning to do nowadays.
The third way in my opinion is the closest to what communism actually should be. It entitles everyone to the same basic benefits and necesseties, but for those seeking more materialistic ways the option is there. Communism isn't about restricting freedom and choice, it's about a country working as a "community" to ensure that their fellow citizens have enough to be healthy, fed, clothed and are given the opportunity to pursue the goals that they feel are most important to them (excluding murder, crime etc).
China is trying to convert from Maoism/Marxism at the moment. It's hard to tell whether or not it's working because of the sheer amount of propoganda from both sides of the fence. China wants the rest of the world to believe it's doing better then anyone else and the other anti-communist governments want you to believe it's a failure and will never work. After the mess Mao made of the country it'll be a long time before they're ever truly balanced but at least they're headed in the right direction.
QUOTE(Sterl500 @ Aug 31 2009, 01:10 AM) I will, and hey just so everyone knows I probably will convinently forget about the voting date
also I have to think hard about these kinds of things cause I am still in Highschool
Then you're at the perfect time to begin training your mind to think freely! Remember to question everything! Any time something like the issue of socialised health care shows up ask yourself what those claiming it's bad stand to lose. Compare it to what those claiming it's good stand to gain. Ask yourself whether things are a compassionate decision or an economical one. Are your political leaders deciding on something because it helps their citizens, the people they're supposed to protect, or the corporations. Is your political leader choosing an option because he stands to gain financially or is he choosing it because it's the best option for the people he represents. Always ask those kinds of questions and more! Learn about different political structures, somewhere amongst a mix of all of them is a solution that works!
One of the best suggestions I can make to you is to start reading up on conspiracy theories. There's alot of rubbish out there, there's alot of crazies out there but hidden amongst alot of it are people who are very clued up and very smart who have actually studied up on things such as America leading towards becoming a closed big brother state, how governments use psychological techniques to keep their citizens pre-occupied and other things.
Makes me sound like a crazy person I know but trust me, there's some real eye opening information in between alot of the tin-foil hat talk.
