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communism101

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★ Communism 101 ★

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★ Definitions of terms ★

  • Communism: A term describing a stateless, classless, moneyless society with common ownership of the means of production. "Communism" can also describe the revolutionary movement to create such a society.
  • Socialism: An umbrella term used to describe social ownership of the means of production. Social ownership can include common ownership, state ownership or collective ownership. "Socialism" can also refer to an intermediate and transitional form of society between capitalism and communism featuring a Dictatorship of the Proletariat (sometimes referred to as "lower" or "the first phase of" communism).
  • Means of Production: An all-embracing term that describes every non-human material factor involved in the process of socially useful production.
  • Bourgeoisie: The capitalist class; the ruling class in capitalist society. The social class which owns the means of production and exploits hired labor. The buyers of labor power. This class is made up of a very small minority of the population.
  • Proletariat: The working class; the class of people in capitalist society who, deprived of any ownership of the means of production, must sell their labor power to the capitalists in order to survive. The exploited class; the sellers of labor power.
  • Exploitation: Exploitation is making use of some vulnerability in another person in order to use them to attain one’s own ends at their expense. Marxists specifically use the term to refer to the expropriation (theft) of the labor of a worker (via the extraction of surplus value) by the owners of the means of production. Capitalists make their profit from exploitation.
  • Dictatorship of the Proletariat: A state of proletarian rule where the working class organizes to democratically control the means of production, defend against bourgeois reaction, and create the material basis for a gradual transition to communism. "Dictatorship" in this sense does not mean rule by one individual; Marxists view any state as being under the "dictatorship" of a class. This term is the antithesis of the "Dictatorship of the Bourgeoisie" that exists under capitalism where the minority class rules society.
  • State: The state, in Marxist terminology, is a mechanism for class rule. It is the primary instrument of political power in class society, consisting of organs of administration, and of force. A state of one kind or another will exist as long as social classes exist.
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[–]Queermmunist 31 points32 points33 points  (13 children)
They were literally polar opposites. Fascism is based on: - Corporatism (essentially upside-down trade unions; bosses sit together and plan how to treat their workers). - Sexism (horrible treatment of women, trans people, sexual/romantic minorities). - Nationalism and racism ('undesirables' must be purged to strengthen the nation). - Imperialism (fascist states seek to rapidly expand to gain access to cheap labour).
While Leninism in the USSR was based on: - Public ownership of the economy. - A democratic state (via the Soviets). - Promotion of women's and queer rights (until the 1930's, this should be criticized). - Internationalism and promotion of national minorities (Jewish oblast, Volga German republic, etc. The 1940's setback should be criticized). - Anti-imperialism and anti-fascism.
[–]Arch-duke 28 points29 points30 points  (0 children)
No but they were both bossy.
[–]shockingdevelopment[S] 10 points11 points12 points  (1 child)
While Leninism in the USSR was based on: - Public ownership of the economy. - A democratic state (via the Soviets).
Im asking about what they actually did in practice, not what their propaganda promised. e.g on November 3 1917, Lenin announced in a “Draft Decree on Workers’ Control” that delegates elected to exercise such control were to be “answerable to the State for the maintenance of the strictest order and discipline and for the protection of property.” As the year ended, Lenin noted that “we passed from workers’ control to the creation of the Supreme Council of National Economy,” which was to “replace, absorb and supersede the machinery of workers’ control”. Not long after, Lenin decreed that the leadership must assume “dictatorial powers” over the workers, who must accept “unquestioning submission to a single will” and “in the interests of socialism,” must “unquestioningly obey the single will of the leaders of the labour process.”
[–]jakehmwMarxism-Leninism-Maoism 13 points14 points15 points  (0 children)
All of this is true, but I'm afraid you're leaving out a great amount of context. Early-20th century Russia was nowhere near ready for a complete socialization of production, whether it be because untrained workers or the low outputs of the productive-forces. Despite this, the Bolsheviks decided to seize power regardless and develop Russian industry and agriculture with socialists in command instead of the Russian bourgeoisie. Here's an excerpt from an article from marxist.com:
The Bolsheviks, aware of the impossibility of backward Russia immediately passing to socialism, and aware of the inexperience of the workers in administration, wanted to set up a regime of workers’ control until assistance could come from the revolution in the West, namely from Germany, with its strong, highly educated working class.
Even so, the Bolsheviks did nationalize the banks – one of the most important measures taken by the young Soviet state. This robbed the owners of big business, both foreign and Russian, of one of their most effective tools to organize sabotage, and gave the Soviet state a powerful economic tool, as well as a vital and effective statistical and accounting centre for the whole economy.
One of the pressing issues facing the Bolsheviks was the need to re-organize Russian industry and to raise the productivity of labour. If this could not be done, then the young Soviet state was doomed.
After the decree on workers’ control was passed, workers’ control attained a convulsive, chaotic character. As Paul Avrich writes: “The effect of the decree was to give powerful impetus to a brand of syndicalism in which the workers on the spot rather than the over-all trade union apparatus controlled the instruments of production – a brand of syndicalism bordering on total chaos." (Paul Avrich, The Russian Anarchists, pg 162). More and more bosses were leaving Russia, and the workers were more and more forced to take the reigns of management. The Russian economy was smashed after four years of war and revolution. Russia was itself on the verge of collapse.
The bosses naturally resisted workers’ control. Workers’ control was met with further lockouts and sabotage. This was in turn answered with punitive nationalizations. As Trotsky had explained, if the bosses attempted sabotage or abandoned the factory, they lost it.
The Bolsheviks also faced the disintegration of central authority. In fact, between November 1917 and June 1918, many factories and mills were run under “workers’ self-management”, that is the syndicalist idea of self-management. This particularism and parochialism reflected the backwardness of Russia, her low level of development, and a largely rural petty-bourgeois economy.
Many Bolsheviks and other labour leaders recognized that the local pride of individual factory committees might damage the national economy beyond repair, and that many were selfishly absorbed in the needs of their own enterprises, and as one labour leader said “this could result in the same sort of atomisation as under the capitalist system”(Avrich, The Russian Anarchists, pg 164).
Another labour leader wrote, “workers’ control had turned into an anarchistic attempt to achieve socialism in one enterprise, but actually leads to clashes among the workers themselves, and to the refusal of fuel, metal, etc., to one another” (Avrich, The Russian Anarchists, pg 164).
The conditions pressed upon the Russian socialists at the time forced them to allow some private property, so as to foster growth. It wasn't until later, once the economy had recovered from the multiple revolutions, crises, World War, and Civil War, that the Bolsheviks were able to begin collectivization and worker-ownership.
[–]jingleheimer_spliff -2 points-1 points0 points  (5 children)
I think you're confusing the definition of corporatism, despite the name it has very little to do with corporations.
Edit: why the downvotes? The definition they gave was pretty r/badpolitics. There's no reason for academic laziness here.
[–]Loves_His_Bong 3 points4 points5 points  (4 children)
Well this is 101. And that's a pretty 101 explanation but it's not really incorrect. It's special interests (corporations) controlling the economy (worker production and output.)
[–]jingleheimer_spliff 1 point2 points3 points  (3 children)
that's not really what it is at all, fascists advocate for the economy being brought under state control, for example, under Hitler lots of things were nationalized, there was close to full employment, and private ownership was conditional.
[–]Loves_His_Bong 0 points1 point2 points  (2 children)
Fascism and corporatism aren't necessarily the same though.
[–]jingleheimer_spliff 1 point2 points3 points  (1 child)
Yes ... but if we are talking about the fascist theory of corporatism, that's exactly what it is, the special interest group being the state, it's not the same as capitalism and the original comment made it sound like it is.
[–]Loves_His_Bong 1 point2 points3 points  (0 children)
I believe corporatism is the natural and logical endpoint of capitalism though. Just look at the power special interests have in America now.
[–][deleted]  (3 children)
[removed]
    [–]Queermmunist 17 points18 points19 points  (2 children)
    No, because communism is economic and political democracy for all people, and imperialism is racist exploitation of nations by developed countries. And exploiter rich peasants and fascists are actual harmful elements, while queer people like myself have everything to gain from supporting communism.
    [–][deleted]  (1 child)
    [removed]
      [–]Queermmunist 3 points4 points5 points  (0 children)
      I did reply to that.

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