Capitalism and socialism are
somewhat opposing schools of thought in economics. The central arguments
in the socialism/capitalism debate are about economic equality and the role of
government: socialists believe economic inequality is bad for society and the
government is responsible for reducing it via programs that benefit the poor.
e.g. free public education, free
or subsidized health care, social security for
the elderly, higher taxes on the rich. On the other hand, capitalists
believe that government does not use economic resources as efficiently as
private enterprise and therefore society is better off with the free market
determining economic winners and losers.
The U.S. is widely considered the bastion of capitalism and large parts of Scandinavia and Western Europe are socialist democracies. However, the truth is every developed country has some programs that are socialist.
The U.S. is widely considered the bastion of capitalism and large parts of Scandinavia and Western Europe are socialist democracies. However, the truth is every developed country has some programs that are socialist.
An extreme form of socialism is communism.
Capitalism vs Socialism
Comparison chart :
Capitalism
|
Socialism
|
|
Philosophy:
|
Capital (or the "means of production")
is owned, operated, and traded for the purpose of generating profits for
private owners or shareholders. Emphasis on individual profit rather than on
workers or society as a whole.
|
From each according to his ability, to each
according to his contribution. Emphasis on profit being distributed among the
society or workforce in addition to receiving a wage.
|
Ideas:
|
Laissez-faire means to "let it be";
opposed to government intervention in economics because capitalists believe
it introduces inefficiencies. Free market produces the best economic
outcome for society. Govt. should not pick winners and losers.
|
All people should be given an equal opportunity to
succeed. Workers should have most say in their factory's management. The
free market suffers from problems like tragedy of the commons.Government
regulation is necessary.
|
Economic System:
|
Free-Market economy.
|
Wealth redistributed so that everyone in society
is given somewhat equal shares of the benefits derived from labor, but people
can earn more if they work harder. Means of production are controlled by the
workers themselves.
|
Key elements:
|
The accumulation of capital drives economic
activity - the need to continuously produce profits and reinvest this profit
into the economy. "Production for profit": useful goods and
services are a byproduct of pursuing profit.
|
Economic activity and production especially are
adjusted to meet human needs and economic demands. "Production for
use": useful goods and services are produced specifically for their
usefulness.
|
Economic coordination:
|
Relies principally on markets to determine
investment, production and distribution decisions. Markets may be
free-markets, regulated-markets, or may be combined with a degree of
state-directed economic planning or planning within private companies.
|
Planned-Socialism relies principally on planning
to determine investment and production decisions. Planning may be centralized
or decentralized. Market-socialism relies on markets for allocating capital
to different socially-owned enterprises.
|
Political movements:
|
Classical liberalism, Social liberalism,
Libertarianism, Neo-liberalism, Modern Social-Democracy
|
Democratic Socialism, Communism, Libertarian
Socialism, Anarchism, Syndicalism
|
Ownership structure:
|
The means of production are privately-owned and
operated for a private profit. This drives incentives for producers to
engage in economic activity.
|
The means of production are socially-owned with
the surplus value produced accruing to either all of society (in
Public-ownership models) or to all the employee-members of the enterprise (in
Cooperative-ownership models).
|
Religion:
|
Permitted/Freedom of Religion
|
freedom of religion
|
Key Proponents:
|
Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Milton Friedman,
Fredrich Hayek, Ayn Rand
|
Robert Owen, Pierre Leroux, Karl
Marx, Fredrick Engels, John Stuart Mill, Albert Einstein, George
Bernard Shaw, Leo Tolstoy, Emma Goldman
|
Way of Change:
|
Fast change within the system. In theory, the
relationship between buyer and seller (the market) is what fuels what is
produced. Government can change rules of conduct/business practices
through regulation or ease of regulations.
|
Workers in a Socialist-state are the agent of
change rather than any market or desire on the part of consumers. Change by
the workers can be swift or slow, depending on change in ideology or even
whim.
|
Tenets
One of the central arguments in economics, especially in the socialism vs. capitalism debate, is the role of the government. A capitalist system is based on private ownership of the means of production and the creation of goods or services for profit. A socialist system is characterised by social ownership of the means of production, e.g. cooperative enterprises, common ownership, direct public ownership or autonomous state enterprises.
Proponents of capitalism espouse competitive and
free markets, voluntary exchange (over forced exchange of labor or goods).
Socialists advocate greater government involvement but the differ in the type
of social ownership they advocate, the degree to which they rely on markets
versus planning, how management is to be organised within economic enterprises,
and the role of the state in constructing socialism.
Critics argue that capitalism is associated with: unfair and inefficient distribution of wealth and power; a tendency toward market monopol or oligopoly (and government by oligarchy); imperialism, counter-revolutionary wars and various forms of economic and cultural exploitation; repressions of workers and trade unionists, and phenomena such as social alienation, inequality, unemployment, and economic instability. Critics have argued that there is an inherent tendency towards oligolopolistic structures when laissez-faire is combined with capitalist private property. Capitalism is regarded by many socialists to be irrational in that production and the direction the economy is unplanned, creating many inconsistencies and internal contradictions.
In the early 20th century, Vladimir Lenin argued
that state use of military power to defend capitalist interests abroad was an
inevitable corollary of monopoly capitalism. Economist Branko Horvat states,
"it is now well known that capitalist development leads to the
concentration of capital, employment and power. It is somewhat less known that
it leads to the almost complete destruction of economic freedom." Southern
Methodist university Economics Professor Ravi Batra
argues that excessive income and wealth inequalities are a fundamental cause of
financial crisis and economic depression, which wil lead to the collapse
of capitalism and the emergence of a new social order.
Environmentalists have argued that capitalism
requires continual economic growth, and will inevitably deplete
thefinite natural resources of the earth, and other broadly utilized
resources. Murray Bookchin has argued that capitalist production externalizes
environmental costs to all of society, and is unable to adequately mitigate its
impact upon ecosystems and the biosphere at large. Labor historians and
scholars, such as Immanuel Wallerstein, Tom Brass and latterly Marcel van der
Linden, have argued that unfree labor — by slaves, indentured servants,
prisoners, and other coerced persons — is compatible with capitalist relations.
Many religions have criticized or opposed specific
elements of capitalism; traditional Judaism and christianity, and
islam forbid lending money sat interst, although methods
of Islamic banking have been developed. Christianity has been a
source of both praise and criticism for capitalism, particularly its
materialist aspects.
Criticisms of socialism range from claims that
socialist economic and political models are inefficient or incompatible with
civil liberties to condemnation of specific socialist states. There is much
focus on the economic performance and human rights records
of communist states, although there is debate over the
categorization of such states as socialist.
In the economic calculation debate, classical liberal Friedrich Hayek argued that a socialist command economy could not adequately transmit information about prices and productive quotas due to the lack of a price mechanism, and as a result it could not make rational economic decisions. Ludwig von Mises argued that a socialist economy was not possible at all, because of the impossibility of rational pricing of capital goods in a socialist economy since the state is the only owner of the capital goods. Hayek further argued that the social control over distribution of wealth and private property advocated by socialists cannot be achieved without reduced prosperity for the general populace, and a loss of political and economic freedoms.
In the economic calculation debate, classical liberal Friedrich Hayek argued that a socialist command economy could not adequately transmit information about prices and productive quotas due to the lack of a price mechanism, and as a result it could not make rational economic decisions. Ludwig von Mises argued that a socialist economy was not possible at all, because of the impossibility of rational pricing of capital goods in a socialist economy since the state is the only owner of the capital goods. Hayek further argued that the social control over distribution of wealth and private property advocated by socialists cannot be achieved without reduced prosperity for the general populace, and a loss of political and economic freedoms.
Hayek's views were echoed by Winston Churchill in an
electoral broadcast prior to the British general election of 1945:
a socialist policy is abhorrent to
the British ideas of freedom. Socialism is inseparably interwoven with
totalitarianism and the object worship of the state. It will prescribe for
every one where they are to work, what they are to work at, where they may go
and what they may say. Socialism is an attack on the right to breathe freely.
No socialist system can be established without a political police. They would
have to fall back on some form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in
the first instance.
Communism vs Socialism
In a way, communism is an extreme
form of socialism. Many countries have dominant socialist political
parties but very few are truly communist. In fact, most countries - including
staunch capitalist bastions like the U.S. and U.K. - have government programs
that borrow from socialist principles. "Socialism" is
sometimes used interchangeably with "communism" but the two
philosophies have some stark differences. Most notably, while communism is a
political system, socialism is primarily an economic system that can exist in
various forms under a wide range of political systems.
Comparison chart:-
Communism
|
Socialism
|
|
Philosophy:
|
From each according to his ability, to each
according to his needs. Free-access to the articles of consumption is made
possible by advances in technology that allow for super-abundance
|
From each according to his ability, to each
according to his contribution. Emphasis on profit being distributed among the
society or workforce in addition to receivinga wage.
|
Definition:
|
A theory or system of social
organization based on the holding of all property in common, with actual
ownership ascribed to the community or state
|
A theory or system of social
organization based on the holding of most property in common, with
actual ownership ascribed to the workers
|
Ideas:
|
Human societies have always been divided into
warring classes. The Industrial Revolution has enriched the wealthy
and impoverished the poor. The workers must overthrow the bourgeois.
|
All people should be given an equal opportunity to
succeed. Workers should have most say in their factory's management. The
free market suffers from problems like tragedy of the commons.Government
regulation is necessary.
|
Economic System:
|
Wealth redistributed so that everyone in society
is given equal shares of the benefits derived from labor. All means of
production are controlled by the state.
|
Wealth redistributed so that everyone in society
is given somewhat equal shares of the benefits derived from labor, but people
can earn more if they work harder. Means of production are controlled by the
workers themselves.
|
Political System:
|
No leader, directed directly by the people. This
has never been actually practiced, and has just used a one-party system.
|
Multiple parties, but the ruling partyusually
goes by the name "Socialist".
|
Social Structure:
|
All class distinctions are eliminated.
|
Class distinctions are diminished
|
Economic Coordination:
|
Government controls all business, as well
as Business decisions.
|
Planned-Socialism relies principally on planning
to determine investment and production decisions. Planning may be centralized
or decentralized. Market-socialism relies on markets for allocating capital
to different socially-owned enterprises.
|
Free Choice:
|
In real communism, where a leader does not exist,
everything is chosen freely.In those that have been practiced though, all
choices, including education, religion, employment and marriage, are
controlled by the state.
|
All choices, including education, religion,
employment and marriage, are up to the individual. All healthcare and
education is provided free to everybody
|
Political Movements:
|
Leninism, Trotskyism, Marxism-Leninism, Maoism,
Left-Communism
|
Democratic Socialism, Communism, Libertarian
Socialism, Anarchism, Syndicalism
|
Key elements:
|
An enhanced form of the principle of
"Production for use".
|
Economic activity and production especially are
adjusted to meet human needs and economic demands. "Production for
use": useful goods and services are produced specifically for their
usefulness.
|
Religion:
|
Abolished.
|
freedom of religion
|
Private Property:
|
Abolished
|
two kinds of property, private property, such as
land, houses, clothing, etc. owned by the individual. Public property,
factories, and means of production owned by the state but with worker control
|
Key Proponents:
|
Karl Marx, Fredrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Leon
Trotsky
|
Robert Owen, Pierre Leroux, Karl
Marx, Fredrick Engels, John Stuart Mill, Albert
Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Leo Tolstoy, Emma Goldman
|
Discrimination:
|
In theory, all members of the state are considered
equal
|
The people are considered equal, laws are made
when necessary to protect people from discrimination
|
Ownership structure:
|
The means of production are commonly-owned,
meaning no entity or individual owns productive property. Importance is
ascribed to "usership" over "ownership".
|
The means of production are socially-owned with
the surplus value produced accruing to either all of society (in
Public-ownership models) or to all the employee-members of the enterprise (in
Cooperative-ownership models).
|
Way of Change:
|
Government in a Communist-state is the agent of
change rather than any market or desire on the part of consumers. Change by
government can be swift or slow, depending on change in ideology or even
whim.
|
Workers in a Socialist-state are the agent of
change rather than any market or desire on the part of consumers. Change by
the workers can be swift or slow, depending on change in ideology or even
whim.
|
Means of control:
|
Proletariat engages in violent rebellion.
|
Proletariat engages in taking charge of the
factories and means of production.
|
Variations:
|
Include Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism and Maoism
|
libertarian-socialism, and anarcho-socialism,
anarcho-syndicalism
|
Economic differences between socialists
and communists
In a Socialist economy, the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. On the other hand, in a communist society, there is no centralized government - there is a collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.
In a Socialist economy, the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. On the other hand, in a communist society, there is no centralized government - there is a collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.
For a Capitalist society to transition, the first
step is Socialism. From a capitalist system, it is easier to achieve the
Socialist ideal where production is distributed according to people's deeds
(quantity and quality of work done). For Communism (to distribute production
according to needs), it is necessary to first have production so
high that there is enough for everyone's needs. In an ideal Communist society ,
people work not because they have to but because they want to and out of
a sense of responsibility.
Political differences
Political differences
Socialism rejects a class-based society. But socialists believe that it is possible to make the transition from capitalism to socialism without a basic change in the character of the state. They hold this view because they do not think of the capitalist state as essentially an institution for the dictatorship of the capitalist class, but rather as a perfectly good piece of machinery which can be used in the interest of whichever class gets command of it. No need, then, for the working class in power to smash the old capitalist state apparatus and set up its own—the march to socialism can be made step by step within the framework of the democratic forms of the capitalist state. Socialism is primarily an economic system so it exists in varying degrees and forms in a wide variety of political systems.
On the other hand, communists believe that as soon as the working class and its allies are in a position to do so they must make a basic change in the character of the state; they must replace capitalist dictatorship over the working class with workers’ dictatorship over the capitalist class as the first step in the process by which the existence of capitalists as a class (but not as individuals) is ended and a classless society is eventually ushered in.
Communism vs Fascism
In many ways, communist and fascist movements
had opposing ideologies but both ended up being repressive political systems
based on the control of a single leader. While communism is based around a
theory of economic equality, fascism is based around the glory of the state and
strength displayed through violence and conquest. Both communism and fascism
originated in Europe and gained popularity in the early to mid 20th century.
Comparison chart:-
Communism
|
Fascism
|
|
Philosophy:
|
From each according to his ability, to each
according to his needs. Free-access to the articles of consumption is made
possible by advances in technology that allow for super-abundance
|
No single philosophy. The state must gain glory
through constant conquest, aka war. Belief that the past was glorious, and
that the State can be renewed.
|
Economic System:
|
Wealth redistributed so that everyone in society
is given equal shares of the benefits derived from labor. All means of
production are controlled by the state.
|
Focused on glorifying and strengthening the State.
Both Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany attempted to pursue self-sufficiency.
|
Ideas:
|
Human societies have always been divided into
warring classes. The Industrial Revolution has enriched the wealthy and
impoverished the poor. The workers must overthrow the bourgeois.
|
Union between businesses and the State, with the
state telling the business what to do, with private ownership. Also Known as
National-Socialism.
|
Definition:
|
A theory or system of social
organization based on the holding of all property in common, with actual
ownership ascribed to the community or state
|
A government system led by a dictator
having complete power, forcibly oppressing opposition and criticism,
regimenting all industry and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism.
|
Economic Coordination:
|
Government controls all business, as well
as Business decisions.
|
People control businesses properly, but Government
makes business decisions.
|
Political System:
|
No leader, directed directly by the people. This
has never been actually practiced, and has just used a one-party system.
|
One charismatic leader has absolute authority.
Often the symbol of the state.
|
Political Movements:
|
Leninism, Trotskyism, Marxism-Leninism, Maoism,
Left-Communism
|
Nazism, Falangism
|
Social Structure:
|
All class distinctions are eliminated.
|
Strict class structure believed necessary to
prevent chaos. Everyone has a specific, defined role. While a certain race is
considered superior, individuality among members of that race is discouraged.
|
Religion:
|
Abolished.
|
Fascism is a civic religion - citizens worship the
state through nationalism. The state only supports religious
organizations that are nationally/historically tied to that state; e.g.
the Iron Guard in Romania supported the Romanian Orthodox church.
|
Free Choice:
|
In real communism, where a leader does not exist,
everything is chosen freely.In those that have been practiced though, all
choices, including education, religion, employment and marriage, are
controlled by the state.
|
The individual is considered meaningless; they
must be dedicated to the power of the State. Traditional gender roles are
upheld.
|
Key Proponents:
|
Karl Marx, Fredrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Leon
Trotsky
|
Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler
|
Private Property:
|
Abolished
|
Permitted
|
History:
|
First conceived by Thomas More in his book Utopia
in 1516. Most famously associated with Karl Marx and his Communist Manifesto
in 1848. First used by the Bolshevik party when they took control of Russia
in the 1917 October Revolution.
|
Term coined by Mussolini in the 1920 s when he
gained control of Italy. Other major fascist regimes include the Nazi Party
in Germany (1933-45), the National Union in Portugal (1934-68), and Francoist
Spain (1936-1975).
|
Key elements:
|
An enhanced form of the principle of
"Production for use".
|
Used to want to control the government, usually
used by a harsh or demanding leader.
|
Discrimination:
|
In theory, all members of the state are considered
equal
|
Belief in one superior race (Nazism). Blames
society’s problems on members of other races or social groups.
|
Way of Change:
|
Government in a Communist-state is the agent of
change rather than any market or desire on the part of consumers. Change by
government can be swift or slow, depending on change in ideology or even
whim.
|
Change can only occur within the party and the
system itself.
|
Famous Examples:
|
Stalin (USSR), Mao (People’s Republic of China)
|
Mussolini (Italy), Hitler (Germany), Franco
(Spain), Ion Antonescu (Romania)
|
Modern Examples:
|
Cuba
|
Recent far-right dictatorships include Pinochet's
regime in Chile and Peron's regime in Argentina. Many Neo-Fascist
organizations exist and engaged in terrorist attacks in the US, Germany and
the UK in the 1990s.
|
Variations:
|
Include Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism and Maoism
|
Nazism, National Socialism, Falangism, Strasserism
|
Means of control:
|
Proletariat engages in violent rebellion.
|
Force and national fanaticism through rallies etc.
|
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, two of the most brutal and evil fascist leaders in history.
Contents
· 1 What
is Communism and Fascism?
· 2 Philosophy
· 3 Social
Structure and Class Hierarchies
· 4 Political
System
· 5 Economic
System
· 6 Individual
Rights
· 7 Videos
explaining the difference
· 8 History
of Fascism and Communism
· 9 Modern
Examples
|
What is Communism and Fascism?
Communism is a system or a theory of social organizations where the holding of all property is common, with actual ownership ascribed to the community or state.
Fascism is a system where the government is led by a
dictator. The dictator has complete authority and forcibly oppressing
opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry and emphasizing an
aggressive nationalism.
Philosophy
Communists believe that a utopian (perfect) society can be achieved if, and only if, the proletariat (or working classes) overthrow the capitalist system in a social-revolution, usually using armed rebellion. Communism is an extreme form of socialism.
Communists believe that a utopian (perfect) society can be achieved if, and only if, the proletariat (or working classes) overthrow the capitalist system in a social-revolution, usually using armed rebellion. Communism is an extreme form of socialism.
Fascism is based around the glory of the nation state. Fascists believe that constant conquest of other nations is necessary to uphold this glory. Fascist parties and movements in various countries differed significantly from each other. But they also had many characteristics in common, including extreme militaristic nationalism, opposition to parliamentary democracy conservative economic policy that favored the wealthy, contempt for political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a Volksgemeinschaft (German: “people’s community”), in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation.
Social Structure and Class Hierarchies
Communists inspired by Karl Marx believe class
hierarchies must be abolished by the state seizing control of private property
and industry, thereby abolishing the capitalist class. Oh the other hand,
fascists believed in a rigid class hierarchy, especially rule by an elite, and
were opposed to socialist movements. Fascism upholds a strict class structure,
ensuring that every member of society has a specific, unchangeable role. Often
in fascist societies a certain racial group is considered superior and national
and ethnic unity is encouraged at the expense of individuality. For example,
Hitler's fascist regime glorified the Aryan race and
called for the extermination of Jews during World War
II.
Both fascism and communism are against the democratic process
but with some differences. Fascism looks down upon parliamentary democracy.
Fascist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini participated
in electoral politics before coming to power. But after
seizing power, fascist leaders tended to abolish political parties, oppose
universalsuffrage and became dictators and rulers for
life.
In a communist system, there is rule -- in theory --
by a single party. Democracy was to be practiced only within the party,
constrained by the policy of democratic centralism i.e. full
and vigorous debate would lead to a decision that would determine the party’s
“line” on an issue, whereupon the party’s central leadership would
close off debate and require adherence to the party line. In short, the
revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat had to be a dictatorship of the
communist party in the name of the proletariat.
Economic System
Communism is based on the equal distribution of
wealth. The tenet of Marxian communism was "From each according to his ability,
to each according to his need." Everyone in society receives an equal
share of the benefits derived from labor, e.g. food and money.
In order to ensure that everyone receives an equal amount, all
means of production are controlled by the state.
Fascism allows for private enterprise, but its economic
system is focused entirely on strengthening and glorifying the state. Both
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany aimed for self-sufficiency, so that each country
could survive entirely without trade with other nations. See Fascist
corporatism
Individual Rights
In both communism and fascism, individual choice or
preference matter less than society as a whole. In communism, religion and
private property are both abolished, the government controls all labor and wealth,
and individual choices such as job or education are
dictated by the government. While private property is permitted in fascism,
most other choices are also controlled to increase the strength of the State.
History of Fascism and Communism
Communism can be traced back to Thomas More, who
wrote about a society based around common ownership of property in Utopia in
1516. Communism is most commonly associated with Karl Marx and his 1848 book
The Communist Manifesto. Marx was a critic of the Industrial Revolution who
disagreed with how capitalism took advantage of the working classes. He
imagined that a utopia would be formed when all people were
economically equal.
The first real-world example of Marxist Communism
was in Russia in 1917, when the Bolshevik Party seized control in the October
Revolution. This was the beginning of many communist revolutions in the 20th
century, including in China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Angola
and Mozambique.
Modern Fascism originated in Italy in the 1920s,
when Mussolini gained control and coined the term “fascism” to describe his
form of government. Fascism then spread throughout Europe, including
to Germany beginning in 1933 with the Nazis, and Portugal in 1934.
Modern Examples
Communism is still practiced in Cuba and North
Korea. Communism is also nominally the system of government in China, but
China’s current economic system is far more capitalist in nature than
traditional communism.
No countries are currently ruled by fascism, but
neo-fascists (or neo-Nazis) exist in many countries, including the US. The
bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995 was caused by neo-fascists.
Communism vs Democracy
Economics
Democratic and communist political
systems are based on different ideological principles. Although superficially
they seem to share the "power to the people" philosophy, in practice
the two systems of government structure the economic and political fabric of
society in markedly different ways.
In the economic sphere, communism calls
for the government to take control of all the capital and industry in the
country in an effort to get rid of economic inequality. On the other hand,
a democracy respects individuals' right to own property and
means of production.
The political landscape is also very different in a
democracy vs. under communism. In a democratic society people are free to
create their own political parties and contest in elections, which are free of
coercion and fair to all contestants. In a communist society, however, the
government is controlled by one political party and political dissent is not
tolerated.
Comparison chart
Communism
|
Democracy
|
|
Philosophy:
|
From each according to his ability, to each
according to his needs. Free-access to the articles of consumption is made
possible by advances in technology that allow for super-abundance
|
All eligible citizens get equal say in decisions
|
Definition:
|
A theory or system of social
organization based on the holding of all property in common, with actual
ownership ascribed to the community or state
|
is ruled by the omnipotent majority. In a
Democracy, an individual, and any group of individuals composing any minority,
have no protection against the unlimited power of the majority. It is a case
of Majority-over-Man.
|
Economic System:
|
Wealth redistributed so that everyone in society
is given equal shares of the benefits derived from labor. All means of
production are controlled by the state.
|
Usually capitalist
|
Political System:
|
No leader, directed directly by the people. This
has never been actually practiced, and has just used a one-party system.
|
Elected officials
|
Social Structure:
|
All class distinctions are eliminated.
|
Class distinctions can become pronounced due to
capitalist society. Varies from state to state
|
Free Choice:
|
In real communism, where a leader does not exist,
everything is chosen freely.In those that have been practiced though, all
choices, including education, religion, employment and marriage, are
controlled by the state.
|
Permitted within legal limits
|
Religion:
|
Abolished.
|
Permitted
|
History:
|
First conceived by Thomas More in his book Utopia
in 1516. Most famously associated with Karl Marx and his Communist
Manifesto in 1848. First used by the Bolshevik party when they took
control of Russia in the 1917 October Revolution.
|
Originated in ancient Athens
|
Private Property:
|
Abolished
|
Permitted
|
Discrimination:
|
In theory, all members of the state are considered
equal
|
In theory, all citizens have an equal say and so
are treated equally. However often allows for the tyranny of the majority
over the minority
|
Famous Examples:
|
Stalin (USSR), Mao (People’s Republic of China)
|
Ancient Greece, the United States, France, the UK
|
Modern Examples:
|
Cuba
|
More than half of the world, including the US,
Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, etc.
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Variations:
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Include Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism and Maoism
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Include direct democracy, parliamentary democracy
and presidential democracy
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Democracy
Contents
· 1 Ideology
· 2 Origins
· 3 Modern
Development
· 4 Government
system
· 5 Variations
· 6 Current
Examples
· 7 Criticism
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Communism is a socialist movement that aims to create a society without class or money. As an ideology, it imagines a free society without any division, free from oppression and scarcity. The proletariat (working class) overthrow the capitalist system in a social revolution, usually via an armed rebellion.
Democracy is a form of government that gives all
eligible citizens an equal say in decisions that affect their lives. All people
can participate equally, either directly or through elected representatives, in
the creation of laws.
Communism is traced back to 16th century English
writer Thomas More, who described a society based on common ownership of
property in his book Utopia. It first emerged as a political doctrine
after the French Revolution, when Francois Noel Babeuf talked of the
desirability of common ownership of land and total equality among citizens.
Modern communism emerged from the industrial revolution, when Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels published the Communist Manifesto.
Democracy originated in Athens in
Ancient Greece. The first democracy was established in 508-7 BC. Athenians were
randomly selected to fill government administrative and judicial offices, and
the legislative assembly was made up of all Athenian citizens, who had a right
to speak and vote. However, this excluded women, slaves,
foreigners and anyone under the age of 20.
Modern Development
Hammer, sickle and the red star are
universal symbols of communism. Also seen are some famous communists, from
bottom clockwise, Chen Duxiu, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx,
Friedrich Engels.
In the 1917 October Revolution, the Bolshevik Party seized power in Russia. They changed their name to the Communist Party and created a single party regime devoted to implementing a specific type of communism known as Leninism. They nationalized all property and put all factories and railways under government control. AfterWorld War II, Communism spread throughout central and eastern Europe, and in 1949, the Communist Party of China established the People’s Republic of China. Communism also emerged in Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique and other countries. By the early 1980s, almost one-third of the world’s population lived in Communist states.
In the 1917 October Revolution, the Bolshevik Party seized power in Russia. They changed their name to the Communist Party and created a single party regime devoted to implementing a specific type of communism known as Leninism. They nationalized all property and put all factories and railways under government control. AfterWorld War II, Communism spread throughout central and eastern Europe, and in 1949, the Communist Party of China established the People’s Republic of China. Communism also emerged in Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique and other countries. By the early 1980s, almost one-third of the world’s population lived in Communist states.
The first nation to become democratic in modern historywas the Corsican Republic in 1755. However, it was short-lived, and the first modern nation to establish an official democratic system was France, which established universal male suffrage in 1848. The founding fathers of theUnited States did not describe their new nation as a democracy, but they also espoused principles of national freedom and equality. All men in the US were nominally given the right to vote in the late 1860s, and full enfranchisement of citizens was secured when Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Democracy was a popular government system after World War I, but the Great Depression led to dictatorships throughout much of Europe and Asia. After World War II, the American, British and French sectors of Germany, Austria, Italy and Japan became democracies. By 1960, the majority of countries were nominally democracies, although many had sham elections or were, in reality, communist states. Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Boliva, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile all became democracies in the 1970s to 1990s.
In its ideological form, communism has no
governments. However, it considers a dictatorship to be a necessary
intermediate stage between capitalism and communism. In practice,
communist governments take many different forms, but usually involve an
absolute dictator.
Democratic governments take many forms,
but in modern democracy, they usually involve elections, where citizens
vote for individuals and parties to represent their concerns in
government.
Variations
Variations
There are a wide range of interpretations of communism,
usually named after the dictator who created them. They include Marxism,
Leninism, Stalinism, Trotskyism, Maoism, Titoism and Eurocommunism.
There are many forms of democracy. They include
representative, parliamentary, presidential, constitutional, and direct
democracy, as well as constitutional monarchies.
Current communist states are the People’s Republic
of China, the Republic of Cuba, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam. Some people also
consider North Korea to be a communist state.
According to Freedom House, there are currently 123
electoral democracies in the world. The World Forum on Democracy claims 58.2%
of the world’s population live in democracies.
Criticism
Communism has been criticized as an ideology because
it leads to slow technological advance, reduced incentives, and reduced
prosperity. It has also been criticized as unfeasible. Communist states have
been criticized for poor human rights records, with the belief that Communist
governments have been responsible for famines, purges and war. Stephane
Courtois argues that communism was responsible for the deaths of almost
100 million people in the 20th century.
Democracy has been criticized as inefficient and a
creator of wealth disparity. It is criticized as a system that allows the
uninformed to make decisions with equal weight as the informed, and one which
allows for oppression of minorities by the majority.
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