Communism
Candlefocus EditorCommunism is an economic system and philosophical idea meant to create and sustain a classless, equal society – one where every citizen owns and shares in the production of the nation’s wealth. This stands in stark contrast to the capitalist societies in which the people have unequal access to property, land and labor and individuals can accrue large amounts of wealth.
Ideologically, communism opposes the private ownership of property, capitalism, and the exploitation of labor for profit. Instead, it favors public ownership of property, most often through central planning, which presents a vision of a utopian society where all people work and share in the production of the country’s wealth equally.
The ideology was first developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels during the mid-19th century, and it was soon embraced by the radical anarchist faction of the 19th and early 20th century. From its inception, communism had difficulty gaining ground and becoming implemented in any meaningful way. It was not until the start of the 20th century when the first communist nations, the Soviet Union and China, were born.
The Soviet Union was the first nation to adopt communism and established its political system in 1917. The union was based on a system of centralized planning, dictatorial rule and collectivization of agriculture. It also saw industrialization, funds directed towards defense and militarization and a limited degree of international appeal.
Speaking of international appeal, China’s entry into the list of communist countries in 1949 was a major breakthrough. Under the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong, the country undertook its own model of communism, combining elements from both that of the Soviet Union and North Korea. The Chinese model has been drastically revised over the years, incorporating elements of private enterprise into its economy in order to become the thriving corporation it is today.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of a prominent era for communism, and with it the idea of a utopian society without private ownership of property became increasingly outmoded. While there are still some countries that remain committed to communism, such as North Korea and Cuba, the majority of communist countries have either adapted their understanding and implemented capitalist elements into their economies.
In conclusion, communism is an economic system and ideological choice meant to create a classless, equal society where the public owns and shares in the production of the nation’s wealth. It was first developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and has been implemented in a limited capacity. Today, the majority of countries have abandoned domestic communism but have retained a core set of ideas that promote equality and reduce inequality in their respective societies.