NationStates Jolt Archive

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, often shortened to merely the "Soviet Union" or even to just the U.S.S.R., was not communist. Nor did it claim to be communist. It claimed to be "based on the communist way of life" (even this was inaccurate), yet never to actually be communist. The government (the mere fact that there was a government cancels out the possibility of it being communist) stated they were "working towards communism." The said they had not yet reached it but were trying for it. So, if anybody acuses communism of being a bad form of economic practice (and points to the U.S.S.R. or China or any other 'communist' countires as an example) you should point out the fact that all of the commonly accepted examples of communism aren't communist, and then point them to the only actual communism practiced in the world, the kibbutzim in Israel (but that's not really the point of this thread).

My point is just one of clarification. The U.S.S.R. wasn't communist, and the ideas that people seem to connect with communism (death, destruction, dictatorships, oppression, etc.) are not actually connected to communism in any way.

*NOTE* This is not a pro-communist thread, just me stating a fact.

Communism fuckin sucks anyway

thats like saying the us isnt totally capitalist. the ussr was trying to become communist. if youve ever seen any of the propoganda, they show some dude with a car or a tie or candy and say "one more step towards communism!" every action they did was to further their stated goal of becoming entirely communist, at least in the early days

Communism f--- sucks anyway

Intelligence abounds in this forum, eh?

Communism f--- sucks anyway

Intelligence abounds in this forum, eh?

I'm decently smart...I'm just plastered and angry

Pure economic systems don't exist. Pure Communism or pure Capitalism would be a disaster. But the Sopviet Union did manage to demonstrate the problems with Communism. Such as the inevitable rise of rampant black-markets.

Yes, but USSR was run by the communist party and people who called themselves communist.

But the Sopviet Union did manage to demonstrate the problems with Communism. Such as the inevitable rise of rampant black-markets.

no. there was no communism in the soviet union. the best you can say is that they had an authoritarian version of socialism and that they demonstrated the problems involved with that particular system of socialism.

economically, it showed what happens when you set up a system with totally centralized decision making in all areas and a complete lack of real information sharing between levels. essentially you wound up with central planners creating plans that were completely out of touch with reality, and then punishing people for not making the plans work. black markets arose because that particular system was dysfunctional and fundamentally couldn't be made functional (at least not for humans, their planning worked out pretty well for the things the planners actually cared about and had information on like industrialization and the military).

Well said Soviets.

And to any fool who actually believes they are Communist, pick up some theory on book. Start with Marx's "Communist Manifesto," the base of all communism.

Move on from there. The USSR had no elements of communism. It was a warped, totalitarian socialist pile of mess.

But the Sopviet Union did manage to demonstrate the problems with Communism. Such as the inevitable rise of rampant black-markets.

Of course under western Capitalism, no black markets exist...

And to any fool who actually believes they are Communist, pick up some theory on book. Start with Marx's "Communist Manifesto," the base of all communism.


No - not the base of all communism at all: as in self evident from the very first line - "A spectre is haunting Europe". Marx & Engels are not inventing communism, rather they are attempting to shape a disparate political movement which pre-exists them in accordance with their own views of what must be done. The spectre has been haunting Europe long before Marx and Engels tried to clothe it in a more corporeal form. "The Communist Manifesto" is merely one authoritarian strand within the history of communism.

Well said Soviets.

And to any fool who actually believes they are Communist, pick up some theory on book. Start with Marx's "Communist Manifesto," the base of all communism.

Move on from there. The USSR had no elements of communism. It was a warped, totalitarian socialist pile of mess.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm a little rusty on Marxist ideology, but from what I remember, Communism was the ideal state towards which Socialists hoped to evolve. As far as I'm aware the USSR never purported to have achieved this state. Nor was the administration purely Marxist in its ideology.

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thats like saying the us isnt totally capitalist

But they aren't. They still have some welfare and business regulations...

Well...in reality, under Lenin they were somewhat close to the Socialist stage, where the party is in power and works to move towards true communism. However, once Stalin took over, the movement went out the window....(and yes, I've read the Communist Manifesto and studied the U.S.S.R.)

And by the way, communism does suck...

Communism is just an excuse for oppresion :roll: