Word of the Left

Most people don't know what the difference between communism and socialism. I thought I'd devote this relatively short blog entry to defining each and how they're different.

Socialism, as Lenin once said, is the first step towards communism. Socialism is a 'worker's state', or as Marx called it, the 'dictatorship of the proleteriat'. By dictatorship of the proletariat, he did not mean a literal dictatorship, but instead was pointing out that in every system where there is a state, one class rules over the others. In capitalism, monarchy, and fascism it is the bourgeoius who are in power. The bourgieous are the class which control the means of production such as managers in factories and offices, executives and CEOs, and politicians. So Marx called capitalism, monarchy, and fascism 'dictatorships of the bourgieous'. Socialism is different. In socialism it is the dictatorship of the proletariat, which means dictatorship of the 'masses' or people. Marx in no way meant a literal despotism. It was just a strange choice of words. In socialism there is still money, there is a elected parliament, and many other things that come with a typical state however there are no classes. That is socialism.

Communism is the system of the distant future. It comes after a permanent revolution, or worldwide worker's revolution. In communism there is no state, there are no countries, and everything is handled within the community. Marx and Lenin both said that when there is a state, there can be no freedom. Power corrupts itself and every state has some level of oppression. The idea behind it is that when we learn to think of everyone as a whole and stop being materialists, we will get rid of every horror that comes with capitalism, fascism, and monarchy and states in general.