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'''Communism''' is an economic system, social organization, and [[leftist]] political movement. While it calls for the absence of personal ownership and claims to support a communal society in the abstract, the practical reality of communism is strikingly different.  

[[Image:Captive-nations-01b----07-19-06.jpg|thumbnail|150px|right|A monument to the Captive Nations stands at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation .]]In less than 100 years, '''Communism''' has claimed more than 100 million lives. Today, it continues to enslave one-fifth of the world's people. <ref>

[[Image:Hammer_and_sickle.png‎ |thumbnail|250px|right|The Hammer and Sickle is the symbol of the communist movement.]]

*[http://www.victimsofcommunism.org/history_communism.php Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation], Documenting Communism's Crimes Against Humanity.</ref>

As a political movement, communism advocates the establishment of a classless society.  

Communism advocates the establishment of a "classless society". In actuality it is dominated by a self appointed ''[[Nomenklatura]]''. It officially prohibits one person from employing another, which leads to massive restrictions on personal freedom and economic shortages of every sort of goods and services.  It does not allow for savings and investment, the ownership of private property, such as homes or cars, or even fair payment of wages and labor. Persons born in Communist countries have no citizenships rights.

In actuality it has middle and upper classes just as [[social stratification|stratified]] as in the "Capitalist" societies it critiques or seeks to overthrow (see ''[[Nomenklatura]]'').

It officially prohibits personal economic growth, but allows the well-connected political elite to amass power and wealth, similar to the unfettered capitalism favored by conservatives. (see [[Ruling class).  

It generally advocates a [[socialist]] economy in which the public, whether the state or other group, owns the [[means of production]] and in which the wealth of the nation is divided fairly among the citizens. Yet in communist countries party members (there is only one Party) have special stores in which ordinary people cannot shop, stores which are immune to the perennial shortages which the lower class must endure (see [[queuing]]).

==Theory and horror==

It is important to distinguish the concept of "communism" from the political entities known as the "communist party of (insert country name here)". The concept of communism is much different from how it has always been practiced. When will those communists learn?

It is based upon a [[socialist]] economy in which the public, whether the state or other group, owns the "[[means of production]]" and in which the wealth of the nation is rationed among the Party's beneficiaries. Yet party members (there is only one Party) have special stores in which ordinary people are barred, stores which are immune to the perennial shortages which the lower class must endure (see [[queuing]]).  

The term communism has taken on several meanings and is often used to describe Marxism, the doctrine developed by [[Karl Marx]], and the variations of Marxism, such as those developed by [[Vladimir Ilyich Lenin| Vladimir Lenin]], Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. Marxism advocates the overthrow of capitalism by a revolution of the proletariat, the social group which does not control the means of production. The goal of Marxism is to create a society that is completely classless, including economic and political classes, which would result in an anarchist society. The difference between Marxism and communist-anarchism is the Marxist belief that a dictatorship of the proletariat is needed before transitioning to true communism. A socialist state would be created which would supervise the economy and unions to ensure the proletariat have the ability to sustain communism. True communism follows the dismantling of the socialist state.

Various Communist doctrines have evolved or been adapted to the time and place they have been implimented.  Marxism, developed by [[Karl Marx]], and its modifications under [[Vladimir Ilyich Lenin| Vladimir Lenin]], [[Joseph Stalin]], and [[Mao Zedong]], advocates the overthrow of capitalism by a revolution of the proletariat, the social group which does not control the means of production. The goal of Marxism is supposedly to create a classless society which would result in nolonger the need for any [[government]].

The most famous government to label itself "communist" is the former [[USSR]] or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the Communist Party controlled its government from 1922 to 1991. This government was officially atheist and attempted to suppress all religion. Like many authoritarian regimes, it tried to cultivate reverence for the state as a psychological substitute for religion. Left-wing critics of the USSR charged that it was communist in name only, and had betrayed the revolution which founded it. George Orwell expressed this viewpoint eloquently in his 1945 fable ''[[Animal Farm]]''.  

The most famous government to label itself "communist" is the former [[USSR]] or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the Communist Party controlled its government from 1922 to 1991. This government was officially [[atheist]] and attempted to suppress all religion. Like many authoritarian regimes, it tried to cultivate reverence for the state as a psychological substitute for religion. Left-wing critics of the USSR charged that it was communist in name only, and had betrayed the revolution which founded it. George Orwell expressed this viewpoint eloquently in his 1945 fable ''[[Animal Farm]]''.  

In a famous quote, Marx described the core of communism: "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs". Another quote by Marx was, "The theory of the Communism may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." Marx also coined the saying "Religion is the opium of the people" expressing his view that religion, and in particular state-endorsed religion, has been used for centuries as a form of social control by promising the downtrodden a better life in a mythical hereafter to deter them from trying to build one here and now by removing the chains of their masters and overthrowing the capitalist system that oppressed them.

Marxist theory is intended to appeal to its adherents with the phrase, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs", which essentially states point blank a worker does not get paid according to his abilities, and there is no [[incentive]] within the economic theory. Another quote by Marx was, "The theory of the Communism may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property," i.e. legalized theft.  Marx also coined the disparaging phrase "Religion is the opium of the masses" expressing the widely held marxist view that the 'proletariat has been brainwashed by Christianity and thus a ''Nomenklatura'' of ''[[enlightened]]'' party members with this [[esoteric]] knowledge and foresight is justified in enslaving the masses, for their own benefit.

==Modern Communism==

==Modern Communism==

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[[Category:Politics]]

[[Category:Politics]]

[[Category:History]]

[[Category:History]]