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Improved introduction, added section on modern communist states
The word '''Communism''' means government in which the state owns everything and the wealth is divided evenly among the citizens. The word has several meanings but is usually reserved for the doctrine developed by Marx and Lenin which advocated the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.
The word '''Communism''' means government in which the state owns everything and the wealth is divided evenly among the citizens. The word has several meanings but is usually reserved for the doctrine developed by Marx and Lenin which advocated the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat (the social group which does not control the means of production), followed by close state control of all sectors of the economy.
The most famous government to label itself "communist" was the USSR or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; communism was its official government starting in 1922 and ending in 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" was the [[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]]).
==Early Christian ==
==Early Christian ==
Some small Utopian experiments and intentional communities, notably the Shakers.<ref>officially: United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing</ref> have successfully practiced similar kinds of sharing, but rarely for long.
Some small Utopian experiments and intentional communities, notably the Shakers.<ref>officially: United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing</ref> have successfully practiced similar kinds of sharing, but rarely for long.
==Modern Communism==
Between 1989 and 1991, many communist governments were overthrown. The [[Berlin Wall]] in [[Germany]], which had become a symbol for the division between the West and communist states, was torn down in 1989, and there was also a large revolution against Romanian dictator [[Nicolai Ceausescu]]. In 1991, the USSR broke up into several countries. Some of these remained under autocratic governments, but some have embraced [[democracy]].
Several countries still exist that are governed by a communist one-party system. The most famous of these is [[China]], but others (such as [[North Korea]], [[Laos]], and [[Vietnam]]) remain. There is considerable debate as to the extent to which these governments actually implement communist policies. China has not democratized (note especially the crushing of the Tiananmien Square protests in 1989), but its economic policies have been called "red capitalism" by some commentators, as there is a growing sector that behaves in a less-regulated, free market style. China's economy manufactures a wide variety of products that are sold to non-communist countries, and there is quite obvious tolerance of economic inequality, with some provinces struggling with poverty while others prosper.
==Notes and references==
==Notes and references==
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