Communism

HannahCunningham
TylerHollis
MeredithMcNett

BeforetheRussianRevolutionof1917,socialismandcommunismweresynonyms.
Asthetwotermsweredivergedinmeaning,privatepropertyandaprofitbasedeconomywas
replacedwithpublicownership.Communismisaneconomicandpoliticalsystemthatiswidely
spreadthroughouttheworld.Manydifferentleadersofcountriesfollowandenforcethe
Communistsystem.Inmodernusage,thetermCommunismisappliedtothemovementthat
aimstooverthrowcapitalisminarevolutionaryorder.Communismhashadalargeroleinwars,
andiswidespreadthroughoutmanycountriesoftheworld.Accordingtoitsfollowers,
Communismisanidealwaytolivelife.
Communismisaproposedsolutiontoatrueutopiansociety.Sexism,racismandother
formsofoppressionareeliminated,andeveryoneisprovidedwithfoodandshelter.Themain
ideaofCommunismisthateveryoneinagivensocietyreceivesequalsharesofwhatisderived
fromlabor.Poorpeopleareabletoriseupandattainfinancialandsocialstatusequaltothatof
themiddleclass.Thewealthyarethenbroughtdownbythedistributionofwealthtothesame
financialandsociallevelasthemiddleclass.Peoplearen'tabletoowntheirownbusinessor
producetheirowngoodsbecauseallmeansofproductionarecontrolledbythestate.According
toCommunistadvocates,CommunismisahigherandmoreadvancedformofSocialism.
VladimirPutinhasbeenthepresidentofRussiasinceMay7th,2012.Hishistory
includesbeingpresidentfrom2000to2008,andbeingtheprimeministerfrom1999to2000,and
thenagainfrom2008to2012.PutinisaformerCommitteeforSovietStateCommunityspy,or
KGB.TheKGBisanagencyresponsibleforintelligence,counterintelligence,andinternal
securityofRussia.ThewesterncountriesoftheworldandRussiahavebeenondifferentterms

sincePutinhasbeeninoffice.DuringPutinsfirsttermasapresident,heapproached
WashingtonandaskedforRussianmembershipintheWorldTradeOrganizationandNATO.
AccordingtoTheMoscowTimes,NATOrefusestoeverallowRussiamembershipfor
numerousreasons.OneexampleisthatRussianeedsNATOasanenemy,notanalliance.
NATOisseenbynationalistandconservativeforcesasantiRussian.SincetheColdWar,the
NATOalliance'scountriestargetisRussia,andwillcontinuetobeRussia.Russiawaskindly
declined,butPutinthenturnedagainsttheUnitedStates,andhasbeenonadifferentsidethan
theUSeversince.VladimirPutinnowclaimsnottobeaCommunist,butanactivisteventhough
hebegancreatingarepressivesystemofpolitical,economicandsocialcontroltomaintainhis
power.
Communismhasbeenamainprobleminthesubjectofwar.Communistcountries
demandequalrightsforeverypersonandpeoplecanonlydowhatthelawpermits.During
WorldWarIItheU.S.foughtwiththeUSSR(Russia),ranbyCommunistdictatorJosephStalin,
butfearedthattheywouldbecometoopowerfulandattempttotakecontroloftheworld.After
WWIIRussiabrokeoffandjoinedtheothersidefortheColdWar.DuringtheColdwarFidel
CastrooverthrewtheAmericanalliedCubangeneralFulgencioBatista,andtookcontrolover
Cuba.CastroachievedthefirstCommuniststateinthewestin1959.For2yearsAmerican
troopstriedtooverthrowCastro.TheU.S.hadtrained1,400Cubanrunawaysandhadprepared
toinvadeCuba,butwithin24hourstheywereeitherkilledorhadsurrendered.Inthe1950s,
AmericancitizenshadbecamehystericalbytheeventTheRedScare,wherethebeliefwas
thetheCommunistshadmadetheirwayintoAmericaandwereplanningtoinvade.United
StatespoliticianswereforcedtotakeaCitizenshiptest.In1961TheSovietjoinedCubainwhat
isknownastheCubanMissileCrisis,wheretheU.S.andtheCommunistgotclosesttonuclear
warfare.

In1945HoChiMinhcamebacktoVietnamandestablishedaCommunistgroupinthe
NorthtoridVietnamoftheJapaneseandtheFrench.SouthVietnamdidnotwanttobeapartof
Communism,theyweremadeupofmostlyFrenchandJapanese,sotheyfoughtbackagainst
thenorth.MinhhadtriedforyearstoconvincetheUnitedStatestojointhemintheeventof
riddingtheFrenchfromVietnambygivingthemsuppliesandinformationonontheJapanese
duringWW2,buttheU.S.declinedbecauseofthepacttoendCommunism.TheUnitedStates
wenttohelptheFrenchin1950.In1954theFrenchhadtakenaterribledefeatandhadleft
Vietnam,buttheU.S.decidedtogoaidtheminbattletoendCommunism.Therewastobean
electionin1956todecidewhatthecountrywouldberuledunder,buttheU.S.deniedfearingthat
theCommunistsmightwin.TheNorthhadsenttroopsdowntotheSouthcalledVietCong.In
1973theU.S.pulledtheirtroopsoutofVietnamandtheFrenchsignedaceasefireagreement.
Communismtodayisverydifferentfromhowitwaswhenitstartedout.Technically,only
fivecountriesremainCommunistcountries.ThesefivedonotincludeRussia.TheSovietUnion
wasincontrolofmostoftheCommunistcountriesatonepoint.Overtime,theylostcontrolof
someofthecountries,thoseofwhichgainednewleaders.OthersarenolongerCommunist
countries.Today,theSovietUnionisfightingtogainbacksomeofthecontrolthattheyhadlost
inthepreviousyearsduringtheColdWar.
Communistleadersrulewithmanyregulationsandlawsfortheirpeople.Communist
leadersruleoppressively.Eachleaderhasthesamegeneralideainmindfortheircountry,all
citizensobeyingorders,buteachhavetheirownideaonhowtoachievethis.SuchCommunist
leadersincludethewidelyknownCheGuevara,whotookcontrolofCubain1960.Guevaralead
Cubaundercommunistruleuntilhisdeathbyexecutionin1969.Anotherwidelyknown
communistleaderisFidelCastro.CastrowastheprimeministerofCubafrom1959to1976.He
officiallybecamethepresidentofCubain1976andstayedinchargeuntilhisresignationin

2008.PresidentPutinrulesRussiaasanactivistforcommunism.UndertheruleofPutin,the
inhabitantsofRussiahavebeenputunderarepression.Themorerepressed,thelesspopular
Putinisbecoming.
Communistcountriesaredifferenttodaythantheywerefiftyyearsago.Today,the
leadingCommunistcountriesareChina,Cuba,Laos,NorthKorea,andVietnam.Russiais
includedasaCommunistcountry.RussiawasdubbedaCommunistcountryin1917afterthe
RussianRevolution.Russiaspresident,Putin,istryingtoregainRussiasformertieswithChina
becauseofChinasstrongbeliefofideologyandauthoritativefigures.Chinabecamea
CommunistcountryundertheruleofMaoZedongin1949andwasgiventhenicknameofRed
China,duetothestrongcommunistleadershipthathasbeeninstated.Arevolutiontakingplace
inCubaledtothetakeoverofCommunistleaderFidelCastroin1959,leadingtoCuba
becomingafullyruledCommunistcountryin1961.LaosbecameaCommunistcountryin1975
followingarevolutionaidedbytheSovietUnionandVietnam.In1948,KimIlsungbeganleading
asaCommunistinNorthKoreaandCommunismwasinstatedinNorthernVietnamfollowingthe
FirstIndochinaWar.TheNorthandtheSouthwerelaterunifiedin1976,officiallyinstatingafull
Communistleadcountry.

Allinall,Communismisaprominentpartintodayssocietyinothercountries.
Communismiscontinuingtospreadthroughouttheworldanddevelopwithinitstheoriesandits
wayofliving.TheonlycountrythatstillfollowsalmostallprinciplesofCommunismisNorth
Korea.Communisminitsoriginalformisdeadthroughouttheworld,thoughmanyofthebeliefs
stillexist.Inconclusion,Communismtomeisnottherightwayofrunningtheworldbecause
therewouldbepeoplewhodonotagreewiththeprinciplesandtrytofightagainstit.Also,if

peopletakealookatwherepastCommunistcountrieshaveendedup,itwouldbeawholelot
worseiftheentireworldchangedintoaCommunistpopulation.