POLS-2300-502: The Decline of Communism 1

Melisa Pazalja
Essay #1: The Decline of Communism
March 3, 2019
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Before the Russian Revolution of 1917, socialism and communism were both synonyms,

describing an economic system in which the government owns the means of production. Both

terms became umbrella terms referring to two left wing schools of economic thought that

opposed capitalism. Socialism theorizes that a collective cooperation of citizens will make all

government institutions public. Socialists do not believe that the works will overthrow capitalists

suddenly and they do not believe that all private property should be eliminated. Both ideologies

have inspired various social and political movements since the 19th century.

Communism Vs Socialism & Capitalism

Communism was founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the late 1840’s after

discovering they had similar principles. Their ideas centered on the inequality and suffering as a

result from capitalism. Under capitalism, private business people and corporations own all the

factories, equipment, and other resources called “the means of production.” These owners,

according to communist doctrine, can then exploit workers, who are forced to sell their labor for

wages (Dhar, 2014). According to Marx, capitalism was doomed because as it succeeds, the

working class grows bigger. The logic of capitalism is to grow profit and put more people into

the working class as large businesses succeeded. Marx was outraged with the growing gap

between the rich and the poor. His main goal was to eliminate this gap and bring economic

equality. By the middle of the 20th century, more than a third of the people in the world were

living under regimes that called themselves, and genuinely believed themselves to be, Marxist

(Menand, 2016).
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The 10 Tenets of Communism

Marx suggested ten political goals for countries to turn into communist power houses.

These goals include: a central banking system, government controlled education and labor,

government ownership of transportation vehicles, agricultural means, and factories, total

abolition of property, property rights confiscation, heavy income tax on everyone, elimination of

Communist Manifesto, written by Marx to explain the goals of communism. The main idea is

that the exploitation of one class to another class is wrong, and the working class needs to come

together to take care of the state in order to eliminate class. Marx sought to create a new form of

government where the people are in charge and everything belongs to everyone.

Communism vs Conservatism

Conservatism and communism have stood at opposite ends of the political spectrum, but

both ideologies were critical of capitalism. While communism is egalitarian and anti-

hierarchical, conservatism is highly attached to hierarchy the belief that everyone should keep to

their proper place in society. Conservatism is not for individual rights or personal liberty; rather,

it is for religious values (euphemistically called “traditional values” or “family values”) and a

government that enforces them. Although conservatism calls for some economic liberties, it

simultaneously demands various violations of individual rights in order to support certain aspects

of the welfare state (e.g., Social Security and government-run schools), in order to shackle or

control “greedy” businessmen (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley and anti-immigration laws), and in order to

forbid certain “immoral” acts or relationships (e.g., drug use and gay marriage). Thus,

conservatism is utterly at odds with capitalism (Biddle, 2018).

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Conclusion

Political ideologies continue to shape policy debates and choices. Today the world has

only five remaining Communist nations, most of which are struggling to hold on to any

remaining political and economic power in the largely capitalist world that surrounds them.

These countries include Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, North Korea, and China (Porzucki, 2013).

Some say communism’s advantages mean it is the next obvious step for any capitalistic

society. They see income inequality as a sign of late stage capitalism. They believe that

capitalism’s flaws mean it has evolved past its usefulness to society (Amadeo, 2018).

Communism is a brutal system of government. It failed to protect individual rights and

established a system of violence force. The results have been exactly what one would predict:

starvation, poverty, and the slaughter of millions.

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References

Amadeo, K. (2018, December 19). 5 Differences Between Communism and Capitalism.

Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.thebalance.com/communism-
characteristics-pros-cons-examples-3305589

Biddle, C. (2018, December 08). Political "Left" and "Right" Properly Defined. Retrieved
February 28, 2019, from https://www.theobjectivestandard.com/2012/06/political-left-
and-right-properly-defined/

Dhar, M. (2014, January 30). What Is Communism? Retrieved February 28, 2019, from
https://www.livescience.com/42980-what-is-communism.html

Hoyt, A. (2008, February 25). How Communism Works. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from
https://people.howstuffworks.com/communism1.html

Menand, L. (2016, October 10). Karl Marx, Yesterday and Today. Retrieved March 2, 2019,
from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/karl-marx-yesterday-and-today

Porzucki, N. (2013, December 10). Can you name the five remaining communist countries in the
world? Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-10/can-
you-name-five-remaining-communist-countries-world