Socialism or communism is a political and social system or if you may,a philosophy, which comprises of the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels of Germany. I won't go too deep into what communism is about and the ideas that define it but let me explain its basic principles. Lets take for example two blacksmiths, one much younger than the other with the older one having a family of four children and a couple of elderly parents and in-laws under his roof but the younger one who hasn't got married to anyone yet and is living alone. The younger blacksmith being stronger than the older one would obviously be more productive than the older one. In a capitalist regime, one gets what he earns so the younger one being the more productive one would be much more better of than the less productive, older blacksmith. Whereas, in a socialist government, EVERYTHING that one earns belongs to the nation and EVERYONE gets what they need hence in the case of the blacksmiths, the older one being the one who needs more to provide for those who are dependent on him would receive more than the younger blacksmith although the younger blacksmith is more productive. This is simply because the older blacksmith needs more than the younger blacksmith. Also take into consideration a corporate company in current times, has many employees and would pay its employees according to the employee's services or his/her "value" to the company. If the company were a socialist company, so to speak, EVERY employee would receive an equal amount of the company's profits no matter what position the employees hold or his/her 'value' to the company. I studied American syllabus for a year and according to the books i used at that time, i was told that such a system(socialism) is biased and unfair because the yield doesn't balance with the sweat of the worker's brow hence socialism will lead to a decline in productivity because the workers will loose motivation and drive to be more productive. That being said, socialism is at its roots is a system of equality and all levels. Karl Marx believed that everybody who is playing a part in the economic machinery of a nation, is essential; and whatever that is being achieved would not be achieved if even one of the laborers were compromised. So everyone no matter who or what they do has the right to receive an equal amount of the yield because it was the product of the collective effort of everybody in the nation. That is what i believe to be equality void of adulteration. Another major misconception of socialism is the issue on religion. Yes it is true that the communist principles explicitly forbids religion and me being my God's disciple stand firmly against religion. Karl Marx stated that a god is a yoke humans puts upon him/herself so that the community is in fear and would be under the scrutiny of dogma which will effectively maintain order and control to those who hold the power. Religion, just like race, wealth, and other social classes, divides the people giving them a sense of superiority. Socialism will die if it is enforced in a population who disregard the well being of everyone else as a whole. It is hard to grasp it but just look around and one can find that every man is for his own and would only consider the other man who is in the same group(religion, race, and other social classes) as him. Believe it or not, religion is the biggest divider of populations in the world today.
Besides, it breaks my heart to see that humans walking on this beautiful earth do not realize that religion is what humans have made it to be what it is now and it is not about God AT ALL!!!! And that's exactly why i can understand the need to rid ourselves of religion. A believer in the Bible should agree with socialism. In fact, the first people to practice socialism were the first church of Christ after the death and resurrection of Christ. The church submitted ALL that they had to the church and those who wanted to be part of the church but wouldn't submit would be smitten to death(the story of Anais and Sephira in the book of Acts).The Rise
Communism grew somewhere between The Renaissance and The First World War. It was a time when Europe was rapidly growing and as it would happen in any form of growth, groundbreaking revolutions and reformations were taking place. It was a time when the zeal of the Renaissance was still evident. European monarchies were being overrun to make way for a more justified and civic government. For example, the morbid years of the French Revolution was the fall of her monarchy and the rise of democracy where the voice of the masses is that which decides the fate of France. In Germany, there was a slight struggle between the Germans and the Jews who inhabited Germany. The Jews were unsatisfied of their rights and were demanding the government to act on it. The Germans however were somewhat insecure because the Jews being Jews(even until today) have claimed territory on almost every economic field in Germany(sounds pretty familiar considering the current national climate...don't you think?..hahah). But as far as i know there weren't anything violent that brewed up from it...until the World War of course. Bruno Bauer, a German theologian, had a reply to a petition sent to the German government demanding the emancipation of the Jews and Karl Marx wrote an essay en titled "On the Jewish Question" criticizing Bauer's reply. Nonetheless Karl Marx, being born in a Jewish family himself, didn't write the essay in support of the Jews but he drew out an explanation to be rid of Judaism and generally any religion. [If you would like to read the essay i would gladly email it to you, my email address is stonedbohemian@yahoo.com . The essay will serve as well defined, auxiliary explanation to why religion can't be part of a socialist society]
Marxism quickly spread in parts of Europe after the composition of The Communist Manifesto. The communist movement in parts like France and England did not see much fruit and was much criticized by Marx himself. Russia however, being the last standing monarchy at that time was experiencing a revolution. As a result the fall of the Czars led to the rise of a charismatic leader Vladimir Ilych Lenin who brought a socialist revolution in Russia and uniting the Eastern European nations under a banner we know now as the Soviet Union. Lenin, after laying the foundations of the Soviet government, was replaced by Joseph Stalin and thereafter a brand of communism called Lenin-Marxism was born. Meanwhile, Stalin was faced with another socialist who disputes Stalin's regime and his name was Leon Trotsky. Trotsky's Fourth International organization failed to bring Stalin down(i'll get back to Trotsky's ideas shortly). Now of course, as the World War ended and with Soviet Union roaring majestically in the East as Mao Zedong of China successfully brings Communism into China, and also other regions in South America, Middle East and Africa joining the socialist cause, the Soviet Union had made the Americans run for their money and thus ignited the Cold War.
The Fall and The Reason
In a war, its hard to really define which side has won or lost but in the case of the Cold War, we can clearly see that America has in a way "won" the war, especially in the present age when globalisation can easily seem to be Americanization and much social, technological, and economical standards have been calibrated with American standards. Many would claim that it was when America sent a man to the moon before the Soviets could marked the end of the Soviet Union and consequently, the Cold War. But i strongly disagree because i believe that the Americans won the Cold War by winning the minds of the global population which is due to their extraordinary gift of marketing and selling the idea of capitalism sugar-coated with democracy to the world. What amplified America's efforts were the support of the Allied nations(United Kingdom and France) who endorsed capitalism and implemented it into their governments. The problem with the Soviet Union, China and Korea was their system, which incorporated tyranny and spartan lifestyles obviously did not(and won't ever) appeal to the masses thus allowing the Americans to spread their propaganda more effectively.
This brings me to Marx's dispute against the Russian communist movement. Karl Marx mentioned clearly that before a revolution of the proletariat can take place, the nation must be under a bourgeois system. It basically means that before a people would accept socialism, they need to know the climate of a capitalist reign. Soviet Union and China embraced communism as a substitution of monarchy and not as a result of a putrid capitalist reign. This would mean that the revolution was a reformation of the leadership and government system but not in the hearts and minds of the people. The hearts and minds of the people need to be revolutionized before a revolution of a nation could take place. A capitalist reign would eventually give humans a reason to reform for they know that capitalism will eventually fail. Unfortunately the people of the Soviet Union fell victim to there covetousness of the capitalist having a comfortable and lofty lifestyle. Of course the leaders of the communist movement at that time are to be blamed because they gave a reason for their subordinates and consequently the global population to reject the socialist system due to their corruption. One would say that any man with the power held by the leader of Soviet Union and China would succumb to corruption but this corruption arises in an individual when the individual covets the wealth of the bourgeois and doesn't posses a revolutionized heart and mind. So i think it would be safe to say that the fall of Soviet Union is because the people were not absolutely reformed due to their premature acceptance of socialism. We can see certain countries who still stand as true communists today have been through a fair era of bourgeois domination. Take for example, Cuba. They were under, what Che Guevara and Fidel Castro believed to be, a suppression by the Americans and it was their goal to rid Cuba and the rest of Latin America of the suppression. That is why until today America and Cuba have a mutual hatred for each other. Of course, Fidel Castro had insurgents who weren't, as i mentioned earlier, revolutionized in their hearts and minds so they demanded Castro to make Cuba a nation that they felt Cuba should be which was a capitalist nation. Castro dealt with them by giving them exactly what they wanted which was by deporting them to the United States of America.
All that being said, the world wasn't, and still isn't ready for Marxism simply because people are too selfish and divided for a revolution to take place. The population needs to evolve to finally embrace Marxism.
The Resurrection
The world may not be ready for socialism but a day will come when the world will be reformed and accept socialism as the system. We can already see it happening during the American Presidential campaign when Obama's economic plan was criticized by McCain's camp as socialist which is true. Obama's idea of "sharing the wealth"(which was made evident during the Joe the Plumber fiasco) is a form of Marxism, although a very subtle form of Marxism, but Marxism nonetheless. Now, with Obama winning the elections we can draw a fine conclusion that the udea of Marxism is starting to be accepted in the population and the revolution of hearts and minds is taking place at a very very gradual state.
But i have a theory, which is founded on Biblical prophesies, on how Marxism will resurrect itself from the ashes of the Soviet Union. Consider the current economic pandemonium and recognize that this is a result of capitalism greed and disregard. Not surprising, a time will come(i'm afraid its sooner than later) when money will be stripped off its value and there'll be a global economic lockdown. This will call for a unanimous agreement in the, lets say, United Nations, to withdraw all borders, and bring the world under one nation. This will then give way to a unified currency, philosophy, and etc. Hence it is this time when Marxism will rise like a phoenix and bring about a revolution. The world will be under one leader, who will share whatever wealth that can be compiled. This will require everyone to be dedicated to the cause and so i believe this is when the dreaded Mark of the Beast shall be enforced. Take note, that the mark would of course most probably not be called the mark of the beast but it shall be a mark whereby if you are for the cause, you'll take the mark if you aren't you shall be an infidel and banished from those who are for the cause; just like the Bible said that those who do not take the mark shall not be allowed to buy nor sell. Indeed there those times will be blissful and there will be world peace as the beauty pageant contestants have wished for. As much as i would like to be part of this Marxist utopia of mine, i personally shall not be part of it based solely on faith. The cause is good and i couldn't agree more with the Marxist principle more but i love my God and my faith is for Him no matter if He's evil or good.
So as a summary, communism is ideal but unfortunately a philosophy ahead of our time. The public perspective of communism is tarnished because of both the in inadequacy of communist leaders that preceded the revolutionists(the people who brought about the revolution (Lenin, Mao and etc) and the iron grip that America has on the media of the world today which makes it easier for her to spread her propaganda of capitalism. We can see it happening all the time for example Cuba is always being degraded as a country filled with poverty and how everyone wants to leave Cuba because of the socialist dictatorship that reigns there. But what we do not see is how Cuba has the best medical service in the world for her people and how the people there can be at most times almost care-free. Until the day comes when there will be a global economic meltdown, this shall remain an unscratchable itch for i still walk among neanderthals. LOL!
