Why did communism never work?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

But Stalin was not that bad.

Gr8 b8 m8 I r8 8/8

[Deleted]

While this is sharing of resources, it isn't Marx.

I don't mean just sharing of resources, but pretty much co-ownership of everything in that small area where those people live. Everyone works for the benefit of the group, and pretty much everything that can be "owned" is done so by everyone in the group.

In any case, we as human beings were probably closest to it working in those times when groups of people were small and times were tough. And it didn't last long.

[akris15]

Because it was never tried.

Well you are right "true communism" has never been attempted (inb4 someone points out USSR). The problem though true communism cannot exist because of the lack of a centralized government to promote future growth, people will honestly never be equal even if everything is "leveled out" (ie there will always be some sort of class stratification) and it would lead to stagnation towards progress.

[vilememory]

Communism would work if not for human nature. Hey I work as hard as I can and I get my share, but my neighbor doesn't do shit and he gets the same amount as me. What the fuck?! Then you have higher ups and corruption... if people were more like ants it would work. But we aren't so it is always doomed to fail. Because there are always those lazy bastards that will milk the system and do the bare minimum to get by. But they will get just as much as the people that work their asses off.

[Deleted]

But Stalin was not that bad.

Depends on what, if you mean a sense of humour, that was pretty dark. When his son didn't die when he tried to commit suicide with a gun he jokingly said "the boy can not even shoot straight". So i would say that you can call him anything but "good".

OT. I think the main reasons are that there was always a malevolent leader as Sydänyö said, and the fact that it has never gone further then the state capitalism point that was always seen as a mere starting point. Socialism/communism (the only difference being the way they should come to power) has never gone in full blown effect, and strangely one off the more techsavy companies are going more and more to a socialistic way of governing their company. Little tech studio's have no real leader or company structure, all of them try to do the paperwork together and get to make all the decisions together too. Just like they get to decide where the profits of their company should go to. Effectively the workers owning their work in an equal way with everyone having a say, like socialism really is supposed to work.

[Aquinan]

Cause you cant pay a garbage truck driver the same wage as a Nuclear Physicist and expect everything to be hunky dory. :P

[Deleted]

Communism would work if not for human nature. Hey I work as hard as I can and I get my share, but my neighbor doesn't do shit and he gets the same amount as me. What the fuck?!

You know, in those cases, the rest of the neighborhood can go "remind" the lazy ass neighbor that his input is required in that community. Or, that person can be ousted from the community.

[May90]

I think it's always worked exactly as it was supposed to work. If you take everything away from people and tell them that they no longer have belongings and everything they have belongs to everyone else too, then what results would you expect?

[Elim Garak]

Cause you cant pay a garbage truck driver the same wage as a Nuclear Physicist and expect everything to be hunky dory. :P

There are no wages in Communism. Not even money.

[Zelk]

Big country south and west of Canada.

[ControlWarrior]

I would argue that Ancient Sparta was the most successful communist society, but that required scores of slave labor.

[Deleted]

I think it's always worked exactly as it was supposed to work. If you take everything away from people and tell them that they no longer have belongings and everything they have belongs to everyone else too, then what results would you expect?

To some slight extend we already do that with taxes. But yeah, taking everything might be a little too much for people to accept (not that it seems like that was actually what people was the most displeased with).

[Tempguy]

Because the moment you get one person who is greedy, that person gains all the power and there is shit you can do about it.

And since the human race is super self centered, the chances of that are guaranteed. I doubt you make it one"election" before it happens.

[Krille]

To some slight extend we already do that with taxes. But yeah, taking everything might be a little too much for people to accept (not that it seems like that was actually what people was the most displeased with).

If communism would exist today it would've been a modernized version. Not the "we take everything you create" kind of communism. Workers would own the companies and every penny of profit would get reinvested in the workers/company and not to some filthy rich CEO. We would still create tons of crap because people want it.

[Deleted]

Seems like a sensible and rational system.

A good idea taken to extreme point do not work. But a less extreme variant (social democracy) did work very well for Scandinavia, there key enterprises was state-owned and working for the "public good" like building homes in a non profit way (the company bears its own costs but do not take out profit) Private construction companies were allowed and competed with the goverment owned.

But it have been a steady march toward more pure-captialism and most of the goverment enterprises is now privatized.

[Independent voter]

Its never actually been done, but that doesnt stop people from freaking out about it.

The only communist country left is what? North Korea?

Both China and Cuba have firmly embraced capitalism.

[Flatspriest]

Cause you cant pay a garbage truck driver the same wage as a Nuclear Physicist and expect everything to be hunky dory. :P

Sure you can, if you don't pay them very much...which is why communism failed in the former USSR.

[Krille]

The only communist country left is what? North Korea?

Both China and Cuba have firmly embraced capitalism.

Any true communist country wouldn't have a ruling elite.

[ControlWarrior]

The only communist country left is what? North Korea?

Both China and Cuba have firmly embraced capitalism.

China and Cuba are loosening restrictions a bit, but they have a ways to go.

[Deleted]

Seems like a sensible and rational system.

Dear lawd... are you trolling?

Communism cant work because of 2 reasons. First.. communism assumes that a society with only working class can function and provides no incentive to rise above it. Why would anyone put in extra work and hardship if a doctor or a lawyer gets the same pay as a burger flipper?

And second.. such a system will heavily reward those who are willing to break the rules, making corruption, stealing, selling your skill to other countries etc. all the more lucrative.

Or for short.. why bother if youre not getting rewarded for your work and ideas?