How Are Socialism and Communism Different? – HISTORY
Both socialism and communism are essentially economic philosophies advocating public rather than private ownership, especially of the means of production, distribution and exchange of goods (i.e., making money) in a society. Both aim to fix the problems they see as created by a free-market capitalist system, including the exploitation of workers and a widening gulf between rich and poor.
But while socialism and communism share some basic similarities, there are also important differences between them.
Socialism emerged in response to the extreme economic and social changes caused by the Industrial Revolution, and particularly the struggles of workers. Many workers grew increasingly poor even as factory owners and other industrialists accrued massive wealth.
In the first half of the 19th century, early socialist thinkers like Henri de Saint-Simon, Robert Owen and Charles Fourier presented their own models for reorganizing society along the lines of cooperation and community, rather than the competition inherent in capitalism, where the free market controlled the supply and demand of goods.
Then came Karl Marx, the German political philosopher and economist who would become one of the most influential socialist thinkers in history. With his collaborator Friedrich Engels, Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848, which included a chapter criticizing those earlier socialist models as utterly unrealistic utopian dreams.
Marx argued that all history was a history of class struggles, and that the working class (or proletariat) would inevitably triumph over the capital class (bourgeoisie) and win control over the means of production, forever erasing all classes.
Communism, sometimes referred to as revolutionary socialism, also originated as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, and came to be defined by Marxs theoriestaken to their extreme end. In fact, Marxists often refer to socialism as the first, necessary phase on the way from capitalism to communism. Marx and Engels themselves didnt consistently or clearly differentiate communism from socialism, which helped ensure lasting confusion between the two terms.
Communist propaganda from China entitled 'Be Ready to Defend or Fight,' circa 1950s.
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Under communism, there is no such thing as private property. All property is communally owned, and each person receives a portion based on what they need. A strong central governmentthe statecontrols all aspects of economic production, and provides citizens with their basic necessities, including food, housing, medical care and education.
By contrast, under socialism, individuals can still own property. But industrial production, or the chief means of generating wealth, is communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government.
Another key difference between socialism and communism is the means of achieving them. In communism, a violent revolution in which the workers rise up against the middle and upper classes is seen as an inevitable part of achieving a pure communist state. Socialism is a less rigid, more flexible ideology. Its adherents seek change and reform, but insist on making these changes through democratic processes within the existing social and political structure, not overthrowing that structure.
In his 1875 writing, Critique of the Gotha Program, Marx summarized the communist philosophy in this way: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. By contrast, socialism is based on the idea that people will be compensated based on their level of individual contribution to the economy.
Unlike in communism, a socialist economic system rewards individual effort and innovation. Social democracy, the most common form of modern socialism, focuses on achieving social reforms and redistribution of wealth through democratic processes, and can co-exist alongside a free-market capitalist economy.
Led by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks put Marxist theory into practice with the Russian Revolution of 1917, which led to the creation of the worlds first communist government. Communism existed in the Soviet Union until its fall in 1991.
Today, communism exists in China, Cuba, North Korea, Laos and Vietnamalthough in reality, a purely communist state has never existed. Such countries can be classified as communist because in all of them, the central government controls all aspects of the economic and political system. But none of them have achieved the elimination of personal property, money or class systems that the communist ideology requires.
Likewise, no country in history has achieved a state of pure socialism. Even countries that are considered by some people to be socialist states, like Norway, Sweden and Denmark, have successful capitalist sectors and follow policies that are largely aligned with social democracy. Many European and Latin American countries have adopted socialist programs (such as free college tuition, universal health care and subsidized child care) and even elected socialist leaders, with varying levels of success.
In the United States, socialism has not historically enjoyed as much success as a political movement. Its peak came in 1912, when Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs won 6 percent of the vote. But at the same time, U.S. programs once considered socialist, such as Medicare and Social Security, have been integrated into American life.
Democratic socialism, a growing U.S. political movement in recent years, lands somewhere in between social democracy and communism. Like communists, democratic socialists believe workers should control the bulk of the means of production, and not be subjected to the will of the free market and the capitalist classes. But they believe their vision of socialism must be achieved through democratic processes, rather than revolution.
Read the original here:
How Are Socialism and Communism Different? - HISTORY
- The US right keeps accusing Democrats of communism. What does that even mean? | Jan-Werner Mller - The Guardian - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- A new Reagan film explores the 40th presidents historic struggle against communism - Washington Examiner - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Letter: Fact-checking fear: Setting the record straight on Common sense vs. communism - Albert Lea Tribune - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Communist Party of Greece (KKE): Article on the war in the Middle East, Palestine and Israel - In Defense of Communism - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Transnational Communism Across the Americas offers valuable insights despite its anti-communist tropes - People's World - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- Conservative Who Has Been Complaining About Grocery Prices Says Harris Price-Gouging Ban is Communism - The Hard Times - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- A new Communist Party to be launched in Cyprus - In Defense of Communism - August 16th, 2024 [August 16th, 2024]
- Isserman Writes about the DNC and Communism - Hamilton - August 14th, 2024 [August 14th, 2024]
- The Reality of Communism - revcom.us - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- PERSPECTIVE: Beijing & Kabul: A Strategic Unity of Communism and Terrorism in Turbulent Times - HSToday - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- 72 Christians Imprisoned or Missing in 4 Communist Countries - International Christian Concern - July 20th, 2024 [July 20th, 2024]
- 35 years after Tiananmen: Communism, Christianity, and China - Mission Network News - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- From communism to stripper restrictions: Florida measures slated to take effect July 1 - Orlando Weekly - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- KKE Europarliament Group: Remove Cuba from the U.S list of "state-sponsors of terrorism" - In Defense of Communism - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Kohei Saito, Marx in the Anthropocene: Towards the Idea of Degrowth Communism book review - Counterfire - May 27th, 2024 [May 27th, 2024]
- British Communist Party announces first candidates for 4 July General Election - In Defense of Communism - May 27th, 2024 [May 27th, 2024]
- The Communists Are Coming! How YOU can promote the RCI founding conference - The Communist - May 27th, 2024 [May 27th, 2024]
- The Southern Truth About Communism - Black Agenda Report - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus - SWI swissinfo.ch - SWI swissinfo.ch in English - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Revolutionary Communists take on Tory warmongers - The Communist - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Communist Party of Ireland: On the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan terrorist attack - In Defense of Communism - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Florida Governor DeSantis signs new law mandating teaching the evils of communism to children as young as five - WSWS - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- Communists to run in Karl Marx hometown's election - In Defense of Communism - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- Slow Down. How Degrowth Communism Can Save the Earth book review - Counterfire - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- A Survivor of the Cultural Revolution Reviews New Book, 'The Devil and Communist China' - The Stream - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- European Communist Action: Long live the 1st of May Long live socialism! - In Defense of Communism - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- Florida children to learn that communism is evil, slavery a skills training program - The South Florida Times - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- Pol Pot's Atrocities Still Matter, 45 Years After Khmer Rouge's Fall - Reason - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Lenin lives! Join the communists to celebrate his life and ideas! - Socialist Appeal - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Goodbye Socialist Appeal The Communist is coming! - Socialist Appeal - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Xi Jinpings once-unquestioned authority is showing cracks - The Hill - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- The Reality of CommunismWhat Is Social Democracy and Why Is It a Capitalist Dictatorship? - revcom.us - January 12th, 2024 [January 12th, 2024]
- Why Did the Berlin Wall Fall? - The Imaginative Conservative - November 13th, 2023 [November 13th, 2023]
- 1947 and now - The Interpreter - November 13th, 2023 [November 13th, 2023]
- Albania's deal with Italy on migrants has been welcomed by many ... - Las Vegas Sun - November 13th, 2023 [November 13th, 2023]
- Grothman's Bipartisan Hmong New Year Resolution | U.S. ... - Glenn Grothman - November 13th, 2023 [November 13th, 2023]
- Another View: DeSantis was strong, Haley was sharp, Ramaswamy ... - Press Herald - November 13th, 2023 [November 13th, 2023]
- Communism in Britain: The unbroken thread - Socialist Appeal - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- November 7 as Victims of Communism Day - 2023 - Reason - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Fate of the West - Breakpoint - BreakPoint.org - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Cruzs new book Unwoke shows readers how to defeat cultural ... - 1330 WFIN - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- The aftermath of the Velvet Revolution was justice delivered? - Radio Prague International - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Remember, Remember, the 9th of November - The Imaginative Conservative - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Country Road Chronicles: Communist camp in Westerly in the '30s - The Westerly Sun - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- The Russian Revolution: The greatest event in history - Socialist Appeal - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- What Happened to the ACLU by Helen Andrews | Articles - First Things - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Open Forum: Thinking of Donald Trump after Tuesday's election - The Winchester Star - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Was the USSR Socialist?: an Interview with Alexander Nogovishchev - Lefteast - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Remembrance Day: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - Fairfaxtimes.com - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- New York Man Sentenced on Felony Assault Charge for Actions ... - Department of Justice - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- U.S. Rep. Grothman: Bipartisan Hmong New Year resolution - WisPolitics.com - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- 'Nazigate' Has Been Quickly Forgotten, But Scholars Warn Its ... - The Maple - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Defining the US-China cold war - - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Green Township voters remove 5 officials who support Gotion ... - FOX 17 West Michigan News - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Louisiana's 'In God We Trust' law tests limits of religion in public ... - American Press - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Czechast with Irena Kalhousov, Director of the Herzl Center for ... - Radio Prague International - November 11th, 2023 [November 11th, 2023]
- Letter to the editor: We mustn't forget communism's many victims - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - October 19th, 2023 [October 19th, 2023]
- Writing triumphed over 'hell of communism', says Albania's Kadare - Yahoo News - October 19th, 2023 [October 19th, 2023]
- Opinion Showing anti-communism the red card - Morning Star Online - October 19th, 2023 [October 19th, 2023]
- Letter to the Editor: The Minnesota Daily is against communists ... - Minnesota Daily - October 19th, 2023 [October 19th, 2023]
- Long before the Kentucky legislature waged war on 'woke,' it ... - The Hastings Tribune - October 19th, 2023 [October 19th, 2023]
- All the traditions lost after the Communists entered Beijing The China Project - The China Project - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Communism, the youth, and the fight for revolution - Socialist Appeal - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Salazar, 27 GOP cosponsors offer bill to educate students about ... - Ripon Advance - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Head of Zeus seizes history of communism by broadcaster and ... - The Bookseller - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Death threats, communism claims swirl around EV battery project - Automotive News - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- The New Useful Idiots - Shield of the Republic - The Bulwark - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Rift in Samastha over stand towards CPM - Times of India - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- South Korean president's anti-communist taunts are opening up ... - The Conversation - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Argentine priests celebrate reparation Mass after presidential ... - America: The Jesuit Review - September 9th, 2023 [September 9th, 2023]
- Oppenheimer: communism, McCarthyism, and the bomb | United ... - In Defence of Marxism - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- When teachers have more say than parents, communism has arrived - Hernando Sun - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- 130 years of Mayakovsky: Art, communism, and revolution - Socialist Appeal - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- Captive Nations Week Marked for First Time in Ukraine - Jamestown - The Jamestown Foundation - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- What Was the Marshall Plan? - The Collector - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- Politics of the Rift: On Thorie Communiste - Notes - E-Flux - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- The return of EU enlargement | The Strategist - The Strategist - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- Putin's holy war on Ukraine - UnHerd - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- The zing zazz factor in a slogan - RNZ - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]
- Family who carried Sacred Heart statue were carried by Sacred ... - Catholic Diocese of Lincoln - July 20th, 2023 [July 20th, 2023]