Why communism fails?

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The essay re-produced below was written by me on 20/8/1982. I was a student then. It was written for my General Paper as an exercise. I sat for the General Paper at the end of 1982.

What is wrong with the ideals of communism?

Since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918, communism has become a reckoned force in international affairs. The whole Asiatic land mass, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea professes the same idealogy of the common brotherhood of man. It also seems to be spreading like wild bush fire among the poverty striken and extremely exploited third world peoples.

But those peoples who claim to be practicing the brand of communism founded by Karl Marx, do not always follow the laid-out blue print. Even in the land where communism was first introduced the whole system is made a mockery of.

The extreme market mechanism of the capitalist system was the cause of Marx’s communist ideology. He saw the appalling living conditions of numberless workers and how they were ruthlessly exploited by the capitalists.

Eventually, he concluded that society is based on two classes; the capitalist and the proletarians. He advocated the use of force by the proletariat to overthrow the minority capitalist class.

Political power is the means to economic self-determination. The proletariat should thereafter rule themselves with absolute equality and common ownership of property. The communist party which is supposed to represent the proletariat is the government of the state.

The communist doctrine propounded by a group of men in the Soviet Union was a result of socia-economic hardships. After its inception, living conditions and standards of living began to improve.

But after that short period of exuberance, the system seems to stagnate and is not as productive as was thought to be. The image of a happy society where the workers are the masters of the land has been shattered.

The radical system of communism defeats its own ideals. The complete equality of all workers only domain is in itself impossible. The communist party which represents the interests of the workers is an elite minority and a powerful government. Since there is no opposition party around, the communist party and its leaders have absolute power.

In such a power structure, those in power are in no position to resist the temptation to abuse power. A majority of such party leaders and cadres are corrupted beyond redemption. Those people who make up minority of the population often resort to every means possible to maintain and extend their power.

The secret state police, the propaganda machinery, re-education (brain washing) camps, political (indoctrination) study camps and full censorship are some available means with which the communist party imposes its will on the masses. The greater the extent that the workers’ minds are stiffled, the more pleased will those in power be.

In such a situation, can one find dignity in living and the basic human rights that we know of? Here, to lead a life is worst than death.

To quote a dismal failure of the communist ideals, just take a look at Poland. The state communist party is supposed to represent all the workers in the country. Yet, the Polish workers were dissatisfied with it. Tens of thousands of Polish workers openly defied the communist doctrine of only one proleteriat party for the workers’ interests. State police’s and even soldiers’ innumerable open clashes with demonstrating workers clearly convey the disillusionment of those proleterians.

Lech Walesa, the electrician by occupation and the unchallenged leader of the masses became a hero over night. Walesa and his Solidarity Union have shown the world that communism is a fake, only they, the Solidarity Union members are the true representatives of the workers.

Now, in Poland it is no more the land where workers are the masters. the land of freedom is now ruled by soldiers and guns under martial law. Karl Max would not be so arrogant with his communist Manifesto if he had witnessed such a situation.

The communist ideals are not only unrealistic in the political sense, they are also impractical and even absurd as far as economics is concerned. An economy resting on the communist pillars, unless it makes immediate adjustments will defintely collapse. It cannot withstand the test of time.

China, the second earliest communist state has painfully found out. A great and brave statesman, Deng Xiaoping has stood up and told his countrymen that the way they were going is suicidal, and they must turn back and change course. They must set the bearing to the Capitalist world. The whole of Guangdong province and its capital; Canton with a total population of 60 to 70 million people has become a capitalist state within the communist dome.

If the people of Guangdong province can produce more food grains and an excess of material goods for the benefit of the other provinces, communism will face a natural death and go down into history. The communist dome will explode under the dynamic power of capitalism.

The two examples given, vividly illustrate the ills of communism.

Without entering the forbidden ivory tower of intellectual academia or indulging in mental gymnastics on the endless debating points of communist ideals, any sensible common layperson will agree that the problem of communism ideals lies on its power structure which is extremely susceptible to corruption and consequently the stagnation of the economy, if not a total collapse.

It now universally acknowledged that communism is a failure.