All Communists are dead-beats

[Cavemonster]

and what about all the insane corruption and poor product quality in China?

Again, corruption preceded communism. And since the system now can hardly be called communist or socialist, it clearly survived afterward.

I suppose you could make a case that corrupt countries are more likely to have a successful communist revolution, and that those revolutions don't effect corruption.

Certainly the corruption in pre-revolutionary Cuba was a motivating factor in their revolution.

What you can't conclude is that correlation shows cause, when the effect was pre-existing.

 

[Thunder]

What you can't conclude is that correlation shows cause, when the effect was pre-existing.

well, following your logic, I will then just have to conclude that Russian and Chinese culture are inheritently corrupt & lazy.

 

[Cavemonster]

well, following your logic, I will then just have to conclude that Russian and Chinese culture are inheritently corrupt & lazy.

No, again you're leaping to cause from correlation.

And it's not my logic, it's simple logic 101.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

I have been to a former Communist country.

And did your 2 weeks give you a solid grounding in life under communism?

Its very clear that living under Communism breeds insane acceptance of corruption, bribes, laziness, and an incredible undeserved & unwarranted sense of entitlement.

Unlike a Capitalist system? It creates the same climate of laziness and undeserved, unwarranted wealth.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

and what about all the insane corruption and poor product quality in China?

Jiang Jieshi's China was a bribe-free, corruption-less capitalist paradise. That bastard Mao Tsetung ruined it all.

 

[ChrisH]

I have a friend who is communist... he is Hungarian, and fought in the uprising against Russia, and was imprisoned in a labour camp. Later, stateless, he joined the French Foreign Legion... He says that Stalin was the worst thing that ever happened to Communism.

He lives well, works hard as an entertainer, and is very generous to his friends. I'd say he has made something of his life.

 

[Travis]

That's silly.
Communism is a goal, meant to be reached by society through a socialist government. Saying that participating in the capitalist system disqualifies you is a bit like saying the lack of wings, halo and harp disqualifies you as a Christian.

Communism is a system. Reached by doing things conducive to a communist lifestyle like not enabling the evil capitalistic system by participating in it.

What on earth does that have to do with whether or not they have jobs and work in a capitalistic company? The two friends I referred to before who work in telecommunication/computers (1) live in a commune, but still have normal jobs and still self-identify as communists.

In other words they are like "vegetarians" that still eat pork, chicken, lamb and basically everything except beef. But they are still "vegetarians" because their "goal" is to one day be one totally.

 

[quadraginta]

Most of the landowners who let the peasants starve to death were Irish or Anglo-Irish.Don't believe IRA propaganda,it wasn't as simple as the evil British allowing it to happen.

Most of the landowners, ethnicity notwithstanding, rarely if ever even set foot in Ireland. The IRA propaganda doesn't need to lie much to make its point. The British treatment of the Irish in general was cruel, brutal, and reprehensible.

The reasons that most of the farmland in Ireland was owned by absentee landlords are very representative of this. They largely stayed the hell away and lived off of the revenue generated by the work of tenant farmers who barely subsided working land their families had once owned.

 

[manxman]

I know a few Communists. None of them are very succesful in life.

They don't make much money, they haven't achieved much in their careers.

They tend to be single.

Some of them, are total bums...living in their mom's basement with very low level jobs that they hate.

What they ALL have in common, is great resentment towards folks who have achieved, or at least make a decent attempt to.

They go on and on about how the gov. should give them this, the gov. should give them that, and how some day..they will simply RISE UP and take what they want.

Like I said....dead-beats.

Questions? Comments? Please leave a message after the beep.

Synthetic proposition.

 

[dirtywick]

What on earth does that have to do with whether or not they have jobs and work in a capitalistic company? The two friends I referred to before who work in telecommunication/computers (1) live in a commune, but still have normal jobs and still self-identify as communists.

---
(1) I can't remember which part of the company they work...

I said there's no Communists in NYC because they're indistinguishable from all the Capitalists by not participating in Communism, i.e. participating in the same economic system and activity everyone else does including have a job. This is in response to the OP saying he knows Communists in NYC.

If your buddies go to work and live in a commune, fantastic. I bet they don't live in NYC though, huh?

 

[Cavemonster]

Communism is a system. Reached by doing things conducive to a communist lifestyle like not enabling the evil capitalistic system by participating in it.

That's nice.
It has nothing to do with communism as described by Marx, or as described and practiced by the current US communist party or any previous incarnation. But I'm sure there is someone somewhere who calls himself a communist who agrees with you.

 

[Thunder]

Unlike a Capitalist system? It creates the same climate of laziness and undeserved, unwarranted wealth.

no, Capitalists believe you should get paid for your time, energy, and resources.

Communists believe you should get what you need, regardless of the effort or investment you put into it.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

no, Capitalists believe you should get paid for your time, energy, and resources.

They may believe that, but that's not what happens. Inheritance.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

They may believe that, but that's not what happens. Inheritance.

And making money off wage slaves. Guess what, that happens too.

 

[Travis]

That's nice.
It has nothing to do with communism as described by Marx, or as described and practiced by the current US communist party or any previous incarnation. But I'm sure there is someone somewhere who calls himself a communist who agrees with you.

You don't think that someone who truly believes in Communism shouldn't do everything in their power to abide by its principles?

They may believe that, but that's not what happens. Inheritance.

What do you think should happen to the house of a man who dies if not let it pass on to his kids?

 

[Virus]

I don't think you can say that someone isn't a communist if he works 9-5. If he believes in communism, he's a communist. Maybe you could call an avowed communist that works as an executive for Microsoft a hypocrite, but if he believes it then that's what he is.

 

[cienaños]

All those who generalize are lazy-thinkers.

 

[zooterkin]

no, Capitalists believe you should get paid for your time, energy, and resources.

Communists believe you should get what you need, regardless of the effort or investment you put into it.

They also believe that people will put in the effort and investment that they are able to.

 

[Cavemonster]

You don't think that someone who truly believes in Communism shouldn't do everything in their power to abide by its principles?

Its principles are focused on a broad equality. That's served far better by making money and participating in politics than by squatting in the woods eating berries. So yes, having a job and making money is not antithetical to being a communist.

Your interpretation as applied to Democrats: "If they believe in social services to help the disadvantaged, why don't they all donate all their money to the government to redistribute."

Repiublicans: "If they dislike big government so much, why don't they all refuse to pay their taxes which support big government?"

The bottom line is that, unless you're ready for a violent revolution today, then any interests are far better served by working within the current system.

 

[bikerdruid]

It's principles are focused on a broad equality. That's served far better by making money and participating in politics than by squatting in the woods eating berries. So yes, having a job and making money is not antithetical to being a communist.

Your interpretation as applied to Democrats: "If they believe in social services to help the disadvantaged, why don't they all donate all their money to the government to redistribute."

Repiublicans: "If they dislike big government so much, why don't they all refuse to pay their taxes which support big government?"

The bottom line is that, unless you're ready for a violent revolution today, then any interests are far better served by working within the current system.

excellent post, cavemonster.
it is easier to change from within.
however, revolution is much faster.