Description
Communism & Post-Communism
Communism
set of political ideas about class and politics
term encompasses both political-economic system and a political
ideology:
an explanation for how society operates
an ideology about how society should function
Central to Marxism:
2 main groups or classes in society
1. proletariat (or labor)
2. bourgeoisie (or capitalists)
Politics in a state happens at two levels:
1. base
2. superstructure
According to Marx, the realization of communism is a process
history is about the struggle between classes
technological change leads to revolution
and new technological change comes
feudalism worked for a while until technology led to industry
assumption that workers would overthrow capitalists in time
Marx sought to explain how the process worked
intense competition
wealth concentrated into fewer and fewer hands
wages driven down
workers alienated from their labor
consciousness & revolution
proletariat would rise up against exploitation
seize means of production and state
“Dictatorship of Proletariat”
when successful, state would “wither away”
result? true communism – true equality and cooperation
Who sought to realize Marx’ vision?
Russia: Lenin (1870-1924)
China: Mao (1883-1976)
Problem: Marx expected revolution where capitalism was most
advanced
Solution: a “vanguard” party could take the place of a strong
proletariat & speed revolution
Communism Realized
Russia 1917
Eastern Europe post-WWII
China 1949
How to build communism in reality?
Marx gave no blueprint
Communist Party institutions
the Communist Party is the “Vanguard of the Proletariat” and
leads the revolution
nomenklatura: Party members in key posts
Economy
governed by central planning
state allocating resources, determining what should be produced,
when, where it’s sold, and for how much
education, employment guaranteed
problems?
net result: corruption, shortages, inefficiency
Agricultural Collectivization
farms collectively owned & farmers work on community farms
unintended result: lower food production, hunger, famine
Examples:
Soviet Union, 1928-1936
80 % of Soviet farms collectivized
famine kills between 4 and 10 million
China, 1958-1961
all private land holding abolished
famine kills between 18 and 32 million
Communism as “Secular Religion”
required unquestioning faith in communist ideology
elaborate personality cults (Stalin, Mao, Castro)
repression of religion and other social institutions
Repression & Control
Stalin: massive “purges” of people from Communist Party for
being “disloyal”
Mao: Cultural Revolution persecuted intellectuals, students, artists
1990 Soviet collapse: juncture of causes
Reagan & New Cold War,1980s
cost of arms race
economic stagnation
new political leadership (Gorbachev), seeks reform of system to
repair & revitalize communism
Reforms under Gorbachev
Perestroika (1986)
Glasnost (1988)
Created a Soviet Presidency
result was that Gorbachev lost control of the reform process &
Soviet Union collapsed
As the Soviet Union weakened
it loosened its control over E. Europe
reformers in Soviet satellite states threw off their communist
regimes
E. Germany fell, became part of W. Germany
