Reading: The Benefits of Communism

Communism ideology supports widespread universal social welfare, including improvements in public health and education.

KEY points

  • The theoretical advantages of communism are built around equality and strong social communities.
  • Communist ideology advocates universal education with a focus on developingthe proletariat with knowledge, class consciousness, and historical understanding.
  • Communism supports the emancipation of women and the ending of their exploitation.
  • Communist ideology emphasizes the development of a “New Man”—a class-conscious, knowledgeable, heroic, proletarian person devoted to work and social cohesion, as opposed to the antithetic “bourgeois individualist” associated with cultural backwardness and social atomisation.

 

Terms

  • Communism:  A political philosophy or ideology advocating holding the production of resources collectively
  • Antithetic:  Diametrically opposed.
  • Bourgeois:  Of or relating to capitalist exploitation of the proletariat.
  • Proletariat:  The working class or lower class.

Examples

  • In theory, Communism seems to have some very desirable characteristics. In practice, however, it has many drawbacks, and historically it seems that only the most corrupt members of Communist governments have gained advancement within systems. When a system depends on an entire community but is controlled by a few corrupt bureaucrats, it cannot be successful.
  • However, this is not to say that state run enterprises in certain areas are a bad idea. Publicly-owned utilities such as water, electricity, and postal services have proven to be beneficial in countries, even when no communist system exists.

The Benefits of Communism

Theoretically, there are many benefits that can be achieved through a communist society. Communist ideology supports widespread universal social welfare. Improvements in public health and education, provision of child care, provision of state-directed social services, and provision of social benefits will, theoretically, help to raise labor productivity and advance a society in its development. Communist ideology advocates universal education with a focus on developing the proletariat with knowledge, class consciousness, and historical understanding. Communism supports the emancipation of women and the ending of their exploitation. Both cultural and educational policy in communist states have emphasized the development of a “New Man”—a class-conscious, knowledgeable, heroic, proletarian person devoted to work and social cohesion, as opposed to the antithetic “bourgeois individualist” associated with cultural backwardness and social atomization.

Other theoretically beneficial ideas characteristic of communist societies include:

  1. People are equal. In a communist regime, people are treated equally in the eyes of the government regardless of education, financial standing, et cetera. Economic boundaries don’t separate or categorize people, which can help mitigate crime and violence.
  2. Every citizen can keep a job. In a communist system, people are entitled to jobs. Because the government owns all means of production, the government can provide jobs for at least a majority of the people. Everyone in a communist country is given enough work opportunities to live and survive. Every citizen, however, must do his or her part for the economy to receive pay and other work benefits.
  3. There is an internally stable economic system. In communism, the government dictates economic structure; therefore, economic instability is out of the question. Every citizen is required to work in order to receive benefits, and those who don’t have corresponding sanctions. This creates an incentive to participate and to encourage economic growth.
  4. Strong social communities are established. In communism, there are certain laws and goals which determine resource and responsibility allocation. If the citizens abide by these laws, this leads to a harmonious spirit of sharing one goal. Consequently, this builds stronger social communities and an even stronger economy.
  5. Competition doesn’t exist. In communist societies, everyone can work harmoniously without stepping on each other’s toes. Work, responsibility, and rewards are shared equally among the citizens. If people have no sense of envy, jealousy or ambitions that counter the goals of the state, then a harmonious economic development can be maintained.
  6. Efficient distribution of resources. In a communist society, the sense of cooperation allows for efficiency in resource distribution. This is very important, especially in times of need and in emergency situations. 

GLOSSARY

Benefit

An advantage, help or aid from something. Employee benefits and (especially in British English) benefits in kind (also called fringe benefits, perquisites, perqs or perks) are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries.

Competition

Competition in biology, ecology, and sociology, is a contest between organisms, animals, individuals, groups, etc., for territory, a niche, or a location of resources, for resources and goods, for prestige, recognition, awards, mates, or group or social status, for leadership; it is the opposite of cooperation.

Community

A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other.  A group sharing a common understanding and often the same language, manners, tradition and law. (See civilization)

Developing of a country

Becoming economically more mature or advanced; becoming industrialized.

Distribution

The process by which goods get to final consumers over a geographical market, including storing, selling, shipping, and advertising. the set of relative likelihoods that a variable will have a value in a given interval. A probability distribution; the set of relative likelihoods that a variable will have a value in a given interval.

Economic System

An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities (or even sectors as described by some authors) that provide the economic structure that defines the social community.

Economy

Collective focus of the study of money, currency and trade, and the efficient use of resources. The system of production and distribution and consumption. The overall measure of a currency system; as the national economy.

Efficiency

The extent to which a resource, such as electricity, is used for the intended purpose; the ratio of useful work to energy expended. The extent to which time is well used for the intended task. Improved efficiency was a principle goal of progressives, one they thought attainable by the application of scientific and rational thought to social problems.

Ending

A termination or conclusion.

Enterprise

A company, business, organization, or other purposeful endeavor.

Goal

A desired result that one works to achieve.

Incentive

Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages. It is used to motivate individuals (often, employees) for better performance by providing financial or other types of rewards. An anticipated reward or aversive event available in the environment. Something that motivates an individual to perform an action.

Lead

Potential opportunity for a sale or transaction, a potential customer.

Productivity

Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production and is defined as total output per one unit of a total input. The rate at which goods or services are produced by a standard population of workers. A ratio of production output to what is required to produce it (inputs). The state of being productive, fertile, or efficient. The rate at which products and services are produced relative to a particular workforce.

Resource

Something that one uses to achieve an objective; for example, a resource could be a raw material or an employee.

Services

That which is produced, then traded, bought or sold, then finally consumed and consists of an action or work.

System

A whole composed of relationships among the members. The part of the universe being studied, arbitrarily defined to any size desired.