True or False: Communism is a social system, socialism is an economic system?
Do people use the terms interchangeably because they do not recognize this distinction?
Do people use the terms interchangeably because they do not recognize this distinction?
Comments
True. Unfortunately most people think of revolutions, red bandannas, AK-47s, and people marching in the streets shouting power to the people. They do not recognize (probably because they simply do not read Marxist/ Leninist literature) that the real hallmarks of the communist ideology are democracy and like you say; social economic systems. Which is why when people who have been overrun by the "red menace" (Americans for example) look around at their own country (the USA for example) and do not even understand that it has become communist!
Just like George Orwell predicted in Animal Farm.
The Russian Communists called themselves socialist, the Red Chines call themselves socialist, Castro calls himself a socialist...Communism in it's true sense doesn't exist. Having said that, socialism is the path to communism by taking over all production, wealth, industry, transportation, resources, utilities, health care, planning, social services, property, land and even thought. The Red Chinese tried it during the 50-70's and it failed. North Korea is probably the closest thing to communism in the world. The answer is YES communism is a social system and socialism is a economic system, both are total failures and unmaintainable in the long term. since one leads to the other, it is save to use them interchangeably even with the purist left wing ideologue rants.
In Germany in the 1930s, Fascism was the last refuge of capitalism after the socialist revolution failed. In Spain in 1936, Fascists took power because socialists and anarchists were fighting amongst themselves, allowing Franco to regain control of Spain - the result was a fascist dictatorship for the next 40 years. You are right that fascism is a far right movement - based on nationalism, with complete lack of respect for human rights and different races or cultures and without any democracy - instead you have the annihilation of political opponents. Under Stalin, Russia had many similar attributes. However, Stalinism is not communism. True communism would give everyone an equal voice and value everyone's contribution to society equally. It needs an international movement to kick out the parasitical bosses and run things ourselves, for our own benefit and to plan society to meet the needs of the planet. Read Trotsky's "The Revolution Betrayed" for the differences between socialism and Stalinism. Read "What is Fascism and How to Fight It" by the same author for the reasons behind the rise of Hitler. Edit - Handrober is spot on.