Communism... Thoughts?

[Korra]

Ok, I'm a S.K. Just because I put a communism thread here doesn't mean im communist.


I wanna hear Japan's side of communism. I usually surf naver japan but google translate is crap so I'm asking the Japanese about your thoughts.

S.K people are pretty obvious.


((Is democracy and communism brainwashing? o_0....))

My thoughts: Communism was never to be a bad meaning: The whole point of it was to distribute the income fairly. However, the whole point became $#!T. (according to people true communism never happened. I agree.)

The communism we see now is a whole new government.

However, communism cannot make much progress because the people will slack off and do their jobs like f***.
And they will still get paid.

Another Q: What if Japan had the same problem as Korea? What is there was north Japan and South Japan?

What might have happened..?

 

[thomas]

Interesting thought! And sorry I'm not Japanese.

If you raise this question because of your neighbour in the north, I don't think that their government is generally defined as "communist".

 

[Korra]

Well, the problem with N.K and S.K is that none of them wants to give up. Judging by the general personality of my people, not in a million years.

Democratic and communist governments doesn't seem to be the right thing. Both Koreas should be satisfied.

and thanks for replying, thomas I appreciate it.

 

[thomas]

Well, the problem with N.K and S.K is that none of them wants to give up. Judging by the general personality of my people, not in a million years.

This is what Germans (and probably the rest of the world) thought too in the late 80s, and then the East just imploded.

I don't want to abduct your thread, but I have two questions to you if you don't mind:

- I am interested how South Koreans think about the people in the North (not their government or system).

- Does the average South Korean look favourably onto the idea of a future reunification?

 

[Mark of Zorro]

The problem with communism in the 20th century was that it was linked to authoritarianism. And the reason for that was because many felt the only way communism could be implemented was by violent overthrow of the capitalists because they were not about to just let go. To violently overthrow the capitalists took military type thinking and required a central strong man. And when the fighting was over, the strong man did not want to give up power. No surprise. They never do, no matter what cause they fight for.

So I don't think communism is unworkable. I think it had a bad start. I think it needs time to work out the bugs.

And it seems to me that socialism is paving the way. Socialism is working, and a big reason is for taking the slow approach. Many of us want the rich and powerful bastards overthrown right now, and why shouldn't we? But the best answer is probably to just take it slow and give everyone time to adjust.

Anyway, the real problem anywhere was never communism, not to the world anyway.. It was authoritarianism. That is the problem with North Korea.

Communism was only a problem for the rich, and they played the poor and middle class for the fools they are where ever there were people who wanted to go communist, like in Vietnam and Cuba. See, I think Cuba would have been a much better place with communism but no Castro. Vietnam would have been fine without America getting involved, and certainly better than it is today.

All I can say about Japan's view on communism is that there is a Communist Party here and I never heard anyone angry about them or call them stupid names. It seems to me that to the Japanese, they are just another political party.

 

[caster55]

Another Q: What if Japan had the same problem as Korea? What is there was north Japan and South Japan?

Japan has a monarch. many ppl says if Japan was divided like korea...

japan has fought like west vs east and clan vs clan
however, there was always an emperor at center..
he does not have a power unlike kim jon il. and emperor has never squeezed from people. however he has a great power as an authority
no one exceed him because he is " JAPAN" herself and Japanese history. and there is no conflict of interests between people and Emperor.

that is why it can not imagine to become like korea. if it happened. it would be temporary because Japanese sacrificed for unity many times.

 

[thomas]

So I don't think communism is unworkable. I think it had a bad start. I think it needs time to work out the bugs.

I concur, Mark. Marxism is a theory triggered by the ruthless industrialization during the early 19th century. Historic or dogmatic communism can no longer be applied to modern societies (well, depends on how you define "classes"), but was/is still being abused by authoritarian regimes such as NK.

Communism in a utilitarian and perhaps egalitarian sense might work one day in a distant future, when we are no longer driven by greed, material possession and thirst for power, but by higher goals, knowledge for instance. Sharing our common resources ("means of pruduction") sounds reasonable, now more than ever.

Ironically, in terms of the egalitarian interpretation, Japan has been considered to be one of the most communist countries, a one-class society of sorts. Probably no longer true either.

As for the Communist Party of Japan: they don't seem to play any significant role. I knew one little old lady who confided to me that she'd vote for the communists in every other election for reasons of political balance.

 

[Eudaimonia]

If you don't mind a non-Japanese view, here it is...


The democracy that most countries in the world have is actually a form of oligarchy or plutarchy (Where the few or the wealthy rule).

In the past there were different kinds of communism tried throughout the world, were those things really communism? I don't really know. This is why i can't really say that communism has failed.

In my opinion communism was most of all a dream of a better world, a dream shared by the people who wanted to move the world forward. I don't think that we have found the best form of government yet and i think that there should be A LOT of experiments done until we do find it. In order to find it there's a dream required, but sadly many people are being convinced that the dream failed. This is where we are today.

personally i'd love a world without archy - without someone in charge - without a few people with their rich friends governing the place - a form of anarchy. I think that the world should try that, now if only i could somehow get people to dream again.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

The perfect model of communism is of course the commune, a place where everybody has a job to do and everyone depends on eachother and everything is done by agreement or democratic election.

In theory, you can reach a point of law and stablity where you pretty much only need leaders and lawmakers in an emergency.

Belgium went 541 days with no federal government. Why not? What is there really left to do for federal governments in most western countries now anyway....but to...AHEM...make trouble....to justify their jobs?

People complain about gridlock in the U.S. government, but mostly I see that as the next best thing to having no government. The only thing that disturbs me is that America needs a political drive to muster the spirit and a plan to pay back the public (national) debt.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Communism was only a problem for the rich, and they played the poor and middle class for the fools they are where ever there were people who wanted to go communist, like in Vietnam and Cuba.

I am afraid I have written that one poorly and been misunderstood. What I was saying is the poor and middle class in CAPITALIST countries got played for fools and aligned themselves with their rich against countries and people that innocently wanted to go communist in their own countries. If America had aided Cuban rebels and Che Guevarra, Castro might not have had so much influence or power and Cuba might be a happier place and we would have more fine cigars. If America had aided the patriots of North Vietnam, like Ho Chi Minh, instead of propping up the corrupt warlords of South Vietnam, like Diem, Vietnam might be quite an economic powerhouse today and much more friendly to the U.S. (surprised as I am that they do not hold a serious hardcore hate for America's meddling).

 

[Hezam]

Politicians say " The only nation that applies 99% of communism is South Yemen" ...
I'm sorry to say that but it was one of the worst experience that Yemen had since the early history of my country.
The men of the government were knocking the doors in the middle of the night and they take the women for couple hours to have sex with them, As a civilian under communist gov, you don't own anything, Your money,Woman,Kids,House etc belong to the government, in other word " a Shared Life " !
And sadly, Every communist government is always dictatorship.

What i said above comes from an experience, Yemeni people in both sides North and South have fought against communists and we made a democratic nation, Not really democratic, Actually a dictatorship gov.
Anyway, i can't compare democracy to communism because the hole is very very deep and huge.

regards.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Sounds like you are talking about a lie that was called communism in name only Hezam. But there are also lies that are called democracy. Sounds worse than Peru under Fujimori though, or Pakistan under Musharraf I will give you that.