I have a serious issue with Misters Stalin, Mao and Castro. They’ve provided a baseless foundation for countless moronic “arguments” against perfectly legit social reforms. Marx and McCarthy aren’t off the hook either.
There have been plenty of teachings that discuss the evils and dangers of loving money, mistreating lower classes, and not sharing. Judaism teaches farmers to not harvest the corners of their fields because everything belongs to God, which means people need to share. The food growing in those corners is available to any poor or any travelers coming through (Lev. 9:9-11*). Christianity teaches self-enforced class equality (1 Cor. 9:22**) and need-based sharing of resources (2 Cor. 8:14***). Respected Buddhist teacher Atisha is quoted as saying “The greatest achievement is selflessness. The greatest worth is self-mastery. The greatest quality is seeking to serve others…The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.” Sounds a little like Stalin’s calls to selfless loyalty and the Communist concept of eliminating ownership.
But do you hear people screaming “THAT’S JUDAISM!” when we discuss welfare programs? “THAT’S CHRISTIANITY!” when we lament the gap between the lower and upper classes? Or “THAT’S BUDDHISM!” when we propose that materialism, possession, and money might be harmful to certain aspects of society (like privatized medicine?) No. People immediately bristle with “THAT’S COMMUNISM!”
I’ll be the first to concede that terrible, terrible things were carried out in the name of Communism. But people being morons doesn’t change the ideas they’re ostensibly pushing. Remember the Crusades? People don’t claim “THAT’S CHRISTIANITY!” when we hear about tortures and abuses at Gitmo. This is because Christianity has had better PR and more people have read enough of the Bible to realize that it’s not about the Crusades. There are aspects of what we know as Communism that are awful – repression of individuality, elimination of religion, etc. We need to step far away from all this and start from scratch, because sharing our toys and empowering the common man (or to use a word with some connotations, the proletariat) are very good things. Unfortunately, one can hardly propose any measures to push for these without being accused of Communism. People make it sound like socializing medicine is going to bring Zombie Stalin back from the grave to start killing people.
Here’s the issue: plenty of good ideas have gotten bad reputations, enough so that identifying something as Communism today counts as an argument to shut it down, when in reality the detractor has failed to establish “Communism = Bad” as a premise for their argument.
What we can do: stop letting faulty language and definitions get in the way of innovations in social reform. Refuse to allow new ideas to be labeled “Communism”, or use “Stalinism” or “Marxism” as a stand-in for what most people describe as “Communism”. Be educated enough to call out this faulty premise, and be confident enough not to back down as soon as you’re accused of being “Communist”. And keep a watch out for Zombie Stalin.
* "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corner of your field…you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger."
**“When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression”
*** “I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some point they can share with you…in this way, everyone’s needs will be met.”
Recommended Reading:
Stalin discusses language and Marxism
Lenin's summary of Marxism to compare with the stated goals of today's mainstream Public Welfare Foundation
Modern-day anti-Bush program that was founded by today’s Revolutionary Communist Party
5 comments:
I am unpersuaded by your efforts to draw a similarity between collectivist politico-economic systems and the "sharing" tenets of Christianity, Buddhism or Judaism. In most parts of the world, Joining those religions, remaining part of those religions, and abiding by their precepts are matters of choice, and there is the big difference with communism. Communism isn't sharing; it is forced participation in a system of confiscation and redistribution, which is anti-Christian, anti-Judaism, and anti-Buddhism.
I suggest the author of the previous comment brush up on his knowledge of original Christianity and his knowledge of the Bible.
"Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" Acts 2:45
Also see Acts 4:32-5:11 - "...No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had....There were no needy persons among them....those who owned lands or houses sold them....and it was distributed to anyone as he had need....a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property....he kept back part of the money for himself....Then Peter said....you have not lied to me but to God....he fell down and died...." (Quick extract - please read the full text)
I submit that to imply jewish and christian biblical quotations are evidence of these religions endorsing communism as a form of government is preposterous.
The tenets of christianity and Judaism are there to guide the individual.
Greed, jealousy & desire for power are all part of basic human nature. It is true that in a capitalist society a portion of the citizens will not follow any doctrine which encourages giving away your wealth. However the same most definitely applies to all society no matter what the form of government. Do not for a minute believe that greed, abuse of power and subjugation of the weak & poor is absent in communism.
The defining differences is that capitalism allows the individual greater opportunity for personal property. Additionally the possible rewards & social advancement available in capitalism outweigh those in your typical communist society. The result of this potential for reward is the encouragement of entrepreneurism & invention.
Communism has an inherent dampening affect on the rights of the individual; entrepreneurism & invention. The fact is that capitalism is the best and most natural form of society.
The other fact is that individuals should follow those teachings of sharing with the less fortunate; taking care of ones brother etc. I am only a moderately religious person but I firmly believe we, as society, need to get back to some core faith based guiding principals.
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