Why Is Communism A Better Alternative To A Capitalist Society?
Communism was arguably the most hot button topic of the 20th century. It caused tensions in the Cold War that almost brought humanity to the brink of extinction. It claimed the lives of millions upon millions, and yet it still brings in followers today. Ideologies such as Marxism are becoming more and more popular today, but the question still remains; Is Communism a better alternative to a capitalist society? Many argue so, but however, Communism is the antithesis of beneficial, due to the parasitic nature, history of mass genocides, and flawed ideology. To start off, Communism cannot survive without a state of Capitalism to leech from. To quote from Karl Marx himself in his book Communist Manifesto, "Between capitalist and communist society
lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other…” (Marx). Marx, the creator of Communism, admits that before Communism can come into existence, the wealth from the overthrown capitalist society is needed to fuel it. A parasite is defined as “something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return” (Merriam-Webster). Marxists argue that Communism is the last step of a grand societal line, and that humanity always follows the line. This is flawed within itself, as many different societies do not follow the supposed structure that is detailed. In the span of under 100 years, Communism caused an approximate 85-100 million deaths across the world. In Stalin’s communist system, an estimated 20 million were killed within the span of 23 years (How Many People Did Stalin Kill?). This number trumps Hitler’s estimated 11 million people killed in the Holocaust. Both of these statistics do not compare to the Communist Mao Zedong’s estimated 40-75 million kill count (How Many People Did Stalin Kill?). Supporters of Communism list that these are not examples of “real Communism”, however these examples meet the textbook definition of Communism, and followed the words and writings of Karl Marx.
lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other…” (Marx). Marx, the creator of Communism, admits that before Communism can come into existence, the wealth from the overthrown capitalist society is needed to fuel it. A parasite is defined as “something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return” (Merriam-Webster). Marxists argue that Communism is the last step of a grand societal line, and that humanity always follows the line. This is flawed within itself, as many different societies do not follow the supposed structure that is detailed. In the span of under 100 years, Communism caused an approximate 85-100 million deaths across the world. In Stalin’s communist system, an estimated 20 million were killed within the span of 23 years (How Many People Did Stalin Kill?). This number trumps Hitler’s estimated 11 million people killed in the Holocaust. Both of these statistics do not compare to the Communist Mao Zedong’s estimated 40-75 million kill count (How Many People Did Stalin Kill?). Supporters of Communism list that these are not examples of “real Communism”, however these examples meet the textbook definition of Communism, and followed the words and writings of Karl Marx.