https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av19g0gIkGY
People
who are far from politics often have a very distorted image of
communists. Due to mass media, communists usually are described as
narasmic old people who worship the icons of leaders, or as young
hooligans, who want to take away and divide all. Neither of which are
true. The following will be the explanation of what a true communist
is.
“Communist
theory can be summed up as abolish all private property”
-Karl Marx
Mass media usually tell us that communists want to take away the honestly earned property from the diligent people and divide it among the lazy bones, or place it under control of the all-powerful totalitarian state. In fact, just the opposite is true. The private property is a property on the means of production-on the factories, land, resources, transport, banks, on all that is able to give a profit. The owners of this property don't work coal, or lay bricks, or puzzle over the new computer program. But they are those who manage the results of the labor of the miners, builders or programmer. They sell the goods produced by other's hands and get a profit. So, their wealth is created not by themselves, but by other's labor-the labor of wage workers. In capitalist society the presence of private property in hands of a select few implies its absence for the majority, the wealth of the first implies the poverty of the second. It will be both just and useful to destroy such social order. When the workers themselves manage the fruits of their labor, all funds will be spent not for the yachts and villas of the capitalists, but to the social needs-for all-round development of each person, for providing him with habitation, education, and health care. Now, a few words about all-powerful totalitarian state. Communists regard the state as a result of class contradictions. State is a machine used by the rich to oppress the poor. When there are neither the rich and nor the poor, there will be no state too. But at the first time the oppressed need this machine to break the oppressors, and this state should be created by the toilers themselves, it should express their interests and work under their permanent control.
Mass media usually tell us that communists want to take away the honestly earned property from the diligent people and divide it among the lazy bones, or place it under control of the all-powerful totalitarian state. In fact, just the opposite is true. The private property is a property on the means of production-on the factories, land, resources, transport, banks, on all that is able to give a profit. The owners of this property don't work coal, or lay bricks, or puzzle over the new computer program. But they are those who manage the results of the labor of the miners, builders or programmer. They sell the goods produced by other's hands and get a profit. So, their wealth is created not by themselves, but by other's labor-the labor of wage workers. In capitalist society the presence of private property in hands of a select few implies its absence for the majority, the wealth of the first implies the poverty of the second. It will be both just and useful to destroy such social order. When the workers themselves manage the fruits of their labor, all funds will be spent not for the yachts and villas of the capitalists, but to the social needs-for all-round development of each person, for providing him with habitation, education, and health care. Now, a few words about all-powerful totalitarian state. Communists regard the state as a result of class contradictions. State is a machine used by the rich to oppress the poor. When there are neither the rich and nor the poor, there will be no state too. But at the first time the oppressed need this machine to break the oppressors, and this state should be created by the toilers themselves, it should express their interests and work under their permanent control.
“Communism
is a doctrine about the conditions of the liberation of the
proletariat” -Friedrich Engels
If we turn to history we'll see that communist movement of the modern age appeared as a movement of the proletarians for the rearrangement of the society in their interests. Who are the proletarians? They are the wage-workers, the people who live thanks to their labor, and they want labor to become a joy of life, not a damnation as it is in our time, under capitalism. This aim will be achieved only by the time when they have the political power in their hands and be able to make all measures needed for them. Capitalists' interests are just the opposite-to save an existing order that provides wealth and power for them. So there can be no common interests and no unity between the oppressed and the oppressors. But the bourgeoisie often try to convict us of the contrary. When the fat cats of different countries wage wars with each other, they never say they do it for their purses-no, they always defend national interests! When the economic crisis happens, the workers are convicted to suffer the discharges humbly, not to feel hurt by the owners and not to rock the boat. Communists' task is to explain that there is no common boat, that the workers have not merely a right, but a duty to rock the boat of capitalists. A communist undoubtedly should support all actions directed to the defense of the workers' rights. Strikes, trade unions activity, struggle for decent wage and against illegal discharges are all important and necessary deeds, but it's not enough for communists. No matter how humane and merciful capitalists may be, they always remain masters. But communists struggle for the society where is neither masters nor slaves, where the toilers gain the right to live, not to survive. In order to emancipate itself, the proletariat needs a belief in its strength and understanding that it is the very base of society and it is able to change the world. And then it needs solidarity and collective actions that frighten capitalists and bureaucrats so much.
If we turn to history we'll see that communist movement of the modern age appeared as a movement of the proletarians for the rearrangement of the society in their interests. Who are the proletarians? They are the wage-workers, the people who live thanks to their labor, and they want labor to become a joy of life, not a damnation as it is in our time, under capitalism. This aim will be achieved only by the time when they have the political power in their hands and be able to make all measures needed for them. Capitalists' interests are just the opposite-to save an existing order that provides wealth and power for them. So there can be no common interests and no unity between the oppressed and the oppressors. But the bourgeoisie often try to convict us of the contrary. When the fat cats of different countries wage wars with each other, they never say they do it for their purses-no, they always defend national interests! When the economic crisis happens, the workers are convicted to suffer the discharges humbly, not to feel hurt by the owners and not to rock the boat. Communists' task is to explain that there is no common boat, that the workers have not merely a right, but a duty to rock the boat of capitalists. A communist undoubtedly should support all actions directed to the defense of the workers' rights. Strikes, trade unions activity, struggle for decent wage and against illegal discharges are all important and necessary deeds, but it's not enough for communists. No matter how humane and merciful capitalists may be, they always remain masters. But communists struggle for the society where is neither masters nor slaves, where the toilers gain the right to live, not to survive. In order to emancipate itself, the proletariat needs a belief in its strength and understanding that it is the very base of society and it is able to change the world. And then it needs solidarity and collective actions that frighten capitalists and bureaucrats so much.
“You
will become a communist only when you enrich your mind with knowledge
of all the wealth created by mankind” -Vladimir Lenin
Lenin said these words in 1920 for the members of communist Youth League. He paid their attention to the fact that Marxist theory appeared due to all previous world culture. Economic science, philosophical thought and even Shakespeare's and Goethe's poetry helped Marx to find a key to the analysis of capitalist society. So a communist who limits himself to know only several slogans and books, is a natural boaster. Marxism isn't a collection of truisms or an assortment of ready answers to all possible questions. It is a method of knowledge, and its main features are materialism and dialectics. To be a materialist means to explain all things from real life, not from the abstract theories. To think dialectically means to investigate all things in their development and interrelation and to be able to see its various aspects. For understanding the Marxist method and for its application in life a communist needs to constantly expand his knowledge, not to cram, but to critically remake it and to choose the essentials. The same critically attitude should be shown toward the communist theory itself. It is necessary to compare theory with practice, but at the same time not to lose its core-the struggle for emancipation of the proletariat.
Lenin said these words in 1920 for the members of communist Youth League. He paid their attention to the fact that Marxist theory appeared due to all previous world culture. Economic science, philosophical thought and even Shakespeare's and Goethe's poetry helped Marx to find a key to the analysis of capitalist society. So a communist who limits himself to know only several slogans and books, is a natural boaster. Marxism isn't a collection of truisms or an assortment of ready answers to all possible questions. It is a method of knowledge, and its main features are materialism and dialectics. To be a materialist means to explain all things from real life, not from the abstract theories. To think dialectically means to investigate all things in their development and interrelation and to be able to see its various aspects. For understanding the Marxist method and for its application in life a communist needs to constantly expand his knowledge, not to cram, but to critically remake it and to choose the essentials. The same critically attitude should be shown toward the communist theory itself. It is necessary to compare theory with practice, but at the same time not to lose its core-the struggle for emancipation of the proletariat.
“To
be a communist means to venture, to think, to want, to dare.”
-Vladimir Mayakovsky
Theoretical knowledge is necessary for a communist, but the bookish knowledge itself costs nothing if it isn't connected with real life, if the words and slogans don't materialize into deeds. We aren't going to write a new moral code of the builders of communism,but we'll mention some features without which the term communist loses its sense. At first, it is humanism, not an indulgence, but an active love which implies a hatred against all negative and a struggle against it. It is fraternal and equal attitude to other people, without any arrogance and 'leaderism'. It is an equal exactingness for himself and for others and a responsibility for words and deeds. Before every step a communist should think firstly about the common good and latterly about personal ambitions. It's useful to remember our predecessor who lived and struggled in the conditions lot more difficult than ours, but thanks to them the word communist was spoken with honor and respect.
In conclusion we can say that to be a communist means to be a human in the best sense of this word, to be a person who is an example for others in his social activity, work, creation and private life. Only that person who approaches the communist future by everyday of his life has the right to introduce himself as a communist.
Theoretical knowledge is necessary for a communist, but the bookish knowledge itself costs nothing if it isn't connected with real life, if the words and slogans don't materialize into deeds. We aren't going to write a new moral code of the builders of communism,but we'll mention some features without which the term communist loses its sense. At first, it is humanism, not an indulgence, but an active love which implies a hatred against all negative and a struggle against it. It is fraternal and equal attitude to other people, without any arrogance and 'leaderism'. It is an equal exactingness for himself and for others and a responsibility for words and deeds. Before every step a communist should think firstly about the common good and latterly about personal ambitions. It's useful to remember our predecessor who lived and struggled in the conditions lot more difficult than ours, but thanks to them the word communist was spoken with honor and respect.
In conclusion we can say that to be a communist means to be a human in the best sense of this word, to be a person who is an example for others in his social activity, work, creation and private life. Only that person who approaches the communist future by everyday of his life has the right to introduce himself as a communist.
I truly believe that we must study the works of Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins for the basic understanding of memes and how they spread and defend themselves and are defended by the structures they create. I believe that we can learn more about the promulgation/defense/growth of new/old memes. We must be able to transmit the concepts to others if the ideas are to survive and flourish.
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