The difference between socialism and communism (Marxist-Leninist).
Definitions
Marxist theory defines socialism as a stage between capitalism and communism and Lenin suggests the means to achieve communism by revolutionary means. Capitalism and socialism are economic systems and Communism is an ideology.
Beliefs
Socialism has a variety of meanings, either based on subjective opinion, or a plethora of opinions based on how someone else subjectively defines them, which is why there are so many conflicting accounts of definitions – some bordering on the bizarre. Marxist-Leninist theory is the type most commonly used because it explains the differences between private wealth distribution (State socialism) and private wealth ownership (State ownership).
Socialism
Every country has some degree of socialism to pay for infrastructure and essential services and this is provided for through taxation, (defence, education, roads . . .); the commonly held belief is that it is the duty of the State to pay, but no State owns wealth, unless it’s communist; the State is merely a third party distributor of private wealth and can only distribute what it collects.
Communism
Communism on the other hand, is an ideology that doesn’t need capitalism to finance it as everything is already both owned and distributed by the State. The difference between welfare socialism and communism then is who owns the wealth and the means of producing it and not distribution. The similarities are that they both create government dependent societies.
Capitalism
Many see welfare socialism as more of a philosophy than an economic system, in which society ‘looks after’ people on the basis of societies working better collectively, rather than as individuals.
Yet it’s why the ‘Smash capitalism’ protests sound odd, as without capitalism there would be no socialist welfare State. Under anarchism there would be no welfare to distribute as a State wouldn’t exist and welfare would be reliant on charity and under communism, as the State (a collection of elite individuals) now owns the wealth, they’re reluctant to distribute their own wealth and communism then becomes an elite wealth owning dictatorship. Its why, without capitalism, there is no comparable welfare system in a communist society to resemble that of a modern western entitlement welfare society and it’s why communism always results in a dictatorship.
America
You can call it ‘change you can believe in’ or, ‘Fundamentally changing America’, but if you have a government that states you should spread private wealth around or who say that welfare dependency is good for the economy; with half a population on some kind of welfare benefit, one third government dependent obese and socialised medical care, that’s government dependent socialism.
Sit back and watch as high spending welfare cities start to collapse and go bankrupt, businesses outsource and individual taxpayers flee high taxation to fund welfare socialism.
Summary
The problem in socialism arises when the State starts to use taxation provided by private wealth to promote a political ideology based on private wealth distribution to provide equality. As welfare socialism is privately funded, there comes a time when the funding needed becomes too great for the taxpayer to support a rising non-contributory population and it then starts to collapse, (an example is Greece). This is also apparent across Europe where there is now wholescale austerity (cut backs) – go in the opposite direction and the State itself starts to nationalise and own, which results in communism.
Definitions
Marxist theory defines socialism as a stage between capitalism and communism and Lenin suggests the means to achieve communism by revolutionary means. Capitalism and socialism are economic systems and Communism is an ideology.
Beliefs
Socialism has a variety of meanings, either based on subjective opinion, or a plethora of opinions based on how someone else subjectively defines them, which is why there are so many conflicting accounts of definitions – some bordering on the bizarre. Marxist-Leninist theory is the type most commonly used because it explains the differences between private wealth distribution (State socialism) and private wealth ownership (State ownership).
Socialism
Every country has some degree of socialism to pay for infrastructure and essential services and this is provided for through taxation, (defence, education, roads . . .); the commonly held belief is that it is the duty of the State to pay, but no State owns wealth, unless it’s communist; the State is merely a third party distributor of private wealth and can only distribute what it collects.
Communism
Communism on the other hand, is an ideology that doesn’t need capitalism to finance it as everything is already both owned and distributed by the State. The difference between welfare socialism and communism then is who owns the wealth and the means of producing it and not distribution. The similarities are that they both create government dependent societies.
Capitalism
Many see welfare socialism as more of a philosophy than an economic system, in which society ‘looks after’ people on the basis of societies working better collectively, rather than as individuals.
Yet it’s why the ‘Smash capitalism’ protests sound odd, as without capitalism there would be no socialist welfare State. Under anarchism there would be no welfare to distribute as a State wouldn’t exist and welfare would be reliant on charity and under communism, as the State (a collection of elite individuals) now owns the wealth, they’re reluctant to distribute their own wealth and communism then becomes an elite wealth owning dictatorship. Its why, without capitalism, there is no comparable welfare system in a communist society to resemble that of a modern western entitlement welfare society and it’s why communism always results in a dictatorship.
America
You can call it ‘change you can believe in’ or, ‘Fundamentally changing America’, but if you have a government that states you should spread private wealth around or who say that welfare dependency is good for the economy; with half a population on some kind of welfare benefit, one third government dependent obese and socialised medical care, that’s government dependent socialism.
Sit back and watch as high spending welfare cities start to collapse and go bankrupt, businesses outsource and individual taxpayers flee high taxation to fund welfare socialism.
Summary
The problem in socialism arises when the State starts to use taxation provided by private wealth to promote a political ideology based on private wealth distribution to provide equality. As welfare socialism is privately funded, there comes a time when the funding needed becomes too great for the taxpayer to support a rising non-contributory population and it then starts to collapse, (an example is Greece). This is also apparent across Europe where there is now wholescale austerity (cut backs) – go in the opposite direction and the State itself starts to nationalise and own, which results in communism.