Only Communism Can Save Mankind

[xidaijena]

Only Communism Can Save Mankind

Xuefeng

8th August 2016

(Translated by Conglong, Ailian and Tongxin)
(Edited by Kaer)

Capitalism has achieved great progress for humanity.Transportation and communication are very convenient and produce is abundant in today's society. The earth supports seven billion people, mainly as a result of capitalistic development. Without capitalism, today’s civilization could not exist.

Capitalists are the elite of society. They have generated much material wealth for people and resolved unemployment issues for a large number of people. Without capitalists, many more of us would be very poor and suffer underdeveloped and empty lives.

However, the development of capitalism has gradually revealed three major issues that it cannot overcome:
1. The unequal distribution of wealth
2. The over consumption of natural resources
3. The idealized human characteristics of selfishness and greed

As reported by CNS New Work on January 20th, 2015, the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world possess 48% of the world's wealth, the following 19% possess 46%, and the bottom 80% only possess 5.5%.

The unequal distribution of wealth will result in a series of social problems such as:
1. A desire to be wealthy quickly and its resulting illegal activities
2. Hostility against the wealthy
3. Production of counterfeit goods
4. Seizing of resources
5. Illicit drug production and trafficking
6. Jealousy and struggling
7. Stealing, cheating, blackmailing, exploiting, gambling, speculating, and corrupting because of feeling psychologically unbalanced
8. Violence
All these problems cannot be resolved through capitalistic production relations.

The second issue caused by the development of capitalism is the unreasonable and huge consumption of natural resources. Professor Mohan Munasinghe, the Vice Chair of the U.N Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a board member of Green Cross International, said that by 2012, we had overdrawn 50% of the sustainable natural resources of the earth and he predicted that if we continue pursuing our current lifestyles, we would need those of two planets to meet the demand of the total population by 2030.

Not only is the excessive consumption of natural resources unable to support a sustainable future, but it will also lead to a series of natural disasters. The deterioration of the natural environment in recent years is very evident: global warming, drought and drying river beds, floods, hurricanes, thawing permafrost and the disappearing arctic ice cap as ancient glaciers melt and result in a rise of sea level, destruction of biodiversity, and polluted rivers, sea, and soil, to name just a few. Even more severe are the natural disasters which are aggravating, not by a small percentage, but rather at a geometric rate. Due to this climate change, it is possible that within the next fifteen years, many places on earth will become uninhabitable.The number of refugees caused by natural disasters could reach hundreds of millions which could lead to social upheavals, and if that happens, the United Nations and the existing governments will be impotent.

The nature and development of capitalism are based on selfishness and greed. The ultimate purpose of the efforts of almost everyone is to get more resources and wealth for themselves. In order to meet their growing and changing desires, people are working hard, day and night, in order to acquire more wealth and resources, which in turn, aggravates the selfish consciousness and actions. Excessive development and consumption driven by endless desires of human beings are the core drivers that lead to pollution, global warming, destruction of biodiversity, and other natural disasters. Stephen Hawking once predicted that selfishness will lead to the destruction of the human race within 200 years.

Except for the three big conditions of inequitable distribution of wealth, uncontrolled consumption of natural resources, and selfishness and greed, others such as financial turmoil, massive global military spending, fast population growth, huge numbers of civil servants in each country, and large amounts of waste, are problems that cannot be overcome within our current system; Stephen Hawking predicted that the end could come within two hundred years. It is becoming clear however, that if these issues are not resolved soon and if things continue to deteriorate, it could very likely happen within less than one hundred years.

The U.S is the most developed capitalist country in the world, and its consumption of natural resources is so large that, according to Singapore's newspaper “Zaobao”, if everyone in the world consumed what the average American does, we would need five earths to meet their demand. In addition, according to a report in the American “Aerospace Daily” of April 11th, 2016, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI) showed that global defense spending in 2015 totaled about $1.7 trillion, and the top spender, the U.S., reached $596 billion. Given the reality of the U.S.’s consumption of natural resources and its military spending, natural resources will surely become depleted eventually as a result of the development of capitalism. A country whose population accounts for less than 4% of the world’s total is consuming 25% of the earth’s resources. If every country were to do as the U.S. does, humanity would surely face a dead end.

Population expansion is a major world problem. According to statistics from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world population is increasing at a rate of 80 million people per year. A recent report from the UN forecast that the world population will increase from 7.3 billion in 2015 to 8.1 billion by 2023 and to 9.6 billion by 2050. With these increases of population and with the rise of people’s consumption levels, the demand for natural resources will also increase.

For example, to meet the demands of 73 million people for food, clothing, accommodations and transportation etc, a huge amount of natural resources must be consumed. The resources of our earth are limited, however the increase of population is unlimited. We have limited water and land resources, so how are we going to handle this challenge? If we do not have a feasible plan to control the population growth or change our lifestyles and production modes, one day the resources will become exhausted and humanity’s doom will not be much farther away, no matter how many UN meetings are held or what efforts the governments of each country take.

We are facing a huge crisis. To best way to overcome this is to gradually move toward a communist lifestyle. In other words, only communism can save the world.

Communism is not just a new lifestyle and a new production system, it is a noble faith. It is the essence of the thoughts of many saints and sages ever since the ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote of an ideal lifestyle that is desired by ordinary citizens. Communism represents universal values. Social issues such as racial discrimination, religious disputes, staterivalries, national extremes, distribution inequity, selfishness and greed, resource waste, territorial disputes, population growth, huge military spending, government over-staffing and corruption, and high volumes of waste can all be resolved and eliminated through communism. In addition, communism can purify our souls and sublimate our characters, and it will not only make materially abundant lives possible, but the state of global happiness will be elevated as well.

The communism I discuss here is very different from the communism described by Karl Max, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedong. The way it realizes the communist production relationship has essential differences from the ways carried out by Lenin and Mao. Please do not jump to the conclusion that the communism I mentioned is like your previous experience and perception of the term.

To differentiate between our communism and that described by Marx, Lenin, and Mao, we temporarily name ours, “Xuefeng-style communism”.

Xuefeng-style communism has been running for over seven years, and it has proven through practice that Xuefeng-style communism can be fully realized under current conditions. Xuefeng-style communism can resolve the crises of unequal distribution of wealth, intemperate consumption of natural resources, population expansions, financial storms, huge military expenditures, overstaffed civil offices, and disposal problems. Moreover, Xuefeng-style communism will bring an unprecedented bright life to the human condition.

Xuefeng-style communism has realized the following after seven years’ practice:

1. From each according to his ability and to each according to his needs. Everyone has something to do and a place in which to live, and people never need to worry about making a living. Everyone does their best according to their talents and abilities.

2. No one pockets anything found on the road and doors are unbolted at night. There is no stealing, cheating, robbing, or concealing of goods.

3. There is no marriage and no family. Also there is no currency within the community.

4. Love is free, but there is no sexual promiscuity or venereal disease.

5. The environment of the community is beautiful, clean, and orderly.

6. Nobody has personal belongings. Everything belongs to the community and everyone is selfless.

7. Illness is reduced to the minimum and the average expenditure on medical care is less than ￥200RMB per person, per year. If we lived this life style, aging would slow down and the average lifespan would exceed eighty years. However, our ideal is for everyone to live up to 120 years and to die peacefully and without illness.

8. The young will get a proper education and the old will be well taken care of. Rearing and educating children will no longer be their parents’ responsibility. There will be no widows or empty-nest elderly. Also, there would be no undisciplined or neglected children.

9. People live in harmony with others, with society, and with nature. Over the last seven years, Xuefeng-style communism has never had any conflicts with neighbors or with the outside world. We have never hurt little animals such as birds, snakes, or fish. We have planted many trees and flowers which not only beautified the environment, but also brought vigor and vitality to our community.

10. Over the last seven years, no crime has taken place within our community, and fighting is extremely rare.

11. We use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides in our fields.Human and animal wastes are well composted into fertilizer. Also, we separate rubbish from waste, and purify the sewage. Zero pollution has been nearly accomplished.

12. We have no administrators, no leaders, and no offices within the community. Also, there is no command or force, and everyone consciously and generously infuses himself into his work because every member is also a laborer.

13. We have no religious rituals or activities and there are no spells or idolatry.

14. In all affairs,whether big or small, the responsibilities are well divided. Traditional heavy housework has been eliminated.

15. We only celebrate festivals of nature, such as Chinese spring festival, Ching Ming festival, Dragon boat festival, and mid-autumn festival. Apart from natural festivals, we celebrate no other festivals and we do not celebrate individual birthdays.

16. We keep communications open with the outside world. Everyone communicates with the outside world by telephone, email, and WeChat messenger. Strict screening is required before anyone may enter our community, but anyone can leave the community freely.

17. We are self-sufficient. We are not supported from the outside world nor do we need to be. We do not take capitalists’ wealth.

18. Every member relocates to a new facility every three years to avoid aesthetic fatigue, forming cliques, or being trapped into relationships.

19. All the resources are highly shared and utilized. For example, a hundred fifty people within our community share five cars. However, under capitalism, four people typically share a car. In this case, a hundred fifty people save thirty-two cars. We can enjoy very good lives with only one quarter of the resources needed in a capitalist system.

20. There are no rules and no discipline with punishment. We comply only with the natural and civilization Tao.

21. A strong credit system has been established. Those who are dishonest will fail as in the parable of the long spoons.

22. Birth control is well carried out. No children have been born in our community during the last seven years. One reason for this is to comply with national laws and regulations, and another is to lighten the burden of the nearly fully loaded planet.

23. The funeral system of Xuefeng-style communism is such that no matter who passes on, only simple farewell ceremonies are held. Their bodies are committed to fire and their ashes are sprinkled to nature. We have no graves, mausoleums, or urns (ash boxes).

24. If measured by GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator), HDI (HumanDevelopment Index) and NHI (National Happiness Index), it goes without saying that the Xuefeng-style communist community is at the forefront.

If the whole world can do the above, all humanity's crises would disappear quickly.

Here, I want to say to all the capitalists that Xuefeng-style communism would not take your wealth away. To the contrary, it would bring you safety and stability. It would provide you with soulfulness and spiritual abundance. We human beings not only need financial wellbeing, but also soulful and spiritual wellbeing. Xuefeng-style communism helps people to achieve their highest levels of self-transcendence. As stated in Abraham Maslow's “DemandTheory”, you would lead very good lives. If you do not carry out communism, there will be no escape from the poor, because when a huge crisis comes, your armies and police will not be able to protect you. The wealth you possess will not save you.

Here I want to say to the head of each country’s government that Xuefeng-style communism would not interfere with your management, nor would it threaten or harm to your powers and positions. We are neither a religious group nor a political group; we are just a completely new production and life model. Please understand this: the person who has strong beliefs and ideals would never covet after short lived power and position, nor would they waste valuable time on possessions and vanity.

Here I want to say to the 80% of people who own only 5.5% of the world's wealth that your only way out is to move towards Xuefeng-style communism, that no matter what you do, you are not able to ascend to the upper classes. Your lives are a constant struggles to survive. When you suffer from illness or natural disaster, you are set way back. For even those of you who own hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, that is only a drop in the bucket. If there is no food for a month, you would know hunger. Therefore, you should long for communism and devote yourselves to communism. Only communism can save you.

Taking stop-gap measures cannot solve humanity's problems. The only way out is for the whole world to transit to Xuefeng-style communism.

How does capitalism transfer to Xuefeng-style communism?

1. With keen eyesight and an open mind and heart, observe, investigate, visit, learn, and study the successful, practical experience of Xuefeng-style communism in our community.

2. The transition should be supported by the United Nations and executed by the respective government of each country, with specific plans and steps.

3. Do not practice this as a worldwide movement, but experiment in small regions at first. Each country should start with from one to three experimental regions. If they are successful, then they should spread it gradually; if not, then can give it up. In this way, such practices would not inhibit the normal operation of the current system and it would also be good for exploring the methods and ways of eliminating the current crises which face humanity.

4. Throughout the whole practice, Xuefeng-style communism will not deprive capitalists of their property and capitalists can continue their commercial activities by following market law. Once half the people on earth enter this communist lifestyle, and when the capitalists see that communist life is more ideal than their current lives, they will embrace it and become willingly involved with the exploration and practice of Xuefeng-style communism. Not putting requirements on anybody at any time is the core principle of Xuefeng-style communism.

5. People who are involved in the production and life of Xuefeng-style communism must first have a soul-garden purification. Capitalism is created and realized by stimulating people’s selfishness, greed, wisdom, and skill to realize individual value through attaining resources, wealth, status, rights, and fame. However, Xuefeng-style communism is created by positively inspiring the qualities of sincerity, kindness, beauty, love, faith, and honesty deep within people’s hearts, to climb to the highest realm of temporary life and eternal LIFE. Without purifying one’s soul-garden, the laziness, selfishness, and greed of people cannot be overcome, and such people are not suitable for a communist lifestyle.

After seven years’ practice, Xuefeng-style communism is still not perfect. We are still exploring it as “walking a tightrope” or“walking on thin ice”, which means that we need wise and judicious people from all over the world to point our mistakes out, to offer advice, and to practice it together. We need understanding as well as involvement and support from governments much more.

“The future is bright but the road is torturous”. No matter how tough the path and how much difficulty we encounter, we need to make every effort to succeed. Only by making strong effort, can we have hope, but once we give up making this effort, the future will definitely be bleak.

Source: http://lifechanyuan.org/bbs/forum.ph...hread&tid=7190

[xidaijena]

New pcitures of our home:

Years of Burning Fervor Again
Xuefeng
June 7, 2015

(Translated by Xidai and Edited by Kaer)

We are bees, we are ants. No matter where we are, we will create a most beautiful life with our diligence. We will not regret what we have lost because our energy and our footprints will always remain. Life is only a journey, it is transient. We strive onward, working, sublimating, singing, and bringing our passions and loves with us all the way.

We have created picturesque Xanadus in the “Land of Eternal Spring”, the Mountains of Yunnan, and in the windy and dusty Gobi Desert, we created miracles that transformed deserts into oases. Today, years of burning fervor start anew. We play, sublimate, and imagine our futures in our labor. No matter what tomorrow will bring, no matter who will enjoy the fruits of our labor, we are celestials, we treasure every process in our LIFE. Even if we only live on Earth for one day, we will purify Mother Earth with our beautiful hearts until we reach the top of life and LIFE.

Please enjoy these pictures of our labour.







See more pictures of Xuefeng-style communism:

http://lifechanyuan.org/bbs/forum.ph...hread&tid=7195

[Bob]

Good post - the issue is WEALTH... setting an arbitrary on someone's production and then using that as a commodity.. It is selling the SOUL really..

If we put a $$$ value on the soul then manipulation can happen. A SOUL cannot be valued, nor sold..

Capitalism creates a fake illusion than one can VALUE a SOUL.. So there are justifications, over and over, who think's one's worth is this or that..

There is NO WORTH..

Focus on that.. there is no worth..

no value, no selling.. no marketing, no delusion of worth.. focus on that.. worth means some have and some have not.. worth..

on "perceived worth" delusionary markets are created. Folks then jump on the illusion and "play the game".. And they fight tooth and nail for their 401K's or market investment.. FAKE illusion. Fake worth.. delusion to create a perceived shortage in an abundant universe.

Slavery is Capitalism. Is Fascism, IS communism too.. as long as the VALUE for SOUL remains..

Just put that in perspective. Abundance exists. Shortage manipulation is market economy.. IS capitalism... IS communism, is socialism.. Those who control RESOURCES manipulate perceived shortage.. Simple point..

Reality is, resources can be created... Not needing to be found and squandered.. This is where abundance in actual creation happens... But that is a concept way way beyond mentalities who think about only how their 401K is going to give them the illusion of any 'lasting' support..

bahhh...

[Olaf]

Capitalism is also a giant waste of resources. Meanwhile on a daily basis I notice circumstrances, where the biggest part of intellectual or labour work is spent only

- to harm/disable competitors
- to enslave users and bind them to the product/company
- to ensure further profits far beyound the real values of the producs
- to prevent cheaper technologies from being used
- to be used for military purposes, war, enslavery
- ...

Imagine, where mankind could be today, if we would use our resources for common wealth, not for private profits.
We would be able to live in paradise. Now.

[Baby Steps]

Thanks...
I believe that the research has established that there is a broad relationship between wealth per capita and fertility or population growth.

A key factor influencing fertility/population growth is the parent's confidence that their offspring will survive- if they are more confident, they produce less babies.

So increased wealth , that facilitates better health provision, reduces population growth, and can facilitate a gentle population decline, which many would agree is desirable at this point.

My view, which I believe is supported by the following graph, is that a more socialistic model is MORE SUCCESSFUL in facilitating this process PER UNIT OF WEALTH .

My view of the reasons for this are that if you can organise ECONOMIC SECURITY for families and SECURE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, the process of stabilisation of population growth occurs at a LOWER LEVEL OF WEALTH PER CAPITA. This is shown in the graph, where more collectivised societies are located below the line, whereas the more free-wheeling capitalist societies, that engineer into their social structures greater INSECURITY for ECONOMIC REASONS (insecurity feeds desire for wealth and offspring) are located above the line.

I remember Ozmirage stating that low fertility in Germany proved that its socialistic system was failing. I feel this is wrong, Germany's stagnant population is a result of the quality of life and economic security that the system provides to its citizens, and this demographic is desirable.

[Bob]

i get it what you are saying, no question - it is that one attributes WEALTH which then puts a price on people, commodities, things, and then it allows for SCARCITY manipulation - from have's and have nots.. Abolish the concept of putting a price on someone, or something.. Without WEALTH tags, there are no Soros' or Gates for instance.. Figure out how to focus on abundance is present in the universe, that it is our job to understand how to bring that forth.. If we continue compartmentalizing such and such is worth this or that, we end up with some are "worth more" than others (citing Animal Farm for instance, depicting the communistic order of how it failed...)

[Baby Steps]

Dear Xidaijena,

I have a question.
In Western terms I think we would call this kind of model a 'Commune'

People live and work within a self supporting, sharing, barter based community.

Now in China, you have state provision of certain services. The State's ability to provide is a function of the State's ability to raise tax. Can you tell us what levels of provision are provided free to the mass of the people, in terms of Health, Education, Infrastructure et cetera?

The kind of communal living that you advocate is barter based, and achieves a good life style at a far lower rate of consumption of resources, than most models. That is because it is based on sharing.

If people live in this way, it reduces that State's ability to tax them, or reduces the amount of tax. Does the state see this as a challenge to its economic plans?

Many thanks

[Bubu]

In simple terms people caring and people sharing is what everyone needs to do. Dont understand why we have to complicate things. communism socialism and all the ism are merely labels. Fact is no "ism" can save humanity. People realizing that we are one can.

[araucaria]

Posted by Bubu (here)
In simple terms people caring and people sharing is what everyone needs to do. Dont understand why we have to complicate things. communism socialism and all the ism are merely labels. Fact is no "ism" can save humanity. People realizing that we are one can.

You are right of course, bubu. Not only is communism just a label, but it carries such a load of baggage that it is probably not appropriate for something very different from what we have seen in the past. Labels are handy, but usually speak far too loud, especially when they are deliberately misleading. ‘Capitalism’ is at least honest: capital rules. But ‘liberalism’ is dishonest in suggesting some kind of freedom, or liberality. ‘Communism’ was originally an honest label, indicating sharing (and caring), but has become tainted by the practice, or rather non-practice, of it. This means it can still serve, but maybe not if it leads to too many misunderstandings.

[transiten]

I once was a communist but have realized that no "ism" or political party will save the world as already stated above. Only on the soullevel this can be solved, pple living a spiritual life connnected to source

Hence both capitalism annd communism are purely matrrialistic in their worldview

[Foxie Loxie]

Thanks for the beautiful pictures, xidiajena! Infinite Love is the ONLY Reality, in my own opinion, & I would say you are living it there in your community!

[Baby Steps]

I hope this post is not a digression. For the purposes of this one post only, I am going to suggest that the thread is not primarily about ‘communism’ but rather about reducing man’s impact on the environment-our life support system – by reducing consumption, waste, pollution etc in a sustainable way.`

If one needs an ‘ism’ perhaps it would be ‘localism’
In the model , as described, the group live in a sharing/communal way. The community provides food, water, accommodation, probably clothing, energy, education, elderly care, basic health care locally. They then buy in what they need- say, a tractor, van, laptop etc. These externally provided items require some currency income (probably shared) and the assets is then used communally-so far fewer of them are really needed.

You have a society that functions with much less from the outside, it is self supporting , self reliant, and has a very low impact on the environment.
What makes it possible are:

1. The community members wish to live in a certain way, and have the skills to achieve this.
2. There has had to have been some start up capital- if only , probably in this case the land and buildings are state owned, they may remain so, but they are still capital.
3. The community consumes SOME hi-tech that it cannot produce. Such as internet, on-line education, certain medical services, electronics, vehicles, batteries, etc. To acquire these items the community needs an income from the ‘non-commune world’ ie hard currency.
4. To exist at all, there needs to be a wider community capable of providing those goods & services. In many cases communist systems are not the best- for example Soviet TVs were rubbish.
5. To exist at all, the state in China has acted as an enabler, if only by not BLOCKING or BANNING this kind of model. In this they must be applauded. The legal framework exists to allow it.

To enlarge on this point of the admirable Chinese State that has allowed this community:

If you set up a society where most of the goods and services that members consume are distributed on a sharing basis (or barter), this flow is UNRECORDED and therefore UN TAXABLE. This model therefore threatens the typical state requirement to tax the individual in order to provide services such as Roads, defence, health care, etc.
It is functioning in China, I would guess, because it is not so different from the peasant lifestyle on collective farms. The state probably gets little or no tax income from those people, so switching to this model does not threaten the state. However if 500 million tried it, I am sure there would be trouble.

In the West, of course, the whole system is set up to prevent the idea of anybody sharing or living communally.

There are communities, such as the Lammas Project in UK, but generally this is very hard to do. The state, plus private Companies do everything to stop it, as it threatens their income. It is very hard to get land & build. Regulations on building make it too costly.

http://lammas.org.uk/

Note: a ‘localist’ system need not be communist. Say you had a group of western style households, or small-holdings. They could barter their produce-or even sell to each other. One household would invest in the solar panels, and one in the bank of batteries. So far the state in UK has not come out against local currencies, such as the Totnes Pound:

http://www.totnespound.org/

Sharing can be looked at on a case-by-case basis. For example, take five typical western families. They shop at the supermarket. Each family fills it’s bins every week with old bread, mouldy veg and left-overs. They shop for expensive processed food items.

Imagine if the catering function was centralised. Less waste. One dish per night etc. You would halve the Bill. If you then looked at bulk buying (wholesalers) and freezing etc, you would halve the cost again. Certain products, such as rice and beans are cheap. Reduce meat consumption. Grow some locally. Huge efficiencies are possible.

It would be great to see a ‘commune movement’ in the west. A grass-roots pressure group to push for enabling legislation so that setting up these communities is easier. There would have to be a quid-pro-quo for the state. The level of state provision WITHIN these communities would have to be reduced so that they did not sap the main stream economy. Such things can be done.
I believe these communities will be forming, and it is a model for the future. The pessimistic scenario is that they will be forced to form, as the central main stream economy may collapse. However, this may not be the case, but many, given the choice, would CHOOSE to live in this way.

[christian]

Capitalism is defined by (a) private property and (b) a free market. Right now, both are heavily curtailed and distorted by the state, who is influenced by agents of a corporatocracy. That's what's happening right now. Some call it crony-capitalism. Only the economically uneducated and ideologists call it capitalism, I'm sorry to say that.

Likewise, only the naive and uneducated dream of a system of global Communism. Did anyone of you read the Communist Manifesto? It says that this egalitarian system should be brought about through despotic interventions upon people's private property. In other words, make people equal through brute force, and once everybody is made equal, people will just love it and suddenly become content and altruistic like never seen before. Eternal peace through total war. Egalitarianism brought about through the wise orders of the Communist elite who's planning and guiding people's lives. Did anyone of you read George Orwell's Animal Farm? It spells it all out.

Regarding this community project, well go for it if you like it. Produce organic, that's great. If you don't want the concept of a traditional family, if you don't want to have children, if you don't like the concept of personal sovereignty, have it your way. Just don't force anybody to live like that as well. It may be good for you, but it's certainly not superior and I would never accept this lifestyle being imposed on me.

[Basho]

Well said by the others, that no ism can save humanity. In fact isms & systems create more new problems. I've lived in a commune & had my ideal bubble burst by the realities of day to day life & individual egos. So even such a beautiful place like a commune is not a solution IMHO

[Baby Steps]

Posted by christian (here)
Capitalism is defined by (a) private property and (b) a free market. Right now, both are heavily curtailed and distorted by the state, who is influenced by agents of a corporatocracy. That's what's happening right now. Some call it crony-capitalism. Only the economically uneducated and ideologists call it capitalism, I'm sorry to say that.

Likewise, only the naive and uneducated dream of a system of global Communism. Did anyone of you read the Communist Manifesto? It says that this egalitarian system should be brought about through despotic interventions upon people's private property. In other words, make people equal through brute force, and once everybody is made equal, people will just love it and suddenly become content and altruistic like never seen before. Eternal peace through total war. Egalitarianism brought about through the wise orders of the Communist elite who's planning and guiding people's lives. Did anyone of you read George Orwell's Animal Farm? It spells it all out.

Regarding this community project, well go for it if you like it. Produce organic, that's great. If you don't want the concept of a traditional family, if you don't want to have children, if you don't like the concept of personal sovereignty, have it your way. Just don't force anybody to live like that as well. It may be good for you, but it's certainly not superior and I would never accept this lifestyle being imposed on me.

Hi,
I agree with this but what about the evident issue of material consumption & resource limitation. China has lifted a billion people out of poverty , they now have fridges & washing machines etc. The planet cannot sustain the increasing level of consumption.

The pure free market philosophy would I hope address the pollution issue by somehow building the costs of the environmental damage into the product- those that suffered the loss to their air, water & land from contamination would have the legal redress to receive compensation. Those costs would then be built onto the products themselves. That is (kind of) a market based solution to the idea of over consumption.

Reducing environmental impact does not have to mean communism.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Baby Steps (here)
Dear Xidaijena,

I have a question.
In Western terms I think we would call this kind of model a 'Commune'

People live and work within a self supporting, sharing, barter based community.

Now in China, you have state provision of certain services. The State's ability to provide is a function of the State's ability to raise tax. Can you tell us what levels of provision are provided free to the mass of the people, in terms of Health, Education, Infrastructure et cetera?

The kind of communal living that you advocate is barter based, and achieves a good life style at a far lower rate of consumption of resources, than most models. That is because it is based on sharing.

If people live in this way, it reduces that State's ability to tax them, or reduces the amount of tax. Does the state see this as a challenge to its economic plans?

Many thanks

Yes -- many thanks to all. Xidaijena, I do appreciate you sharing all this.

In the English language, 'Communism' is rather a 'loaded' word, as we say.

It has so many connotations and so much historical baggage, and often triggers so many thoughts, feelings and images, that it might be best (safer!) to use another term: maybe something like 'organized communal living'. I do know that this is what you're describing here.

[bearcow]

Only Character can save mankind.

If Jesus, Buddha or any other figure with high moral fiber were the supreme ruler of planet earth, the planet and its citizens would be in much better off in that scenario than a true democratic society of average folk with inconsistent motives.

[christian]

Posted by Baby Steps (here)
what about the evident issue of material consumption & resource limitation. China has lifted a billion people out of poverty , they now have fridges & washing machines etc. The planet cannot sustain the increasing level of consumption.

The pure free market philosophy would I hope address the pollution issue by somehow building the costs of the environmental damage into the product- those that suffered the loss to their air, water & land from contamination would have the legal redress to receive compensation. Those costs would then be built onto the products themselves. That is (kind of) a market based solution to the idea of over consumption.

Reducing environmental impact does not have to mean communism.

China is trapping a billion people in poverty. China is the biggest hellhole when it comes to the environment. And it's all sanctioned by the Communist party. The country is literally spilling over with toxins.

In a free market system, anyone who causes any damage to someone's property will be held accountable and has to pay the price. This is unlike what we see today, where corporations often lobby governments to get a free pass while littering the planet.

Overcoming the cronyism of the corporatocracy means making a step towards sustainability. Establishing a free market system means establishing the framework in which each individual and corporation is held accountable for their environmental impact. Exactly what you say. Environmentalism is best served by free markets, cause on a free market scarce goods are more expensive and will thus be spared more than not so scarce goods. But for that to work, there better not be governments and lobbyists, no distortion of prices, no subsidies, no free passes.

If you want to reduce the environmental impact even more, by decree, if you're arguing in favor of telling others how to deal with their property, you have to realize that you're arguing in favor of brute force against people who don't cause any direct harm to you or another. Brute force, just because the person doesn't live like you think it would be good. Now ask yourself if that's really making things better.

[norman]

I want to break down the terms Communism and Capitalism a little further still and try to merge them into something positive.

Communal organisation is a deliberate sharing of resources by parameters designed of the minds of the time. Capitalism is the use of capital to organise. It's not really anything to do with 'free markets', it's simply that capital is wrestled over and hoarded etc and used in the best interests of those who control the most of it.

Communal management of capital is still capitalism, but it's a communal design of it's use or application. The other commonly cited definitions of Capitalism are something else entirely. Corporate Capitalism is now taking over the old definition of Collective Communism, but instead of it being political collectivism it's in the form of market economic collectivism. The board room or the Politburo, what's the difference ?

The soviet system could well be described as a beta model for giant corporatism.

If you say the word Communism half the population freak out. If you say the word Capitalism the other half of the population freak out. If you say the word Corporatism the entire population moan and put up with it's tyranny as the price of progress.

How laughable. Yes, let's liberate the word communism and give it life again.

[Morbid]

in my opinion, perhaps not the communism as such, but some form of socialism is one of the only ways forward yes. ill remind that no state in known history has built communism. it is a mere ideology, an ultimate goal etc. soviet union didnt have communism - they were 'building communism'. china dont have communism ether as economically it serves capitalists interests, receiving nothing but capitalist's debt based fiat paper back for its services..