On Communism - November 2009

Confusion on Communism
Most of the confusion on ‘what is communism’ is attributable to the dominance of capitalism and its associated propaganda machinery that spreads misinformation. This can be seen in the common definitions attributed to communism. As an example I googled ‘communism’ on www.dictionary.reference.com and got the following three definitions.
1. a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
2. (often initial capital letter ) a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.
3. (initial capital letter ) the principles and practices of the Communist party.

Other definitions on that same site are -
1. A theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.
2. Communism
a. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.
b. The Marxist-Leninist version of Communist doctrine that advocates the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.


Central to communist thought is the elimination of private property and the withering away of the state. Private property in today’s society is dominated by a small percentage of the world population owning and/or controlling the massive resources of the planet. The elimination of this ownership is necessary to bring justice and egalitarianism to our world. However, communism does not rely on state ownership that implies a state or government apparatus that is controlled by a minority of the population. Instead communism relies on the transformation of the human population’s way of thinking, therefore our way of acting. Women and men will operate on the principle of “contributing based on their ability and receiving based on their need”. This is a basic principle that can be shared by many ideologies and is not unique to Marxism or Leninism. But most importantly communism must be viewed as the resulting socio-economic reality that combines traditional communal principles of humanism, collectivism and egalitarianism with the science and technology capabilities of the future (capable of delivering the needs of all of world’s population) to allow for the extension of communalism across the planet earth eliminating class divisions and national boundaries.
The recognition of communism as an objective and a socio-economic inevitability is important in waging a strategy that builds strong relationships with all forces fighting for justice and a higher level of humanity. It will allow for more effective strategies in working with truly religious forces that advocate humanism, egalitarianism justice and the end of racism. It will allow for better working relationships with nationalist forces that struggle for land reclamation, indigenous people’s rights and reparations. It will be the basis for struggling against the sectarianism that currently overwhelms the communist movement. The Pan-African forces can take a lead in this.