Communism Done Right

A state run by a few is the bane of civilization. Hence the appeal of socialism and communism ideologies. The problem is that communism as it is currently envisioned and implemented is the antithesis of communist ideology. Ironically, true communism is identical to true democracy. They are both ideologies attempting to implement a system of self-governance where the governed govern themselves. The advocates of both ideologies oppose each other when in reality, they are striving to implement identical goals.

Communism as it has always been implemented to date is a system where a handful of people claim to rule in the interest of the people but the people themselves have absolutely no say in that governance. They are all governments run by a few. And if the truth be told, so-called democratic governments are effectively the same. This is why these attempts at governance have been and will continue to be abject failures unless some are willing to rethink how this ideology of communism, and democracy for that matter, are implemented.

Conservatives like to point out that all attempts at communism have failed horribly and that that is proof that such concepts are wrong. Communist advocates rebut that it is because these attempts pursued the goal of communism incorrectly but that this time, if the latest advocates implement it, they will do it correctly and the world will become a utopia. I contend that both are wrong for the following reasons.

The failure to successfully implement a communist ideology doesn’t prove the ideology wrong and if it is attempted to be implemented as it has in the past, it will repeat its earlier failures. However, because both ideologies of communism and democracy are conceptually identical, I contend that it is possible to implement true communism in a truly democratic fashion. The only way to implement communism successfully is do in such a way so that it doesn’t end up being a government of the few ruling the many. Only when we implement a government where the many actually have a say in governance will we have what some call communism and others call democracy.

Thankfully, we now have the ability to implement both communism and democracy in a nearly perfect fashion and eliminate the scourge of governments by the few, using smartphone technology. It is now possible to let the governed propose or vote on any future law with something as simple as blockchain protected online polling. We can finally implement a true communism where ‘the people’ can actually vote as a collective and thus, eliminate governments of the few falsely claiming to represent the many.

So the next time you talk to a political adversary, discuss the possibility that you both might be seeking to achieve the same goal but that it has been hindered by both sides misunderstanding. As someone who believes in democracy, I seek a government of the people, by the people and for the people, which is precisely what communism espouses. I oppose any government of the few under the pretense of representing the many. Who knows? Maybe if we figure out what the words mean, we might be able to have a conversation.