Message from @Amadeus
Discord ID: 554602040140234752
In Marxist theory, socialism is the transitional period between capitalism and communism. It is the economic practice that communist states always attempt to implement, because communism is not as much economics as it is blueprints for a utopian society. Socialism, though it aims for utopia, is meant to still work in society as we know it. It is essentially a tool for equalizing everyone out and making everyone equal to one another through redistribution of wealth. Even though it is not communism, it is similar and heavily related
Socialism, however, did exist long before communism was actually a formal thought by Karl Marx, but that does not somehow justify or legitimize it
he simply took its concept, and applied it to his theory of how communism would supplant capitalism
- -
Likewise, extreme capitalism has not truly existed since the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Crony capitalism, corporatism, etc are forms of capitalism, but do not represent what is traditionally thought of when you say "extreme capitalism". If you mean either of those, then please use those terms instead
Extreme capitalism would be Laissez-faire Capitalism
As little government regulation and restriction as possible
Even though it did use child labor and other things we may say are reprehensible by modern standards, you cannot call extreme capitalism some evil thing, because it made life so much easier than it was prior to its implementation
Medicine, the standard of living, technology, and of course the inevitable rise in making rules to make workers more comfortable all came out of the Industrial Revolution's unregulated brand of capitalism
But most people do not think about that, they're too busy vilifying it cuz children worked in coal mines and lost fingers in textile mills
It's always important to keep in perspective the times
Every capitalism since heavy reform and regulation occurred is a mixed economy that is predominantly capitalist
Now, it may have existed in special instances that I am not aware of, but I am speaking in general terms
You forgot to add that socialism is making people to be depended on the Government 😛
that's the point of the transitional stage
the USSR isn't called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for nothing
I meant the capitalism we have today where the government is paying big bucks to corporations to do shady shit, and vice versa.
The thing is, we allowed that shit to happen though
Communism will only work in small, homogenous communities.
When people claim things such as the USSR aren't "real communism", they're wrong and here's why:
Even though it is in the socialist, dictatorship of the proletariat phase of Marxism, it is still wanting to progress towards communism, and is thus communist. If actively existing in a communist society is what made you communist, then no one would actually be communist, because that isn't possible except on small, homogeneous scales (with varied outcomes). What makes you communist is wanting to instill a communist society, and attempting to do so through any number of means.
Nations that claim themselves to be communist states always freeze up in the dictatorship stage, because there is literally nowhere else to go. It becomes stuck, because you cannot physically achieve the communist utopia. It's actually impossible. Most states experience one of three things by what I have seen. One, the country destabilizes and collapses. Two, the country simply stagnates and nothing comes of it except continued poverty, starvation, and other bad things. Or three, the country tries to turn itself around to some extent.
It still swears it is communist, but is has opened itself to global trade and has become what you would call "state capitalist"
Which is very communistic still in ideology when you actually read the definitions of what state capitalism is
The USSR attempted to turn itself around, that was the purpose of glasnost and perestroika
However, it was unable to fix the damage, and it collapsed
North Korea and Cuba are examples of stagnation
(also i'd say Vietnam is another example of it turning itself around; embracing the tourism industry, among other things, isn't working towards a communist utopia)
That would be corporatism and crony capitalism
Which, as I said, are forms of capitalism, but they do not represent capitalism for what it truly is
Which is a shame, because it is that misconception that many people have
Which is why so many people dislike what they call "capitalism"
Without understanding what it actually means
Yes, it is a very flawed system, I do agree
Government should not be intermingling with corporations
It is very corrupt
The Government, in my own opinion, should put in place very necessary regualtions, and leave the rest of the market alone
That's not real capitalism!!!!!111111
and there should be laws against lobbying, business subsidization, and other things
Tbh, the purest form of Capitalism you can see it from the age of Classical Era and Medieval era
You just don't understand what communism means, Amadeus.
Are you being sarcastic