Communism.

[RollingJ]

@Thorpist - Me too, but try convincing Anna.

[crookesey]

12 hours ago, cuttsie said:

Would it ,Can it work in this day and age .

So .

The first adult conversations I can remember having occurred around 1955 when I was  around 12 years old .

Two different people influenced me at that young age and have been part of my memory ever since .

 

The first man lived three doors above our house on the  Gleadless  Crescent , His name was Earnest Mills , Earnest was a record breaking cyclist and also a Communist .

He was a little mester ( self employed cutler ) in Sheffield with a small hovel of a workshop in the Hill Street area of our Town .

 

Ernest refused to fight in the first World War as a conscientious objector , he was put onto the land as a farm labourer instead to help the war effort .

He explained to me his beliefs while sat on our allotments on many a summers evening , He told me how he hoped for a different form of society ,one in which human need replaced human greed , where no exploitation  of any individual by another ever takes place ..

 

The second communist  family I came into contact with at that time lived on the Manor , I delivered morning and evening newspapers to their house , The morning paper being The Daily Worker .

The family often gave me a home baked tart or bun when I delivered the paper ,

The thing that most sticks out in my memory was the biggest Christmas tip I ever received on that round( that took two hours of my every day )  The tip was ten Shillings or fifty pence in todays money lNow you may not think that is much money , but remember this ,My wages from  Mr Amey ,    the Manor Top newsagent was exactly that ten shillings . That was for two paper rounds a day , papers that had to be carried on my home made trolley on a Sunday as they were too heavy for the paper bag 

 

So in one go the Communist on my round doubled my wages at Christmas ,    The usual tip if any at all was sixpence or a toffee or two from the more shall we say well off customers .

 

In later life I have always been on the fringe of the Communist party , dipping in and out but never committing to becoming a full paid up member , 

 

I have acquaintances who are fully paid up members with influence in that party and have discussed joining the party with them at times but have always held back due to me not liking some of the terms and wording of the Communist manifesto .

 So was Karl Marx ,(visited his grave in Highgate cemetery once ) and Frederick Engels right in 1848 when they published the Manifesto of the Communist party , Are all men and women equal , should all wealth of Nations be shared by all or ,    should the around 5% of the World population own 95% of the total wealth .

 

The Manor Top newsagent was the late Mr Amis, I was  good mate of his late son Rod.

Edited December 12, 2023 by crookesey

[Anna B]

Communism works for some countries, in fact in places like Russia some people are calling for its 'return,' but I never said I wanted to see Communism here.

I want to see more responsible Capitalism, which is something we don't have at the moment.

Instead we have Capitalism on steroids, a free for all with no holds barred and a government that has lost control of its infrastructure and Utilities and is being bossed about by big business and fat cat donors, which is why we're in the state we're in.

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, Anna B said:

Communism works for some countries, in fact in places like Russia some people are calling for its 'return,' but I never said I wanted to see Communism here.

I want to see more responsible Capitalism, which is something we don't have at the moment.

Instead we have Capitalism on steroids, a free for all with no holds barred and a government that has lost control of its infrastructure and Utilities and is being bossed about by big business and fat cat donors, which is why we're in the state we're in.

Source?

[cuttsie]

6 hours ago, trastrick said:

Every discussion forum has 'em, George.

 

But on topic,

 

I came from a fatherless family, partially raised by maternal and paternal grandparents. Both were communists, one famously so in Sheffield at the time.

 

Daily Worker, no Churchill allowed on the wireless., Fans of Uncle Joe Stalin. But two of the kindest gentlemen I ever met. Later I was a member of the Students Union at Polytech and still have my paid up Union Card from the IBEW, run by the infamous commie, Frank Foulkes, so lots of exposure to left wing and commie politics.

 

And no, they didn't address each other as "comrades" in those days, it was always "brother".

 

Communism is like religion, lots of great humanitarian rhetoric, but at the top. always run by flawed human beings who crave power. They share their flawed humanity with Kings, Popes, Mullahs, Military Dictators, and live the same lives of luxury.

 

When they get to run things, they don't bulldoze the Palaces, Castles, Extravagant Estates formerly occupied by their rivals. they just move in!  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

I have been waiting for your response, More or less the same bringing up as you know .

It is strange how some on these pages object to others views on life .

 

 I Started out in working life being on the far left , Then moved to the right for a time , Now I am just a little to the left ,

But I no  longer vote or subscribe to any political party as the two main ones in the UK are so close to each other as to not matter which one is in power .

 

There is no alternative party as far as I can see ,     As to the Commie party well its non starter now although as It was my first interest it is still at the fore front of my mind , 

 

  As are most things from those far of days of talk of revolution and change  while supping Stooooonses int Red Lion behind City Hall, 

Well its good to differ as we do.   but to agree to disagree on politics is part of life .

I am rambling on as some one has most kindly pointed out ;,  Catch you later Comrade .

Edited December 12, 2023 by cuttsie

[cuttsie]

3 hours ago, Anna B said:

Yes, Communism can work. It works all over the world.

Whether it's a better system than Capitalism is the question we should be asking, and IMO I would have to say no. But that doesn't mean it has some valuable lessons we could learn from it. 

 

If we want a more peaceful world we have to have more equality, more working together towards a common cause, more care for each other. There are enough resources to go round if we share them and distribute them well.  Unfortunately this is probably never going to happen with two diametrically opposed systems, and human nature being what it is.

But Capitalism is now failing also, as the end game is now in play and the winners are emerging, sucking up all the wealth and hoarding it.

 

So surely there is some middle ground that works for everybody? I believe there is - I would call it 'Responsible Capitalism,' and it's what we had after the war with the emergence of the NHS and the Welfare state which provided a safety net for those in need, but we still had an ethos of striving to achieve the best out of life for oneself and the opportunity to do it.

 

Be in no doubt we are undergoing a sea change at the moment which is going to become more acute in the next few years what with global warming and Artiicial Iintellience etc. We are heading into an unprecidented  future and the decisions we make will be vital. Unintended consequences have to be considered as well as the gains. But it's also an opportunity to improve things for the many not the few at long last, and that surely has to be a worthwhile ambition. 

My thoughts more or less Anna . I have always thought that we nearly made it as a Socialist Country in the years after the war , Then the ruling class (Yes we have a ruling class they are born into it and they are trained to rule the roost in the Public schools of Eaton and Harrow ) moved back in and are still running things .

33 minutes ago, crookesey said:

The Manor Top newsagent was the late Mr Amis, I was  good mate of his late son Rod.

I knew him , Just got his name wrong thought it was Amey .

[Thorpist]

Could someone name a State where communism works?

Personally I favour Social democracy ,it's a pity that many of us are swayed by the rich politicians ,media, and multinationals that Capitalism is the answer .

[Jack Grey]

Just now, Thorpist said:

Could someone name a State where communism works?

Personally I favour Social democracy ,it's a pity that many of us are swayed by the rich politicians ,media, and multinationals that Capitalism is the answer .

Well if you want to be rich then capitalism is the answer 

 

If you want to work really hard but have the same as someone who is lazy then communism is the answer 

 

I know which one I prefer 

[Thorpist]

If you have no concept of community and only care for your self  yep go for it be a Capitalist.

I'm all right Jack screw you is not for me .

[Jack Grey]

5 minutes ago, Thorpist said:

If you have no concept of community and only care for your self  yep go for it be a Capitalist.

I'm all right Jack screw you is not for me .

Not at all

 

Capitalism gives anyone the opportunity to succeed and in the UK it doesn't matter what race, religion, gender or sexuality 

 

If you work hard you will be rewarded 

 

And we have a very privileged luxurious life in the UK 

 

We have everything anyone can ever wish for

 

We also have socialism in the UK where if you're lazy you won't starve 

 

The taxpayer will pick up the slack