Communism and human nature (Bolshie Mod sez, Arise ye kittens of the earth!)

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness.

(1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in order to own bigger and bigger piles of commodities.

• The truth is that: (1) There will be no government in communist society--people will do what they want without being pushed around by anyone. The development of a corrupt police state or a new ruling class will be prevented by the struggles of the masses who will be armed with the weapon of transparency. (2) In a world of abundance for all no one will have to struggle (or even work) for the necessities of life (which will be a birthright--just like the air we all breathe). People will work on projects of their own choosing because (a) they find the work fun and interesting; (b) they enjoy the work relationships with talented and dedicated co-workers; (c) they want to make the world a better place; or (d) they want social status and recognition. A world of abundance for all where work is fun (and voluntary) will be made possible by a much higher productivity of human labor.

• An example of communist work relationships is provided by the Linux computer operating system--the core of which was created by many thousands of people--all working for free. A 2nd example is the "work" involved when people post to this forum. No one gets paid to post here--but people do so--because it is an expression of their principles and convictions.

• Who is in control? Under capitalism (and previous economic systems such as feudalism and slavery) only a small fraction of the population has control over their conditions of work--and the life of society as a whole. Only under genuine communism will the masses control their conditions of work--and the culture, economy and politics of society.

From www.drugabuse.gov

Q: What are the short-term effects of marijuana use?

A: The short-term effects of marijuana include:

problems with memory and learning (11);
distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch) (6);
trouble with thinking and problemsolving (5);
loss of motor coordination; and
increased heart rate.

These effects are even greater when other drugs are mixed with the marijuana; and users do not always know what drugs are given to them.

Q: Does marijuana affect school, sports, or other activities?

A: It can. Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception (11). The drug can make you mess up in school, in sports or clubs, or with your friends. If you’re high on marijuana, you are more likely to make stupid mistakes that could embarrass or even hurt you. If you use marijuana a lot, you could start to lose interest in how you look and how you’re getting along at school or work.

Athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC. Also, since marijuana can affect judgment and decisionmaking, its use can lead to risky sexual behavior, resulting in exposure to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Thanks, Sammy. You've obviously never been to a communist country, so I won't bother you with facts. But I have to clue you on a couple of sad illusions: there is no Never-never Land, no Utopia, no Erewhon, and no perfect communist society. And all for the same reason - they were fictional. The difference is that the authors of the first three knew they were fictional. The author of the fourth didn't.

"People will work on projects of their own choosing because (a) they find the work fun and interesting; (b) they enjoy the work relationships with talented and dedicated co-workers; (c) they want to make the world a better place; or (d) they want social status and recognition."

Lucky this wasn't posted yesterday, when I was too tired to think. Or maybe that's when I should have read it.

I will point out one (among many) of the absurdities written here. It's nice to have a job that is rewarding both financially and emotionally. However, real life ain't that way. I work to live. Period. Some of us have to do the grunt work. Wish I could sit all day & post threads to FR. Too bad.

As far as "helping the world" -- I sometimes do things as an act of charity for the religious community I live with. A doctor there, for example, might treat a poor person for free, or reduced charge. It is a way of contributing, and we reap spiritual rewards. You might say, all of us living there share a common belief.

However, BECAUSE I DON'T GET PAID, I can only do this occasionally, and on the side. Most of the volunteer work I do, anyway, is not what I'm normally paid & trained to do. Because if I did give of myself that way, even the most pious people there would think me the biggest chump on the planet.

Which, I think, is anyone who believes your post.

. No one gets paid to post here--

YOU'RE NOT GETTING PAID ???

Guppy, there's one born every minute.

I've retired on my earnings from posting here.

Now my FrDividend checks are direct deposited to my
account in Aruba.

AH yes communisim, "It hasn't worked any where else in
the world, but WE can make it work HERE!"

Try and remember THIS little phrase from the soviet union,

"They pretend to pay us, we pretend to work."

And another hint, never NEVER join a shock worker brigade.

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