Communisim, by the Marxist definition, never existed. There was no "withering away of the state" due to the "contradictions inherent in capitalism." There was no grand coming together of the proletariat to build a better society. Those are utopian no-places.
All communist states were and are examples of despotism. It is the all powerful government ordering who will do what when. Lennin, Stalin, Mao and Castro didn't really believe any of that nonsense about making the peoples lives any better, they cared only about obtaining power and holding onto it. Communisim extolls the state and the many with the individual being unimportant and disposable. What better mask for a dictator to wear?
What does this have to do with the topic here? Simple: communist dictatorships, the ones who could conceivably mount such secret plans, can exist only by supressing the rights of the individuals. The less free the individual, the more power to the state. Only an obscenely powerful state could scheme as the author of that article imagines.
Look at Russia (and the other states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Block) and what do you see? They are either in disarray (little surprise considering what they are coming out of) or are embracing freedom and reform. Russia, as others in this thread have pointed out, has a lower income tax rate that the U.S. (look what's happening in Ireland to get an idea of where this will lead and Russia has more natural resources) and has enacted into law the ability to buy and sell land. If they get a Bill of Rights on the books they will be real competition. (And China will then see you as the threat rather than us.)
In short, despot states are a threat to us free democracies are not. You have to have your aluminum deflector beanie on too tight to think the Russians are as unfree as they were seventeen years ago.
NaW.
(It's 2001 not 1984...)
According to Marx (Lenin and Stalin), the Socialism/Communism satarts with Dictatorship of Proletariat. Goal ('scientifically' motivated!) of this ditatorship is to suppress resistance of capitalists and their allies (very flexible formula, anyone may be - and were - included). GULAG was a Marxism at its extreme. Period
Sorry, I studied it all...
And China will then see you as the threat rather than us.
Who is you and who is us here? I am a Russian resident of Arizona, just for giggles...
You have to have your aluminum deflector beanie on too tight to think the Russians are as unfree as they were seventeen years ago.
Where did I say this?! Plus I am not accustomed to wear aluminum deflector beanies. Long exposure to Marxist ideology made my skull a perfect shield against idiotic propaganda [like in the posted article]
[:-)