Is bloodshed an intrinsic part of communism?

21 Comments

It's often claimed that while Communism as a system doesn't work, it nonetheless IS a nice theory, in essence all about social justice and equality.

Yet, mass killings occurred under some Communist regimes during the twentieth century, with an estimated death toll numbering between 85 and 100 million.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_Communist_regimes).

My question is whether bloodshed is an INTRINSIC part of Communism, or if the bloodshed was caused by other factors.

No 11
Yes 9
Other (explain) 4
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Comments ( 21 )
  • GoraIntoDesiGals
    10 years ago

    Yes. Communism is totally flawed so the only way to implement it is by force.

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  • justsomekidfromcanada
    10 years ago

    Bloodshed is not so much an intrinsic part of communism as it is an intrinsic part of authoritarian rule as a whole. Communism has problems just like all other forms of authoritarianism that lead to dissatisfaction with the quality of life among people. This leads to political opposition that if not dealt with could threaten the government. There are only two ways to stay in power when it gets to that point. You can kill everyone that opposes you or you can convince them that you deserve to be in power. Some people can't be convinced.

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  • Shnaz
    10 years ago

    Unfortunately we might find out under the current government.

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  • RomeoDeMontague
    10 years ago

    There is no such think as communism. Communism says that all are equal, get paid equally, and are at the same level. However in all communist governments we have the leaders at the top that still get paid more. So its not communism its all the money going to the top and dividing it evenly among anyone who is not the top government leaders.

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  • RoseIsabella
    10 years ago

    "Revolutions are the locomotives of history.", Carl Marx

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  • [Old Memory]
    10 years ago

    It's an intrinsic part of human existence.

    From beginning to end.

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    • BLAh81
      10 years ago

      I agree, but I was asking about communism specifically. Surely, you don't think all political ideologies are equally bloodthirsty?

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      • [Old Memory]
        10 years ago

        I think all political ideologies are absent of bloodlust. But all those behind them are not.

        Communism may work better in one place, and worse somewhere else. The degree of bloodshed would always vary, com or cap.

        I think both ideologies can and are used for both peace and violence, neither being responsible for it, rather, those "directing" it.

        Smoke and mirrors.

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        • BLAh81
          10 years ago

          "I think all political ideologies are absent of bloodlust. But all those behind them are not."

          I disagree that all political ideologies are absent of bloodlust. Let's say (hypothetically of course) that I have a political ideology that teaches that all, say, Belgians must violently die. I would say that that IN ITSELF would be a bloodthirsty political ideology then.

          However, I do agree that some of the people behind various (if not all) political ideologies are especially thirsty for blood.

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          • [Old Memory]
            10 years ago

            It's the same principal as "guns don't kill people, people kill people".

            My logic is infallible, yours is muddy.

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            • BLAh81
              10 years ago

              "It's the same principal as "guns don't kill people, people kill people"."

              I don't think that's a very good comparison. A gun in itself doesn't urge people to kill, whereas an ideology in itself certainly can.

              "My logic is infallible, yours is muddy."

              I happen to think it's exactly the other way around.

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  • Legion
    10 years ago

    not so much killing them, just removing them from power, and handing over their factories to the people

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    • Anime7
      10 years ago

      That's a very good way to put it.

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  • Anime7
    10 years ago

    I personally think that, because Marx advertised the killing of the bourgeoisie, mass bloodshed is an integral part of communism. However, I personally don't think that there has to be any killing in order for communism to work, but on a mass scale like Lenin tried to create, I honestly don't know. One thing I do know though is that no system can justify genocide.

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  • Wendell
    10 years ago

    It's part of it in that to make communism fully work, those who oppose/opposed had to be eliminated.

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