If you could evisorate one book thoroughly and completely, which would it be?

[Saint Frankenstein]

M/L Communism is the dominant form--indeed, other forms are so vanishingly rare in comparison that they require a separate designation. I usually refer to "Christian Communism" as such. Anarcho-communism I simply refer to as "stupidity."

I'm an anarcho-communist. I call capitalism stupidity.

Only "good" in that they eschew violent revolution. Broadly speaking, Communism doesn't work.

Communism in and of itself--forget the revolutionary aspects, forget the political aspects, I'm just talking about the economic aspects--is unworkable as a system when imposed top-down. It _can be_ workable for a group of committed volunteers, but most of these experiments run afoul of personal squabbles, power tripping, and "unacknowledged hierarchies" in what is supposed to be an egalitarian society.

It's never been given a chance to work because the anti-communists in Western governments and international organizations won't let it work. They have socialist and communist movements that gain power democratically overthrown and then install puppets in their place so that they can continue to rape the people and their land. Chile, for example. Hell, most of Latin America, really. They were trying to overthrow Chavez for years and now he's dead. Thomas Sankara of Burkana Faso is another good example of a revolutionary leader who tried to help his nation being assassinated and his nation being given back to the dogs.

 

[Penumbra]

NO one likes a book burner. No one wants to really burn books.

But, if you just could, erase a book from history, which book would that be?

I don't believing in suppressing information or expression, which is what book burning does.

If the question was which book do I think would have probably been better for the world if it had never been written, I'd have to go with the Qur'an, with the runner up being the combined set of Pauline epistles.

 

[technomage]

I'm an anarcho-communist. I call capitalism stupidity.

I know. That's why I used the term ... I couldn't resist teasing you.

Nah, anarcho-communism is (again) something that might work with a group of dedicated volunteers--for a while. It is not something that will work imposed top-down, and it is not something that most groups can maintain, because of the amount of work involved. Anarcho-communism is contrary to some basic fundamentals of human nature. We form hierarchies naturally, automatically, and without much thought. Just the work needed to level the internal hierarchies to make a truly egalitarian community can be overwhelming--and when you add to that the need to regulate the economic side of things, it can overwhelm anyone.

You can find anarcho-communist communes, families, and small organizations. You will never find an anarcho-communist state ... it would quickly be conquered by any other state that decided it wanted the resources the ACs had. (Case in point: look up the history of Nestor Makhno.)

It's never been given a chance to work because the anti-communists in Western governments and international organizations won't let it work.

Incorrect, I fear. We've had communist societies that were not interfered with--they fell apart on their own. Now, to be fair, these societies also had other problems--the French socialists simply couldn't get their acts together; the Oneida community never broke out of being a cult of personality; the Shakers encouraged celibacy.

Now, there have been several AC communities that were interfered with--you can start with the Diggers in the 1650s.

There are aspects of AC thought that work, and work well. The Libre Software movement, Indymedia, many artists in the FIlk community, are all some good examples. But the thing is these folks are giving away "post-scarcity" goods. When I record a song and put it on the internet (I have a few up already), and you download it, I've not lost anything. But when you're dealing with non-post-scarcity goods, people get greedy.

 

[Amechania]

The Book of Mormon, I suppose, if I had to choose. It abounds with so many obvious fabrications that are presented as truth that I would think it better a cinder than a cipher.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Just as they have been with capitalism from the start. Inequality reaches absurd levels, the economy crashes, and then we start the process over, and over, and over.

Honestly you'd have to specify which philosophy of Capitalism. There are many varieties.

But hey man, see how quick politics brings people to flip? Let's remember that this has gotten off topic in just a couple posts, that's the strength of negativity that comes from politics. I respect your opinion on capitalism and hope you can respect mine on communism.

If you wish to continue farther you can start a thread and I might look into it.