WHAT IS COMMUNISM AND HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE IT?

December 1, 2001 by Floyce White


In the article "Against Socialism--For Communism," I
present the idea that preserving the forms of
capitalism--such as nationalized big business--is not
a step toward communism. In the subsequent article
"Against Liberalism--For Communism," I draw the
conclusion that bourgeois methods of struggle are
always counterposed to direct workers' control. Form
and substance, methods and goals, theory and practice
coexist to condition each other.

These articles are not written for a small group of
co-thinkers, nor as an attempt to influence any elite
group of "experts" or "leaders." This discussion is
for the participation of the masses of working-class
activists. Millions of communists worldwide are
influenced by the politics of the Communist Parties
and descendant movements, and they use the term
"socialist" to describe the former USSR. Millions of
Socialist Party members and sympathizers worldwide
also define "socialism" as a system with classes,
states, politics, money, and other forms of property.
Millions of union organizers and supporters of Labor
Parties think likewise. While a majority can be
wrong, it is important to point out that language is
fluid. The meanings of words are determined by social
movements, not by scholars.

The group of positions taken by Lenin was used by him
and others as a dogma associated with his status and
personality. "Leninism" currently is the predominant
influence on communist ideas; therefore, Lenin's
definitions of socialism and communism are the
standards of current usage. Many communists believe
that the group of positions taken by Marx and Engels
is an unbreakable whole--this too is a dogma
associated with their personalities. "Marxism"
promotes the idea that there must be a prolonged
"lower phase" of post-revolutionary society. Lenin
merely applied the term "socialism" to the "Marxist"
lower phase, and defined "communism" as the final
goal. Just as "Marxism-Leninism" must be roundly
criticized, so must "Marxist-Leninist" definitions.

Class society is the society of classes of property
ownership. Property classes cannot exist without
property. The abolition of property in every form is
the abolition of class society. Support for a "lower
phase" called "socialism" that continues property
relations is merely another way to defend class
society and its exploitation of the working class.
The whole point of overthrowing the state through
revolution is not to secure reforms, not to "re-form"
the state, but to create favorable conditions to
rapidly shatter all forms of class society. Socialist
revolution nowhere did this. The obvious defects of
socialism caused a great deal of discouragement and
introversion among communists. A dogmatic and
sectarian pitting of the views of one "leader" against
another with "leader-ism" dragged the workers'
movement further and further away from any useful
theory. Ideas come from the struggle, not from
politicians. To develop meaningful theory, we must
examine the struggle and the social relations behind
it.

The natural ecology of all living things is to adapt
the environment to fit their needs. In doing so, the
environment changes. As the environment changes, so
do living things. Our great ability to make tools and
artifacts changes our selves, our society, and all
life in a way that no other animal can.

The rise of property classes was the humiliation and
subjugation of productive activity. The division of
labor, specialization of trades, mechanization, and
other techniques of labor management cause some
productive behaviors to be isolated from other
associated and complimentary activities. Unrealistic
labels of "work," "education," and "leisure" are
created. Specific "work" behaviors become the
subjects of economic thought, and the false
distinction between economic and non-economic activity
is used to promote an economic fetish. As with all
fetishes, it originates from class society and serves
to support class society. Communist theory is
influenced by this economic fetish, and communists are
won to the belief that society must pay excessive
attention to and must always strive to maximize the
"work" behaviors. The result is the idea that
communism must be defined as an abundance--or at least
an adequate supply--of the goods and services that
result from "work." The gushing adoration of
producers is, in reality, backhanded support for their
continued alienation.

Communism is first and foremost a relation between
people, not a relation between people and things.
Relations between people are not altered by changes in
the quantities of things. Relations between people
change through the violent, revolutionary process of
imposition and suppression, whereby new social
relations are imposed and the old social relations are
suppressed.

An ongoing system of social relations can be either
communist and peaceful or propertied and violent. The
application of violence prevents people from using
their productive abilities to reduce shortages in
food, shelter, fuel, clothing, or necessary artifacts
except as it benefits the aggressors. The application
of violence forces people to use their productive
abilities to make an abundance of goods and services
that do not correspond to physiological needs--workers
produce use-values that are useful to continue the
rule of the aggressors.

Communism is not the permanent elimination of hunger
and disease, nor is it any temporary abundance of
things. Conversely, communism is not a religious
appeal to suffer and sacrifice for someone else's
betterment. Communism is the well-reasoned concern
for one's self as an inseparable part of the
community, as opposed to a cunning, competitive
calculation of "mine" and "theirs." Communism is
thinking and doing for the well-being of
everyone--knowing that each of us came from and always
will be a part of that everyone. Communism uses the
method of people sharing things, regardless of how
abundant or scarce those things may be. Petroleum,
natural gas, and coal are natural resources that
become increasingly scarce as we use them. Scarcity
of fuel will not undermine communism. Rather,
communist, non-violent social relations will allow us
to produce fuel crops if needed instead of setting us
against each other in a scramble for control of
naturally-occurring fuel. The never-ending fuel war
in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Central
Asia is the total opposite of communist society.

Communist ideas are the history of struggle against
violence and exploitation. These ideas are discussed
and change as more history is made. Communism can be
achieved only by integrating the lessons of history
into current workers' struggles. Working-class
activists learn from history and become communists
through our participation as fellow workers in their
struggles. Communism can never be achieved by
redirecting workers' fury into bourgeois causes.
Communism can never be achieved by an elite vanguard
of bourgeois commanders who herd workers as dumb
cattle into the holding pen of socialism. Communism
can be achieved only as the intentional product of the
organized action of the entire laboring class.
Communism always was and forever will be
achievable--it has never depended on the technical
development of workhouses. The "struggle within the
struggle" remains the same: against liberal-oriented
socialism--for communism!

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