Communism
Communism refers to political and economic ideologies originating in Karl Marx's theory of revolutionary socialism. Communism advocates the proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures and the elimination of private property. Under communism, the means of production are owned by the state. Everyone works as much as they can and receives what they need, as determined by the state.
Fundamental flaws of communism are the presumptions that individuals will work enthusiastically without commensurate reward, and that the communist system will adequately provide an abundance of goods and services. These have been historically demonstrated to be fatal assumptions. 20th century Communist governments have failed to live up to communist ideals, have tended towards increasing authoritarianism and bureaucracy, and have manifested inherent gross inefficiencies in their economies.
Socialism vs communism
Socialism is "a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done." The New Oxford American Dictionary similarly defines socialism as "(in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism." There are many varieties of socialism. The dictionary notes that "The term 'socialism' has been used to describe positions as far apart as anarchism, Soviet state communism, and social democracy; however, it necessarily implies an opposition to the untrammeled workings of the economic market. The socialist parties that have arisen in most European countries from the late 19th century have generally tended toward social democracy."
Dictionary.com notes that "Some socialists tolerate capitalism, as long as the government maintains the dominant influence over the economy; others insist on an abolition of private enterprise. All communists are socialists, but not all socialists are communists."
Repression, death, and deprivation
Communism has been associated with over 100 million deaths due to brutal repression, genocides, forced labor, imprisonment, and starvation under its regimes. The Soviet Union and China were responsible for the highest numbers of these fatalities, with estimates suggesting around 61 million deaths in the Soviet Union alone.
Communist dictatorships have been responsible for immense human suffering on a massive scale. Communist regimes ruled through violence, fear, and forceful abolishment of individual freedom - the direct antithesis of their hypothetical promises of equality and liberation. The staggering death toll of communist regimes demonstrates the tragic failure of totalitarian communism.
Related
Socialism, Democratic Socialism, and Social Democracy
Video: KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov's warning to America
The Bill of Rights vs The 10 Planks of the Communist Manifesto
Manifesto of the Communist Party - Marxists, by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Marxists Internet Archive, February 1848.
100 Years of Communism: Death and Deprivation, Cato Institute, 2017.
The Dark Origins of Communism video
Podcast: Communism is all about working people - killing them, enslaving them, and brutalizing them, by Mark Levin, 21 July 2026.
Video: Lily Tang Williams Gives the WARNING SIGNS for Communism in America, 22 June 2021.
America vs. Communism, by Bradley A. Thayer, Epoch Times, 1 September 2026.
Communist Candidates Are a Threat to the USA, by E. Jeffrey Ludwig, American Thinker, 7 July 2026.
Stop Calling Them Democrats. They're Communists. by Steve Rose, American Thinker, 17 August 2022.
