[tsarbyron]

Times are most certainly different than in the early 20th century, when communism was first idealized. Do you guys think that the ideology changed through the eras, or do you think it's stayed the same? Going on from that, if it hasn't changed, do you think it should change? If it has, do you think the change was positive or negative to the practice of communism?

[Cartertonian]

Times are most certainly different than in the early 20th century, when communism was first idealized. Do you guys think that the ideology changed through the eras, or do you think it's stayed the same? Going on from that, if it hasn't changed, do you think it should change? If it has, do you think the change was positive or negative to the practice of communism?

Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto in 1848, so your dates are off - unless you meant realization?

Nevertheless, it's a good question. When you critique the input on this board from students and adherents of Communism, there are those who would acknowledge that times and circumstances do indeed change and then there are others who seem to regard Communism as an unchangeable absolute truth and who hold the writings of its originators up with the same fervour and admiration as religious zealots do with Holy scriptures. It can be a pretty toxic mix and the resultant disagreement ultimately does nothing to advance the cause.

[fuser]

Do the various ideologies of Communism change with the era?

Yes. Marxism at a very basic level is a method of analysis rather than a blueprint of future utopian society and its practical manifestation depends on both time and place.See Stalinist Soviet Union and Maoist China.

When you critique the input on this board from students and adherents of Communism, there are those who would acknowledge that times and circumstances do indeed change and then there are others who seem to regard Communism as an unchangeable absolute truth and who hold the writings of its originators up with the same fervour and admiration as religious zealots do with Holy scriptures. It can be a pretty toxic mix and the resultant disagreement ultimately does nothing to advance the cause.

There is always a need of balance, change for the sake of change is as much harmful as making something as you put it, holy scriptures.

[tsarbyron]

I agree, Marxism shouldn't be taken word for word, whereas it should be a basis for new ideologies based on culture and economy and etc. Change should never be overdone, as fuser said. However there is change (in my opinion) that is necessary for socialism/communism to succeed. I for one think it has changed too much, such as China, which is hardly communist anymore. Change also brought down the eastern bloc for the most part, they implemented too many democratic (in its rawest form) policies, and their system collapsed just as capitalistic societies do every so often (for example Egypt, Syria, etc, who were forced by the US to impliment corrupt puppet governments under democratic ties and now the entire region is unstable).

[quetzalcoatl]

The Chinese brand of market socialism was in part based on adapting ideas of Lenin's NEP. The NEP was squelched by Stalin, and Bukharin eventually executed. One wonders what the history of Communism would have been had the NEP continued to evolve in the Soviet Union.

[Decky]

Same as now, a capitalist Russia. The only difference would be that it would have happened slowly rather than all at once in 1991. Compromise is a synonym for surrender when dealing with capitalists.

[tsarbyron]

Same as now, a capitalist Russia. The only difference would be that it would have happened slowly rather than all at once in 1991. Compromise is a synonym for surrender when dealing with capitalists.

Very well put comrade haha.

[One Degree]

Delete

[Andrea_Chenier]

As Fuser already explained, marxism was born as critique and analysis of economy but it soon became a political tag which to this day remains very open for all sorts of subordinate ideological developments. For example, the early communist party in my country (Italy) was very ascetic - or reactionary if you will - in a non religious, abstract way. They even kicked out Pier Paolo Pasolini because of his homosexuality. Today on the other hand communist in Italy has basically become a synonym for social progressivism. This would be an example of a good ideological change within the spectrum of marxism.