Body & Soul8 mins ago
Communism
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History lessons, what little seems to be taught in schools today, when dealing with the 20th century make certain that children are well versed in Nazism (which they should be) but deals very little with Communism if at all. Stalin & Mao seem to be off the agenda. In this excellent interview with J Bartholomew the subject is discussed and begins with him buying a tank!
Should all young people flirting with Marxist/Communist ideas, & everyone else, for that matter watch this? ;
Should all young people flirting with Marxist/Communist ideas, & everyone else, for that matter watch this? ;
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I haven't watched the video but the problem is those who promote Communism/Marxism very often fail to understand exactly what they're promoting. Its abject failure - illustrated by the number of societies that have tried it and kicked it into touch - doesn't seem to have resonated with them. If they did a bit more than 'flirt' with the idea, they'd very soon give it the boot.
they just need to read this paragraph from Bill Browder's excellent book "Red Notice" - Note that Browder is the son of a Communist:
//Once I had the office, I needed people to help me run it. While tens of millions of Russians were desperate to make a living, hiring a good English-speaking employee in Moscow was almost impossible. Seventy years of communism had destroyed the work ethic of an entire nation. Millions if Russians had been sent to the gulags for showing the slightest hint of personal initiative. The Soviets severely penalised independent thinkers, so the natural self-preservation reaction was to do as little as possible and hope that nobody would notice you. This had been fed into the psyches of ordinary Russians from the moment they were on their mother’s breast. To run a Western-style business, therefore, you had to either completely brainwash a fresh young Russian about the virtues of efficiency and clear thinking or find some miraculous person whose natural psychology had somehow defied the pressures of communism. // - that's what Communism and it's little brother Socialism do to people and nations.
//Once I had the office, I needed people to help me run it. While tens of millions of Russians were desperate to make a living, hiring a good English-speaking employee in Moscow was almost impossible. Seventy years of communism had destroyed the work ethic of an entire nation. Millions if Russians had been sent to the gulags for showing the slightest hint of personal initiative. The Soviets severely penalised independent thinkers, so the natural self-preservation reaction was to do as little as possible and hope that nobody would notice you. This had been fed into the psyches of ordinary Russians from the moment they were on their mother’s breast. To run a Western-style business, therefore, you had to either completely brainwash a fresh young Russian about the virtues of efficiency and clear thinking or find some miraculous person whose natural psychology had somehow defied the pressures of communism. // - that's what Communism and it's little brother Socialism do to people and nations.
Khandro, you've posted an hour's viewing here this morning and unless the reader takes an hour out of their day to watch - not something most, including me. are prepared to do - they don't really know what point you're trying to make. Wouldn't it be easier to tell us what you're talking about so that we can get the gist of the point you're making and respond appropriately?
n. You don't have to watch them now (or even at all :0) you could watch then in the evening instead of Netflix maybe?
In the first one, Bartholomew is a man who travelled quite a bit experiencing first hand, life led under Communist regimes.
He's trying to set up in the UK a museum to depict the terror of such.
He reads out from the curricula of UK schools which seems shy of giving the same attention to Mao, & Stalin as it gives to Hitler.
The second video highlights the reason for this, the so-called, 'Long march through the institutions', which have as faculty members a large proportion of teachers & lecturers who have been brought up on a diet of left-wing ideology.
That's it in a nutshell, but I recommend you watch them anyway.
In the first one, Bartholomew is a man who travelled quite a bit experiencing first hand, life led under Communist regimes.
He's trying to set up in the UK a museum to depict the terror of such.
He reads out from the curricula of UK schools which seems shy of giving the same attention to Mao, & Stalin as it gives to Hitler.
The second video highlights the reason for this, the so-called, 'Long march through the institutions', which have as faculty members a large proportion of teachers & lecturers who have been brought up on a diet of left-wing ideology.
That's it in a nutshell, but I recommend you watch them anyway.
Khandro, //you could watch then in the evening instead of Netflix maybe? //
Haha! I think not. I don't watch much television but when I do I prefer it to be entertaining. There's enough misery on the
10 o'clock news!
I'm not sure the people you mention really compare with Hitler. His actions affected the whole world, which is, I presume, why as an historical figure he features on the school curriculum.
Haha! I think not. I don't watch much television but when I do I prefer it to be entertaining. There's enough misery on the
10 o'clock news!
I'm not sure the people you mention really compare with Hitler. His actions affected the whole world, which is, I presume, why as an historical figure he features on the school curriculum.
Vietnam is the only example of Communism which has worked and this is only because the one party state has relaxed a lot of the basic tenets of Marxism. It is very interesting though, how a non elected one party state can actually work. Yes, many of it's citizens are kept in near poverty but my experience was that they were extremely happy and contented with their 'lot'. Their economy (pre covid) was extremely buoyant.
TTT Lincoln's famous quote; “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” even in an oppressive totalitarian regime such as Putin's Russia of today, is borne out in the variety of responses to people being shown clear photographic evidence of the destruction being imposed on Ukraine in this (yet another, but shorter) video;
-- answer removed --
Khandro : " make certain that children are well versed in Nazism (which they should be) but deals very little with Communism if at all."
Naomi: "but the problem is those who promote Communism/Marxism very often fail to understand exactly what they're promoting."
Can either of you define what this "Communism" that you both allude to is exactly ?
Naomi: "but the problem is those who promote Communism/Marxism very often fail to understand exactly what they're promoting."
Can either of you define what this "Communism" that you both allude to is exactly ?
//Can either of you define what this "Communism" that you both allude to is exactly ?//
Well Karl Marx (the least funny one of the brothers) said it for us;
"The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: 'Abolish all private property' "
That applies to everyone except those running the show who can have as much as they like.
Well Karl Marx (the least funny one of the brothers) said it for us;
"The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: 'Abolish all private property' "
That applies to everyone except those running the show who can have as much as they like.
These childish, simplistic 'definitions' both Khandro and naomi proffer are puerile propaganda, and neither Khandro nor naomi can explain this 'Communism' they refer to, in their *own* words - or what *they* understand it to be.
naomi : "The Marxist Mantra: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
Can you spot the flaw in that philosophy, SevenOP? "
No naomi, so please explain it to me.
naomi : "The Marxist Mantra: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
Can you spot the flaw in that philosophy, SevenOP? "
No naomi, so please explain it to me.
SevenOP, //Can you spot the flaw in that philosophy, SevenOP? "
No naomi, so please explain it to me.//
With pleasure. Let's say we both live under a regime that espouses the Marxist mantra - 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs'. Since that means there is no room for aspiration, ambition, or personal benefit, I'll let you work in the smelly, filthy sewers or down a mine for a living, but I'll drive a nice sweet-smelling flower delivery van. Or I'll step back whilst you study for years to achieve the necessary qualifications to become a brain surgeon, accepting all the responsibility that goes with the job, and I'll opt for the easy life, devoid of responsibility, stacking shelves in Tesco - because, since whatever I do makes no difference to my standard of living, there is no reason to do more. Would you really be happy with that?
//These childish, simplistic 'definitions' both Khandro and naomi proffer are puerile propaganda//
And you reach that conclusion how? Have you ever witnessed, first-hand, communism in action - and if so, perhaps you'll tell me what you found attractive about it?
No naomi, so please explain it to me.//
With pleasure. Let's say we both live under a regime that espouses the Marxist mantra - 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs'. Since that means there is no room for aspiration, ambition, or personal benefit, I'll let you work in the smelly, filthy sewers or down a mine for a living, but I'll drive a nice sweet-smelling flower delivery van. Or I'll step back whilst you study for years to achieve the necessary qualifications to become a brain surgeon, accepting all the responsibility that goes with the job, and I'll opt for the easy life, devoid of responsibility, stacking shelves in Tesco - because, since whatever I do makes no difference to my standard of living, there is no reason to do more. Would you really be happy with that?
//These childish, simplistic 'definitions' both Khandro and naomi proffer are puerile propaganda//
And you reach that conclusion how? Have you ever witnessed, first-hand, communism in action - and if so, perhaps you'll tell me what you found attractive about it?
this is not a true anecdote but it does illustrate why socialism and communism cannot possibly work:
https:/
Human nature prevents it.
https:/
Human nature prevents it.
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