The Myth of Unionism — Part 2: An Alternative*
Fogy has had to dig deep for this one. As children at school, we were introduced to the concepts of the five- and ten-year plans of a communist state — and that’s about all I really remember.
Communism — what is it, and who 'does' it best?
At its core, Communism can be described as a stateless, classless society: no rulers, no oppressed.
So where do we begin? Let’s travel the revolutionary road to Cuba — closer to home, and to me, representing the epitome of a concept that mostly failed, driven by external sanctions and an inability to adapt.
Everyone in Cuba is equal. They have equal opportunities in education — the percentage of Cubans with diplomas is among the highest in the world. They have equal access to the benefits the state provides. And they are equally poor.
An extremely small percentage of Cubans cross the embargoed line into the tourist-rich regions of Havana each day, serving the masters of capitalism and skimming what little cream they can off the top. These guilt-ridden few deny this fact openly, needing to reintegrate with their equals the moment the doors to their fantasy world slam shut behind them.
On the brink of capitalism, change is a reluctant mistress: coy, seductive, but rarely carried across the threshold.
North Korea, in name, is Communist. In reality, it is Authoritarian — where a single family holds rigid control over all aspects of the nation, imposing a single-mindedness rarely seen elsewhere. Truly indoctrinated North Koreans know nothing else and fully believe theirs is the only truth: rigid order, rigid obedience.
China — Mao Zedong’s triumphant communistic avalanche — resulted in the deaths of millions and an authoritarian obedience to the concepts of his Little Red Book, defying the true stateless, classless nature of Communism he had once studied in Soviet Russia.
Today’s China feeds off the obedience of a Mao-induced indoctrination, blended with the free economy they understood was essential to control 1.3 billion people — and to grow into the dominant global economic giant we see today.
So what of this Communism? Is it a viable alternative to the previous state, Democracy?
At its fullest, we could all be equally poor if we wanted to. When we look at the "Aldeias" of the Brazilian Indians, we witness the so-called sharing principle espoused by Communists — a united community where tradition and respect rule, not law and order.
"The aldeias embody the spirit of communal living that Marxism dreamed of — but without the violence, bureaucracy, or theoretical dogma that distorted Marx's vision in practice."
I am reminded that this connection the Indians have is a much stronger spiritual one than purely political. Interestingly enough, the film Avatar also pins much of the natives' beliefs on Pandora in much the same way.
Outside these worlds, however, the political state and economic state have blended and become hidden behind the gossamer veil that once separated the two, where the survival of the state is so dependent on the wealth of both the state and the people.
A communist state is hardly an incentive for growth where in most cases, the harder you work, the more you share is your constant reality.
Oh, and capitalism doesn't fare much better in this respect either.
"True equality has no state. True freedom has no master."
From the Myth of Representation to the Myth of Unionism, what's next you might ask? Let's take a look next Thursday for the 3rd and final part.
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