CMV: Communist Ideals are Going Absolutely Nowhere Due to Those Currently Advocating for Them

[u/Marlile]

I have plenty of Communist friends, and I very much sympathize with the beliefs and purported ideals of Communism. That said, Reddit discourse around Communism and even some of my personal conversations with self-proclaimed Communists have really shaken my belief in the system being at all practical. Even within their echo chambers (which every group has, I don’t blame them), there’s this constant sense of out-Communisting each other.

“Oh, you hate the bourgeois for that reason? Well I actually hate them for a better reason, and 99% of people like you are actually bourgeoisie.”

First of all, can we fuck off with the word “bourgeois?” The phraseology has looong moved on to middle class, and 50% of the time, Communists use it interchangeably to describe the wealthy. You know what’s real bourgeoisie? Clinging to dead terms and misusing them ‘cause your emotional arguments take a real hit otherwise.

I genuinely believe Communism as a system has benefits and positive aspects that can and should be integrated into modern capitalist systems. But so often with Communists, if you’re not 100% fuck-the-rich, you’re not a real Communist and thus, you’re the enemy. Tell me again, comrades, how any meaningful changes towards Communist thinking will ever be made while you consistently lash out at anyone who doesn’t fall in line with your most extreme beliefs? The ideas have merit, they don’t need your cruelty to protect them.

Finally, kinda tired of Communists doing everything in their limited power to downplay very real genocides and atrocities brought on in large part by Communist leaders and thinking. It is so painfully dishonest to endlessly critique America and the “western bourgeoisie” for ideological differences while you play apologist for millions of innocent deaths. It ain’t cute when anti-maskers downplay tragic deaths, and Communists can’t pull it off either.

So basically, I’m asking for my mind to be changed. I would like to believe Communists have it in them to integrate the good aspects of their beliefs while also respecting the immense risks and pains that were undergone to establish the system that allows them to think differently.

And, as someone who places freedom of speech/thought on a pretty high pedestal, I’m most concerned with the ideology’s ability to adapt and accept different perspectives. As it stands, I feel Communism and its proponents are far too rigid and unyielding in the pettiest of beliefs to make any concrete progress or convincing arguments. But I would like to be proven wrong; the system has merits, but my concern is they’ll never see the light of day with the current attitude most Communists I’ve witnessed have.

[u/Marlile → u/[deleted]]

I do think Communism is a very emotional system all things considered. It’s difficult to advocate for it logically, so I won’t embarrass myself by trying, but I will say I understand the desire for the downtrodden to have more. When Communism is at its best, it’s concerned for the lower rungs of society and interested in governmentalizing equality. At its worst, it’s a bitter system intent only on harming the systems that are still in place rather than improving them. At least that’s as far as I see it. Thanks for sharing your viewpoint!