Be advised that the mentioned celebrities were actually Marxist-Leninists. That ideology has certain tennets that make it especially destructive. Other brands of socialism may not be that violent in their nature.
… That only accounts for certain brand of socialist. If someone suggest “Socialism”. Let him tell you first whether that “Socialism” is voluntary or forced on people. In a hypothetical libertarian/anarcho-capitalist society people still could practice voluntary socialism. Even most Western societies would still allow for this right now. Just that the present day welfarist structures are actually in competion with voluntary socialist association models. Ironically voluntary socialist models would become more attractive, if one would do away with mandatory welfare and interventionist policies that interfere with people’s personal, social and economical decision making.
I think that the main idea of communism is that no-one is the rightful proprietor of anything. So they try to make an awkward system based on democratic decisions over everything. That’s why communism is really incompatible with capitalism. A capitalist wants to be the rightful owner of something (probably based on the homesteading principle) but a communist will simple ignore that and claim the public ownership of that. But here lies a difference: in a capitalist society, it is still possible to have a socialist commune. In a socialist society, it’s impossible for a capitalist to emerge.
Anyway, if someone thinks that in a socialist society he would have the same standard of living, i think that person is an idiot.
Your assumption is that in “communes of volunteers”, property rights would be recognized, however, technically they couldn’t. True communism doesn’t recognize property rights, therefore, I do not see how a communist society is possible within a libertarian society. This is why true communism can only be brought about thorugh the initiation of coercion (in the libertarian sense).
This is probably a question to Jacko: how then communists prevent slavery from happening? Or they think that slavery is ok as long as every one is a slave?
The fact that Communists have been the worst aggressors against human life and liberty should itself prove that Communism is failure. If Communism is so great, why didn’t people voluntarily embrace it? Why have millions of people fled from Communism? Why did Communists have to murder and enslave people? Why did the Communists have to build the Berlin Wall?
Because Communists would rather believe in their stupid ideology than wake up and realize their world is collapsing around them.
Jack1769, why aren’t you a voluntary communist? You know, one who lives in a commune with other people who like communism, but doesn’t initiate force against others?