In a previous letter I tried to explain communism and socialism. Let me try again in the simplest possible terms.
In their purist theoretical terms communism is the eventual creation of a stateless world with no private ownership of the means of production (products and services).
Socialism is the government ownership or control of some of the means of production, but not all.
With socialism private enterprise is still available. Examples would be state-controlled medicine and/or state owned means of transportation such as railroads or airlines.
Neither of these two forms of economic and political theories call for the control of all human activity.
Marx, the author of the Communist Manifesto, did call for a guiding government during the transition to a stateless, classless world. Pure communism cannot work.
Lenin and Stalin corrupted communism to achieve their totalitarian dictatorship as have the other so-called communist states.
Neither communism or socialism precludes religion.
Lenin and Stalin worked toward an atheistic state with only partial success.
Peter MacRae
Lakeport
