Communism refers to a form of government and a socioeconomic system that utilizes common ownership of the means of production within the society. Furthermore, this system does not utilize social class within it. It also does not utilize money as part of the socioeconomic system (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). This form of government became extremely popular during the Twentieth Century. Some countries, such as Cuba and China, still utilize a communist form of government. Communism has failed in a number of countries, including the former Soviet Union. Does communism as a system tend to fail because it overlooks the importance of the individual? Communism does not allow individuals to engage in their own individuality. Because of this, a community society will fail; it does not recognize that individual values, such as work ethic, play an important part in human society. For example, in a communist society, there is no incentive to work harder than another person. This likely leads to a lack of work ethics throughout the society. Ultimately, this society cannot survive.
Communism developed in the Twentieth Century as a response to the writings of Karl Marx. It is also important to recognize that the socioeconomic conditions of society during the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century primed global society to accept a radical change. By all means, many societies utilized a form of government that allowed individuals to work excessively hard and yet barely survive. For example, the Russian way of life had a form of peasants, called serfs until the second half of the 19th Century. It is obvious that many individuals across the world became infatuated with the idea of a modern-day utopia. In this society, all members would own the means of production. As such, all members of society would benefit from the production and distribution of goods (Lynch, 2003). However, one must question whether or not the communist system was doomed to fail. After all, it failed to recognize the individuality of the people within its system.
Individuality is crucial. Not all people will share the same sense of work ethic. In a capitalistic society, individuals with a stronger sense of work ethic should fare better. These people may choose to work extra hours or to work harder at jobs that pay based upon output. The communist society does not do this. It expects all members of a society to contribute to the best of his or her abilities.
Unfortunately, many individuals will likely and quickly realize the unfairness of this system. If a person is a harder worker than his neighbors, his neighbors will benefit from his hard work. Individuals who are more likely to produce more goods under other systems will likely relax the quality of their work. As a result of the communist society in the Soviet Union, the work force quickly became demoralized (Tidmarsh, 1993).
As an example, one needs to picture the average office building that sells a product. In a capitalistic society, a person who puts in extra work may sell more products than another employee. This would likely result in the person receiving additional salary benefits. Furthermore, the company would benefit from the extra sales. However, if a person does not receive any additional benefits, he or she will not work harder. There would be no reason for anyone to work hard in the company. Everyone would likely assume that the other people are working hard. As a result, sales would decrease. This is what happened in a communist society. The individuals who have a strong work ethic do not benefit.
Communism failed because there was no incentive for individuals to work hard. In order for a society to continue producing goods, there must be a reason for people to work hard. This requires a form of incentive. Some individuals are more likely to respond to this. Communism does not recognize the value of an individual’s work ethic. It will fail as a form of government as a result.
- Encyclopedia Britannica. (2013). Communism. Retried June 5, 2014, from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/129104/communism
- Lynch, M. (2003). The emancipation of the Russian serfs: a charter of freedom or an act of betrayal? History Today. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from: http://www.historytoday.com/michael-lynch/emancipation-russian-serfs-1861-charter- freedom-or-act-betrayal
- Tidmarsh, K. (1993, Spring). Russia’s work ethic. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/48758/kyril-tidmarsh/russias-work-ethic
