Communism

The Changing Goals of Communism

The original goals of communism, a perfect proletariat society, transformed

over time; from the revolutionary thinking of Karl Marx to the murderous

communist dictatorships of V.I. Lenin and Joseph Stalin. In the original

Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles, the orignal idea of

communism and socialism was to form a perfect proletariat society, where there

were no classes and all people lived as equals together. Over the years, the original

idea of peace and equality for all was transformed and molded to fit a certain

person or groups personal interests. The peaceful society idea never worked out at

all in a country like Russia. Rulers like Stalin and Lenin not only did not carry out

the original goal of peace and living in harmony, they carried out bloody purges of

people who did not fit "their plan" for a perfect communist society. They carried

out the liquidation of the Kulak class. Instead of having a gradual change from a

society with classes to a classless one.

Communists in Russia not only opposed people who shared different views

than their own, but they also opposed other groups of proletariats. This directly

contrasts the original idea of a united communism movement, as stated in the

Communist Manifesto: "The Communists do not from a separate party opposed to

other working-class parties. The have no interests separate and apart from those of

the proletariat as a whole. They do not set up any secterian principles of their own,

by which to shape and mold the proletarian movement." (pg.152) The last idea is

almost the direct opposite of the path taken in the communist revolution and of the

ideas of Stalin and Lenin. There were not only many divisions between the

proletariat movement, but in some cases fighting broke up. This just driving a

greater wedge between two groups of proletariats, and creating larger and lasting

divisions in the movement. Marx said a united communist front would be

successful, there was no unity in the communist movement in Russia. Eventually

the idea that only one specific proletariat party could have power led to bloody

purges of opposition and uprisings throughout the country.