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Political ideologies exists to fix imperfections in our own nature. Communism sought to equalize all through distribution of wealth and promotion of a common over individual good. What happened? We did. See some comrades appeared to be more equal than others. Was Marx even close? Sure in a vacuum where we all think and feel alike? His mom said it best, "Karl should spend more time earning capital than writing about it." Her own greed doomed the system.
Politically it failed because you can't rule people who are starving while a select few enjoy comfort and wealth. Marx called for the workers to rise up against managers. Sounds great but what happens next? Well, gotta make stuff and some must work while others manage. Oops got rise up again to rid ourselves of the new batch of managers. So, perpetual revolution was the only way to keep the system growing. Problem is revolutions are a pain in the butt. Also they tend to be bloody and messy which has a nasty habit of endangering those who called for it in the first place.
Economically, greed and envy doomed Communism. "I don't want a blue shirt, I want a red shirt", simple and clear problem with a system designed to meet everyone's needs. "Why should I bust my hump making 20 tanks a month when I get paid the same for making only 10?" No motive to do more unless you face a Stalinist purge. And facing death tends to make one unhappy which requires either more gun totters to enforce the threat or get ousted in favor of a lower death threat government.
As a philosophy Communism is a dandy. Hippies embraced the ideals of equality and everything being free which Marx purported as a natural outcome of his system. Well, those same Hippies are bitching about Social Security and would love to get a new iPhone. Sorry, no such thing as a free lunch. Because even if it was free our own experiences and greed would make us wary of it. "Why is this free? What is wrong with it?"
Communism's attack on religion was likewise a fatal flaw. People need something to believe in that is beyond them. A Politburo is not far enough beyond them or mystical enough to ensure faith. Faith is hope in the dark when everything says your not going to get out of this unhurt. Faith binds us together and without it then why bother? Marx was angry at the abuses of organized religion just like another German forbear. Luther sought reform and ended up leading a Protestant revolution. Marx, I think hoped to do much the same. He must have slept through what
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