Aaron Bastani defines Communism on the Daily Politics. While making good points as to why Communism was not realistically possible in the 1900’s Aaron has to use all his charm to try to convince the co-interviewees that he does not want to become the next Stalin!
Communism quite rightly has gained vast negative press over the decades for its ruthless attitudes as enacted by previous governments. Looking at the USSR and other Communist regimes it is easy to think that Communism is a dictatorship and one step from despotism. Aaron does make valuable points as to looking back to the original message of Karl Marx and trying to revisit with a more modern mindset that there is a possibility for Communism to be seen and politically invoked without the negative impressions from the past; his core argument being that it wasn’t possible for Communism to exist in the early 1900’s as humanity was still grappling with hardcore issues of conflict and egotism.. although there is no guarantee that egotism has yet been put to sleep.
It has also to be said that Capitalism isn’t without its negative imprint for if we look at brutal dictators like Augusto Pinochet or even some more balanced democratic capitalist states we can see a fair share of bloodshed and repression; the USA for example had states where black people had little rights and saw much abuse against them – Capitalism or Communism humanities ability to treat all people with respect would be the primal need for any political change, possibly here I can quote a favorite poet Robert Burns:
Many and sharp the numerous ills
In woven with our frame!
More pointed still we make ourselves
Regret, remorse, and shame!
And man, whose heaven-erected face
The smiles of love adorn, –
Man’s inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!
Checkout the excellent news website where Aaron Bastani writes here
