What are the negatives about commmunism?

Answer 1

"The negatives of communism is that the LG chocolate is not im communist places and that democrates are better than commuists. The communists are also not nice and very mean."

This is a stupid answer, and based on nothing but ignorant prejudice- how can anybody expect to be enlightened by THAT??!!

The negative aspects that are usually associated with Communism are that it disallows freedom of speech, expression and movement, that there is no freedom of the press, that free enterprise is disallowed, and that human rights are violated if any attempts are made to transgress this situation. But this is not always true.

It is indeed the case that most Communist societies did not (or do not) permit any alternative political parties or ideologies to exist. Free speech is severely restricted, dissent is tolerated only within a very narrow margin, and the media has to tow the Party line. It is also true that ownership of land or property in MOST cases is forbidden (although a person is allowed to possess furniture, personal belongings, a car, a small boat and other such things), and also that free enterprise is forbidden.

But there were (and to some extent, still are) as many varieties of Communism as there are varieties of Capitalism- it wasn't practiced in the same way everywhere, and there was huge variation in the extent to which the above negative points applied from country to country:

For example, in the USSR under Stalin, all of the above applied to the harshest, severest degree, with terrible penalties for those who incurred official disapproval- millions of people were executed, tortured or sent to labour camps for years for daring to speak out against the system even in the littlest way. Restrictions were carried over even into the world of art, design and literature, with many books, plays, works of art etc. banned for being 'decadent' or bourgeois', or else modified to suit official tastes. Religion was also outlawed, for the State was rigidly atheist. Later on, under Brezhnev and Gorbachev, things were a great deal better- there was much more freedom of movement, dissent was tolerated within limits, and freedom of artistic expression was much better. Although the USSR remained officially atheist, in practice the State turned a blind eye to religious worship provided it did not threaten the foundations of the Soviet Union. Official punishment for transgressing Party rules were also much more moderate, usually consisting of reprimands or moderate prison sentences- few people were actually executed for ideological dissention, unless they were guilty of something like serious espionage, or were planning an assassination, etc.

In Yugoslavia, Communism was always much more liberal than in the USSR. There was greater individual freedom, people were allowed to speak their minds more openly, and there was more room for dissention in the media. Citizens were even allowed to own their own homes, and to practice small-scale private enterprise by running their own shops and restaurants. Western tourists were encouraged to holiday there, Communist Party members were allowed to practice religion (so long as it didn't draw attention to them), and in all, it was a far more open society.

Modern-day China, on the other hand, compares very unfavourably to post-War China as it was up until the 1980s. Chinese Communism has always been guilty of dreadful human rights violations, with millions of people having been imprisoned or executed for challenging the system- but in the days of Chairman Mao, there was at least a 'plus' side to counter this, in that there was total redistribution of wealth, full employment, universal health care and housing, and education for all. Now, there isn't even this any more- China has embraced the West ECONOMICALLY, ushering in free-market Capitalism that has done away with much of the positive side of the Communist system, BUT at the same time has remained brutally oppressive as far as individual freedom and human rights are concerned. It's the worst of both worlds!!

So as you can see, the practice of Communism is immensely varied, and it's fundamental ideals cannot simply be written off as 'bad'. Whilst most people deplore the lack of personal freedoms and the appalling punishments of some Communist regimes, the idea of state ownership of land and property, as well as universal state-provided welfare and employment, still appeals to many.

Answer 2

Some potential negatives of communism include lack of incentive for innovation and hard work due to equal distribution of resources, potential for authoritarian rule and repression of dissent, and limited individual freedoms and personal choices. Additionally, centralized economic planning can lead to inefficiencies and shortages.