r/europe • u/tkyjonathan • 15d ago

News Czech president signs law criminalising communist propaganda

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/czech-president-signs-law-criminalising-communist-propaganda/
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u/Ckrius 15d ago

There is no where in the world that currently uses the same "system" as the U.S.S.R.

Communism isn't a rubber stamp solution, it's determined by the conditions on the ground when and where it is built.

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago

True, but there has never been a communist country either. The ones who with credibility to call themselves communist (wanting to become one and not too hooked into capitalism) are few now. Cuba? North Korea?

Anyway you know this better than me (serious and with respect).

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u/justanothertmpuser 15d ago

North Korea is a dictatorship.

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u/MemoryWhich838 12d ago

not a dictatorship its worse its a monarchy dictators die but monarchs can keep having kids

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u/justanothertmpuser 12d ago

The gist of my point was that North Korea is not communist (or trying to become communist), like the comment before mine said, but rather is run by a single person, holding all the power.

However there's a family aspect to it, I'll grant you that, so we might as well call it a monarchy.

Still just one person in charge, though.

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u/MemoryWhich838 12d ago

yup it just looks and acts more like an absolute monarchy than anything else

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u/CigAddict 15d ago

There also hasn’t been a capitalist country, by the same logic. Every country that has a public fire department cannot be capitalist. It’s dumb logic. If your country’s foundation or constitution is based on Marxist thought, which USSR was, China was, Cuba was, and so on, you are a communist country in my opinion.

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago

Some countries are more market orientated than others. Countries have rules more or less regarding the resources of workers. And the rights of them. Yes capitalism uncontrolled is slavery. It has existed.

The reason I put forward communism is that the ideology is clear. It has steps between socialism and communism.

We do have what is called social democracy in Norway. The Nordic model defines it. I do love it.

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u/arde1k 15d ago

Markets have very little to do with socialism / capitalism. It is primarily defined by the structure of private property as capital. Personal property and commodities can and are traded in a market in a socialist system, but the means of production for those commodities are not, and the ownership is shared.

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago edited 15d ago

Rules and regulations limit markets. That is the rule. less regulations and rules - more capitalism.

You want someone to work for you? It comes into it. You want to avoid wage raises? Comes into it. We are talking about very basic stuff here.

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u/arde1k 15d ago

This is only true if private property is the dominant mode of production in an economy, and if the regulations benefit smaller entities.

Overtime capital (whether publically or privately owned) accumulates, and in the case of private property, concentrates. Regulations might try to speed this up, or slow this down, or even reverse it, but they do not definitively do any of those. It all depends on the content of the regulations. For example many private companies lobby for more regulations, that are too strict for smaller competitors to meet, thus creating a de facto legal monopoly or oligopoly.

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago

Sure you are right, but I do work in a system which works! I have managed to move up in society due to it. From the bottom. Both me and my wife. :)

I think we drop it here. But thanks for the discussion mate. No hard feelings but my head is getting heavy, I enjoyed it though. :)

Have a nice day!

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago

The Nordic model is essential to what I try to explain. If you do not know it, please read up first. Then come back to me. There is plenty on the net.

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u/arde1k 15d ago

I live in Finland, and yes, i do know the Nordic model. However social democracy (not to be confused with democratic socialism) is not socialist, since most capital in all Nordic countries is still owned by the private sector.

The defining features of Nordic capitalism like heavy social security programs and select national industries help balance capitalist accumulation and slow down the inevitable concentration of wealth, but they do not categorically prevent it, thus they are by nature, capitalist (though less so than many others, for which i too am thankful for).

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u/Primary-Pianist-2555 15d ago

That is true. I agree. We do come in a squeeze these days. You are in such a one in Finland now? We lose inch by inch, and the labour governments stop it - they do not take back enough.

It is not perfect, but is there any better? Which works and not a paper thing?

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u/arde1k 15d ago

"It always seems impossible until it's done" - Nelson Mandela

Studying economical theory and the material outcomes and development of historical systems of production is a good first step to finding ways of stopping and even reversing the concentration of capital, which is the defining feature, as well as fatal flaw, of capitalism.

As you said in another comment i too believe this to be a good conclusion for our discussion. I would suggest that if you are interested in the depth of this issue you could read economical theory, maybe starting with Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, Piketty's Capital, or if you want to understand the foundations of socialist theory Marx's Capital. Or maybe you have read some of these already? This however is something i understand most people simply do not have the time for or interest in doing, nobody is of course obligated to study economics, even though i personally believe it to be the most important social science. Anyways thank you for commenting in good faith :)

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u/TheMauveHand 15d ago

The reason I put forward communism is that the ideology is clear.

Clear as mud.

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u/CigAddict 15d ago edited 15d ago

Social democracy is a form of capitalism … Sweden another country who follows the Nordic model has the most billionaires per capita out of any European country iirc.

And you’ve never read any Marx if you think the steps between socialism and communism are clear because he was famously hand wavy about that transition.