[kj] politics

[Jpwhkj at aol.com]

<xps1 at quick.cz> writes:

>I think those differences in "isms" are certainly quite important - I agree that not that important for those killed - but still there are major differences. As regards "a small number of people at the top, and a large number of people at the bottom, and a certain amount of ruthlessness to keep it that way" is what Communism fights against while it the case of Nazism it is a corner stone of its very ideology - that there is an elite in the nation destined to rule while the role of masses is to keep quite and do what fuhrer (chosen by some metaphysical unhuman force) says.

Firstly, I guess we mean different things by "communism". I'm talking about the form of government practised in the eastern block for the bulk of the 20th century. You're right that this wasn't communism as conceived by Marx, nor probably by the revolutionaries in Tsarist Russia - however, it's what was understood by most of the world to be communism, including many "communist" parties in the rest of the world. I agree that the similarity between this and "true" communism is about the same as the similarity between the Spanish Inquisition and the teachings of Jesus.

Yes, you're right that the differences are very important. (As indeed I said.) However, my point was that all forms of government so far have resulted in quite a lot of misery (not just poverty). Isn't that true?

And, leading on from that, if we're going to avoid repeating the mistakes and misery of the past, we need to try something new.

>By mere bodycount one would come to a conclusion than US or UK "democracies" are the most ruthless regimes that ever existed.

I agree that just the bodycount is an insufficient measure of oppression.

>I still believe one shall defend (even capitalist) democracy against Nazism even though these democracies may murdered but certainly oppressed more people than Nazism.

Agreed wholeheartedly. Let's continue this one over a beer the next time you're in London or I'm in Prague...

Cheers,

Jamie