Communism and Its Worldwide Impact Essay

Society has always been looking for ways to perfect itself and make life better for its citizens in every way, which includes the elimination of segregation, providing equal opportunity for everyone, and ensuring the absence of poverty. This has been seen by society as a perfect world, but for the majority of countries around the world, the dream of the “perfect society” has never come true. In essence, communism has appeared as an attempt to solve these societal problems. In other words, the idea put forth by communism was that everyone would get an opportunity for a good life, in a country where all people would be equal in monetary and ethical terms, on the condition that they would have the determination to help the country progress. Communism was intended to permit the poor to rise and reach an economic and societal standing equivalent to that of the middle class. The idea was to redistribute the wealth of the upper class among the poorer cohort of the population in order to achieve this equality, but it was also vital to communism that all manufacturing be governed by the state. It is proven historically that communism had an extensive long-term impact on worldwide society.

When it comes to a discussion of communism, the first country that comes to mind is the Soviet Union, because of the thorough way that country put into practice the idea of communism. Vladimir Lenin was the political leader of that time. He believed that the country was ready for revolution, and supported the idea that the party would have to enforce strict rules that everyone would have to follow (Kenney 8). Lenin’s influence had an impact on world politics, and his coming to power after the Great October Revolution in 1917 shook international society. First and foremost, his ideas of class morality and social justice found their reflection not only within the territory of the Soviet Union, but also among a number of distant countries. It is worth mentioning that even in America, collectivists organized a meeting in 1919 to establish a Communist party designed for the realities of the United States, but the idea of a communist America eventually flopped. Soviet-style communism offered the most efficient use of human resources which, consequently, led to a reduction in the crime rate across the country (Strayer 660).

One of the countries that basically followed the communist ideas of the Soviet Union was China. Despite the similarities that might be observed in the two countries, the actual situation in China differed a lot from that in the Soviet Union, mostly for the reason that the Chinese revolution dragged on for years, while Lenin’s revolution happened in a year (Strayer 660). The Communist Party in China confronted a much more hostile antagonist, and therefore, had a more noteworthy success than the defeat of a frail, short-term régime in imperial Russia. In fact, Chinese laborers did not rebel as impulsively against their landowners as Soviet laborers had. Mao Zedong is considered to be the main political figure linked to the phenomenon of communism in China. He managed to confiscate land from the major landowners, and eradicated private property (Takács 618). Chinese loyalty to business and the use of capitalist ideas helped China to move forward. With the passing of time, the economic reforms of the Party, and an openness to foreign capital, even increased the influence of the Communist Party in the country.

There are also historical examples of communism being contested or mildly criticized, but never implemented in the political system of a country. For example, in most of his speeches, Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader, called communism and its idea of an egalitarian society a model that was worth working toward, but at the same time, he firmly stated that nothing durable could be built on viciousness. Gandhi was not the only one who disapproved of the communist theory and approach. In the Congo, for instance, Joseph Mobutu was rewarded by overseas authorities for taking a robust anti-Leninist position. Consequently, most influential African individuals planned their internal and external policymaking in accordance with Western aggressiveness as a counter to collectivist or communist impacts.

As with any other pillar of history, communism has left its legacy. The most noticeable portion of the legacy lies in the difference in financial and organizational performance, if we compare the pre- to the post-Communist era. Underneath the exterior of a moderately tenacious post-communist inconsistency of public assurance in political parties lies a more compound combination of psychological and dogmatic changes, signifying a more positive image. Nevertheless, it seems that residents of previously communist countries are beginning to overcome their substantial shortfall of trust for the elected party. Another sign of communism’s legacy is the presence of unrealistic expectations, which can be explained by an idealized notion of the values and philosophies spread by the communists. The pipe dream of national equality has become a nightmare, and the morality itself of the communist ideal was an apparent utopia, against the backdrop of the people’s unwillingness to accept the new societal principles.

Works Cited

Kenney, Karen Latchana. What Is Communism? New York: Rosen Group, 2013. Print.

Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.

Takács, Sarolta A. The Modern World. New York: Routledge, 2015. Print.