Communism (Blog # 17)

What was most interesting in this chapter, in my opinion, was the idea that communism came about as a solution to end suffering for the majority (peasants and women) of the population could not support themselves. This becomes even more apparent when communist and nationalist parties begin preaching equality, financial stability, prosperity, and freedoms to those who do not currently have any. I found it interesting that in every one of these movements rights were promised for women, a class of people who were used to having nothing, and to those living in rural areas. Though these parties openly preached these equalities and freedoms they were typically never upheld, even those rights that were enacted were eventually and usually quickly taken away. Communism was supposed to be the countries answer to the economic and political struggles these countries were facing at the time, instead it led to more destruction and death. I also found it interesting that the collapse of both China and the Soviet Unions communist parties were due to their own reforms rather than by outside, or Western, influence. It seemed to me while reading this chapter that they wanted some Western benefits and policies while staying strictly Communist; however this is a mix that cannot be made which was evident by the bloody and violent upheavals in the Soviet Union and the change to Capitalism in China.