Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

True Blue Door

(2,969 posts)
39. You merely prove my point without realizing it.
Thu Aug 7, 2014, 12:37 AM
Aug 2014
If you believe the first excerpt, you've ignored 83% of 20th century history because a) at no point did self-described communist governments or movements approach anything near a majority, much less get near 100%, and b) these governments merely attempted socialism, not communism, and were from 1917 onward under continuous threats and multiple, actual armed interventions which turned the policies from rudimentary socialism into state survival.


In other words, once again, the Perfect System and its acolytes are held to be above criticism by an infinite web of recursive excuses. All of its real-world horrors can be dismissed as not representing "real" Communism, all of its perpetrators not being "real" Communists. That attitude is how you distinguish people who want to make the world better and ideologues who just want to punish the world for not rising to their standards.

Advocates of Christian theocracy refuse to accept any responsibility for the Crusades or the Inquisition because they can concoct some petty doctrinal quibbles with the exact religious beliefs behind them; same way that Fascists can reject responsibility for Hitler or WW2; same way that every adherent of every discredited and corrupted ideology in history pretends that its utter failure when tried in reality is just really unfair and the world should really just keep giving them infinite chances to fuck it up.

If you consider libertarianism, even as a concept, to be "an originally benevolent, compassion-driven movement", you either do not understand what it is or, consider what is actually is to be benevolent.


I know its foundations in Enlightenment thought, and the morally laudable thinking that says government should operate as if with a Hippocratic Oath rather than intervening by default. That is the original basis of libertarianism, just as solidarity with the poor was the original basis of Communism. Unfortunately, the root often has very little resemblance to the fruit, and the fruits of both Communism and Libertarianism are bitter and poisonous. I suggest you think deeper before deciding you have a workable insight into these ideas.






Terrific piece. You,sir or madam, are one hell of a writer hedda_foil Aug 2014 #1
Kick. nt msanthrope Aug 2014 #2
Excellent post! riqster Aug 2014 #3
but we are in bed with Wall Street, us, the Democrats. Puzzledtraveller Aug 2014 #4
We are the Democrats. We right here. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #5
No such thing as a liberal investor. raouldukelives Aug 2014 #9
That's a bit simplistic, and falls victim to ideological thinking. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #15
I have no problem with business. I support many. raouldukelives Aug 2014 #32
Okay, but where is this specific subject coming from? True Blue Door Aug 2014 #40
We're in an era without pensions. jeff47 Aug 2014 #23
I propose they continue what they are doing. raouldukelives Aug 2014 #31
So your solution is they should retire in poverty to make a political statement. (nt) jeff47 Aug 2014 #35
I guess. If one considers being a liberal a political statement. raouldukelives Aug 2014 #49
You are demanding they don't use 401ks or other savings/investing tools jeff47 Aug 2014 #56
It is the same problem that plauged those invested in slavery. raouldukelives Aug 2014 #60
I'm not, but many of our Democratic leaders are. progressoid Aug 2014 #17
I consider myself a "Balance-atarian." The_Commonist Aug 2014 #6
Successful governance is all about not fetishizing means. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #11
"And, more importantly, make sure "the task" is set democratically" PowerToThePeople Aug 2014 #48
And indeed it is. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #54
Thanks for cutting through the rhetoric to get to the results. Bravo. May I share this? freshwest Aug 2014 #7
Feel free. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #12
Thanks! freshwest Aug 2014 #55
It all comes down to energy and natural resources. gordianot Aug 2014 #8
Ain't it the truth? Tarheel_Dem Aug 2014 #10
DU rec...nt SidDithers Aug 2014 #13
Libertarianism has as much to do with Communism as this post does with political reality. rug Aug 2014 #14
I explained what they have to do with each other. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #16
As a matter of fact you didn't. To wit: rug Aug 2014 #30
Thank you for this response. Facts matter. octoberlib Aug 2014 #33
You merely prove my point without realizing it. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #39
By your words, "the Perfect System and its acolytes" you've established you're simply rug Aug 2014 #50
both Libertarian and Communism DonCoquixote Aug 2014 #53
libertarians strike me as very odd. stonecutter357 Aug 2014 #18
Sorry I can't rec. blackspade Aug 2014 #19
+1 leftstreet Aug 2014 #21
^^ this. nt TBF Aug 2014 #24
Spot On, blackspade. Spot On. 2banon Aug 2014 #25
Communism is whatever Communists do and nothing more. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #27
Then by that logic, capitalism is what capitalists do and nothing more...... socialist_n_TN Aug 2014 #38
You continue to make my own points without realizing it. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #41
that poster wasn't seeing anything positive in the Soviet Union. Ken Burch Aug 2014 #44
Thank you Ken. At least someone knows how to read....... socialist_n_TN Aug 2014 #45
I never said I "...belong among liberals". I don't belong there...... socialist_n_TN Aug 2014 #47
I have to agree, the OP needs to read more real history and less propaganda brochures. nt. Rex Aug 2014 #59
+1 octoberlib Aug 2014 #34
Rec you. PowerToThePeople Aug 2014 #46
Is this your original writing, because it is awesome. Expletives at end paragraph notwithstanding Fred Sanders Aug 2014 #20
Yes, it is my writing. Why do people keep asking me that? True Blue Door Aug 2014 #28
Very well said. n/t Silent3 Aug 2014 #22
I've always pointed out, albeit less elegantly, Warpy Aug 2014 #26
Indeed, and trampling Mankind underfoot to their utter indifference. True Blue Door Aug 2014 #29
I see quite differently jamzrockz Aug 2014 #36
That is essentially the same thing Warpy Aug 2014 #37
Or, more to the point, those with means survive and label themselves True Blue Door Aug 2014 #42
The corruption of large-C Communism had nothing to do with utopianism or radicalism. Ken Burch Aug 2014 #43
The closing of the circle Peacetrain Aug 2014 #51
Utopianism is utopianism hifiguy Aug 2014 #52
Rec-ing for one of the best discussions/conversations I have read here in quite some time. Tuesday Afternoon Aug 2014 #57
Interestingly I was just on a thread about the dangers of all forms of religious fundamentalism... LeftishBrit Aug 2014 #58
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Libertarians and Communis...»Reply #39