Regardless of the technical details of wheather or not the American current system is communist or weather or not Obamma's policies are communist, the real arguemet on this thread seems to be weather or not the idea of communism is a valid system of government. I've been having that conversation for 30 years. Neithor side seems to want to budge on the basics of the issues, because the fundimental philosophy behind the two sides seem pretty much diametrically opposed.
I, personally, am both a libertarian anarchist, and a communist. I know it seems rediculous, but I'll attemt to explain.
I live as a communist, sharing everything I own with the people I choose to associate with. I own no property, though some may technically be in my name. Things are irrelvient to my life. I could care less about property as long as I can provide myself with food, shelter, and clothing, which I do with an honest days labor that benefits those arround me. I volunteer my time, energies, and money to help improve the community I live in, and have helped found a small nonprofit to encourage those in my community to do the same. I do so because I choose to, not because I am told to, or because I crave the praise of my community, but for purely selfish reasons. It makes me feel better.
At the same time, I would fight to the death to prevent the fruits of another mans labors from being confiscated to benifit ohters. The key is, I CHOOSE to give, and I can CHOOSE who I associate with and share the frutis of my labors. To take from another by force, in order to benefit another, even several others, is no better than theft.
Without the capitalist incentive to produce and innovate, people stagnate. If there is no benefit to hard work, people won't do it. The same is true of those who inherate wealth, which is what keeps the system churning. Rich can become poor more quicly than the poor can become rich, for the most part. Those who rest on the shoulders of those who have come before them won't remain rich for long, and even less time with no incentive to improve their own situation.
The comunist system may provide man with all the necesities of life, but provides none of the necesities of the soul. With no reason to strive for growth, the soul withers and dies, which is worse than death. Why will a man do his best at his job, if those around him are treated the same doing the least necesary? Laboring day after day with no incentive, production will fall, economies collapse, and the system destabalizes under the weight of its own apathy. If a man has no choice in the people he shares his labor and its fruits, the only remedy to the problem becomes the use of force, which means opression.
I am a Libertarian anarchist. I understand that government is a necesary evil, and has its place, but it should be as small and unobtrusive as possible, so that each citizen can determine his own path, by his own choices, with those who chose to walk by his side. I also understand, however, that with great freedom comes great responsability. We, as citizens of free nations, have a duty to make our communities and our countries better of than they were before we came into them. The key, however, is that we have a choice in how we do it, and can use our time and energy in a way of our choosing, not of the governments.
Capatalism, while harsh and unyeilding, creates the incentive for the indevidual to create a better world through the creation of welth. It will not, and can not reward ineficient beurocracy, apathy, and sloth the way a communist system does. Would Ford have created the modern auto industry for purely alturistic reasons? Would Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have revolutionized the computer industry if the only benefit they would recieve was the gratitude of the nation? I think not. I have great faith in humanity, but not that much.
