Capitalism and communism are systems of government that have been used by various nations. These systems of government both have their positive and negative implication depending on how they are applied. It is also all about the attitude that the people have towards it and the circumstances that lead to its formation. Just like any system of government, the countries that have exercised it have received both positive and negative critics from internal and external forces. They are both considered selfish forms of socialization considering the fact that only a few people benefit from them. Capitalism is s system whereby an individual is responsible for his or her growth and therefore entitled to his or her own property. This means that even any written law cannot share personal property. Communism on the other hand emphasizes on the importance of communal relationships. Property belongs to the entire community and its proceeds have to be shared equally irrespective of class or status.
Communism and capitalism can both be viewed selfish in the sense that some individuals who do not deserve to suffer end up suffering because of such tough rules. For instance, in capitalism, only few individuals in society will benefit. The few who have the ability to acquire and grow property cannot share it with others but instead using them as slaves. They determine how much they can give them in terms of remuneration yet they do not have the capacity to inherit or share the profits in whichever proportion (Richard, 2003). This is an example of most states where the gap between the rich and the poor is widened by each day. The rich use the poor to get richer while the poor have to settle for their poverty throughout their generation. Communism on the other hand emphasize on communal distribution of resources. This implies that both the diligent and the lazy gain equally from the proceeds. This has been considered to promote laziness in the society.
Most of the nations that practice communism have reported slow economic growth yet have strong social relationships. Communism makes people to be less concerned about wealth and getting richer as they realise it may not matter whether they gather a lot of wealth or not. Individual efforts are not recognized as they are all added up to benefit the entire community. Since people are not concerned about material wealth, most of their energy is directed to building and maintaining good relationships. It is because of these that communists states are more friendly and share strong cultural values. They are more concerned about the social aspect of the individual rather than their material gain. Despite the strong cultural and social values that such communities share, they are not able to grow their economy and hence having high rates of poverty and illiteracy.
Most nations prefer adopting the capitalists’ form of government where individual effort is appreciated and recognized. This also boosts individual growth where a person is convinced that their hard work will not only be appreciated but also protected by the state. This system of government also promotes corruption and manipulation especially from those who are powerful in the society (Eyal, Szelenyi & Townsley, 1998). The needs to acquire more wealth which becomes a symbol of power and dominance takes over some individuals who will do anything remain at the top. Such monopoly makes the few individuals to favour those they wish as they misuse the others who seem to have less power. This is a situation where by those who have not been lucky to accumulate or even inherit some wealth are subjected to hard labour with minimal reward. However hard they work, the credit goes to their masters who mostly do nothing more than simply overseeing such activities.
Capitalism can be so corrupt that the rich and the powerful acquire the little that the less powerful in the society. They are coerced to sell of their immovable assets such as land for liquid money, which they use and remain poor. Such a circle is mostly reported in developing nations where there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor. This system is also reflected in the distribution of important resources where areas dominated by the rich are more developed compared to that dominated by the poor. There are also just a small percentage of individuals who can be considered to have much in terms of wealth. For instance, in terms of percentage, it could only be 10% of the population. This therefore leaves an average of 90% depending on the few individual resources (Freeland & Bagacki, 2000). If such a large percentage of people do not have wealth they cannot call their own or depend on for long-term reasons, then it is a sad state of affairs. It becomes even dangerous when the 90% are not given any chance or power to own some property, as they have to fully depend on the 10%.
Whether communism or capitalism, it has been quite difficult for the society to find a system of government that will favour each individual. The selfish nature in human beings has always compelled them to find a way through which they can manipulate the system for their own benefit. However, capitalism has always been preferred as it motivates certain individuals if not far. Whether the person is ranked among the powerful or less powerful, each individual realises the need to work hard to sustain themselves. Even with corruption, the individuals involved have to stretch just to ensure they obtain what they want (Sik & Wellman, 1995). This is system also gives hope to the poor and those of the middle class that they can be able to save and even make wise decisions for their future generations.
Communism can be the best system of governance especially if each individual aspires to work hard. It will be important if it is looked at in terms of ensuring that an individual benefits just as much as they work hard. This will compel them not to lazy around knowing that irrespective of what they do; they will still have similar returns. Communism becomes dangerous when individuals become complacent and depend on the sweat of few people to sustain them. I believe complacency causes imbalance and hence creating a situation where the community cannot sustain itself. If there was a way where each person was made responsible for their actions, as in, tough measures to be taken against those who are not willing to work. Accountability is necessary if communism has to work for the general good of the community. The system can be so tight that anybody who is not willing to work as per the set norms is excommunicated to discourage laziness.
Reference list
Eyal, G., Szelenyi, I., & Townsley, E. R. (1998). Making capitalism without capitalists: Class formation and elite struggles in post-communist Central Europe. Verso.
Freeland, C., & Bagacki, L. (2000). Sale of the century: Russia's wild ride from communism to capitalism. New York: Crown Business.
Richard, J. (2003). Accounting in Eastern Europe: from communism to capitalism’. International accounting, 332-347.
Sik, E., & Wellman, B. (1995). Network capital in capitalist, communist, and post-communist societies. University of Notre Dame Press.
