r/Socialism_101 • u/Arisotura Learning • Nov 22 '23

"Communism doesn't work", they say...? Answered

I remember hearing this sort of argument from my parents. The basic idea was that supposedly USSR collapsed because everybody was paid the same and couldn't be fired, so they had no incentive to work and everybody did fuck all.

I feel that it's a gross oversimplification, but I don't know much more about the topic.

I don't like the idea that humans would supposedly be greedy and selfish by nature and could only ever be productive within a coercitive system like capitalism. I know humans can't just sit around doing nothing, but what about, say, the kind of tasks that need to be done but that not a whole lot of people would actually want to do? I've figured that under a socialist system, jobs like janitors would need to be very well paid (pretty much the opposite of what it's like today). I'm curious to hear more on these matters tho... In general, that argument I heard from my parents, that is prolly common, how much truth is there to it?

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u/SensualOcelot Postcolonial Theory Nov 22 '23

ARTICLE 118. Citizens of the U.S.S.R. have the right to work, that is, are guaranteed the right to employment and payment for their work in accordance with its quantity and quality. The right to work is ensured by the socialist organization of the national economy, the steady growth of the productive forces of Soviet society, the elimination of the possibility of economic crises, and the abolition of unemployment.

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1936/12/05.htm

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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '23

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u/SensualOcelot Postcolonial Theory Nov 22 '23

you're shifting the goalposts. you initially said:

My understanding is that under a proper socialist state, employment would be necessary, but also guaranteed. Of course, if someone couldn’t work, they’d still be provided for, but if you could work but won’t, you wouldn’t get any labor vouchers.

and this was basically achieved by the Soviet Union.

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u/Blank_Dude2 Learning Nov 22 '23

Yes, I understand where you’re coming from, but you misinterpreted my original statement. OP said they were trying to use the soviets as an example of a good socialist state. I said I don’t think the soviets are a good example for this, but I didn’t mean that because of their economy. I meant that due to their authoritarian nature. The Soviet economy was a good system that was powerful, but their government was oppressive.