Are all communists evil?

[A18]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

[MasterJedi]

No but they're all very misguided.

[© tweed]

No, there's probably alot of nice communists hanging around, but their ideology is evil.

[Emsworth]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights.

How would you argue that the right to a trial by jury, or a right not to be subject to cruel or unusual punishments, be derived from private property?

[A18]

Those are not natural rights. Those are societal rights, arising out of a nation and its legal character.

[Emsworth]

Those are not natural rights.

I would disagree that there is such a thing as a "natural" right, as opposed to a societal right. After all, rights are only societal constructs; in a state of nature, there are no rights, but rather complete and absolute freedom.

However, I would accept that a right to a jury trial is not a fundamental right, of the same nature as the right to property, but rather only an auxiliary and secondary right.

[A18]

Well, I believe in natural rights. I'm a theist.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

How very Lockean of you.

[The Dowager Mod]

To clarify, are you talking about communism or socialism?  Many people these days get the two confused with each other, when they are quite different.

The differences are very very thin. These days the term "socialism" is just being used as the polite word for communist. Socialists in this nation are a very very real threat to our future freedoms.

Why thank you

[John Dibble]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

How very Lockean of you.

You shouldn't flatter him like that.

[dazzleman]

No but they're all very misguided.

^^^^^

I also think it's false to say that the communist ideology is somehow better than the fascist one.  In reality, they both lead to the same thing -- poverty, war and mass murder.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No but they're all very misguided.

^^^^^

I also think it's false to say that the communist ideology is somehow better than the fascist one.  In reality, they both lead to the same thing -- poverty, war and mass murder.

Tito kept the people of Yugoslavia fed, did not get involved in any wars, and did not set up gulags, no "Cultural Revolution" or anything of the sort, and there was no mass purges or killings in Yugoslavia until the country's dissolution after his death.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

How very Lockean of you.

You shouldn't flatter him like that.

Lately Philip has seemed almost... coherent.  Credit where credit is due.

[dazzleman]

No but they're all very misguided.

^^^^^

I also think it's false to say that the communist ideology is somehow better than the fascist one.  In reality, they both lead to the same thing -- poverty, war and mass murder.

Tito kept the people of Yugoslavia fed, did not get involved in any wars, and did not set up gulags, no "Cultural Revolution" or anything of the sort, and there was no mass purges or killings in Yugoslavia until the country's dissolution after his death.

Tito was a quasi-communist, not hard-core.  He held the country together, partially through strength of personality and partially through repression.  Apparently, that can sometimes be better than freedom, when people are bent on killing each other for no good reason.  But that doesn't make communism a good thing overall.

You could say similar things about some quasi-fascist regimes that you said about Tito.

[opebo]

To clarify, are you talking about communism or socialism?  Many people these days get the two confused with each other, when they are quite different.

The differences are very very thin. These days the term "socialism" is just being used as the polite word for communist. Socialists in this nation are a very very real threat to our future freedoms.

Hah, the worker thinks he has freedoms

[??????????]

To clarify, are you talking about communism or socialism?  Many people these days get the two confused with each other, when they are quite different.

The differences are very very thin. These days the term "socialism" is just being used as the polite word for communist. Socialists in this nation are a very very real threat to our future freedoms.

Hah, the worker thinks he has freedoms

Hah, the dumb lazy thinks he has a brain.

[opebo]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

Those without property have no rights in this society.

[7,052,770]

All Communists certainly not evil; just those who become corrupted and exploit other.

[CheeseWhiz]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

How very Lockean of you.

You shouldn't flatter him like that.

Lately Philip has seemed almost... coherent. Credit where credit is due.

Yes, I've been learning almost as much from his post as I have from many other very intelligent posters!

[John Dibble]

I would argue that private property is the source of all rights. After all, the rights to life and liberty are simply the rights to yourself.

Those without property have no rights in this society.

They don't have the rights to free speech and free religion? Seems to me property is entirely unnecessary for either.

[migrendel]

I always thought I was a nice person.

[A18]

You are. You're just also evil.

[Speed of Sound]

no.

[Jake]

Tito kept the people of Yugoslavia fed, did not get involved in any wars, and did not set up gulags, no "Cultural Revolution" or anything of the sort, and there was no mass purges or killings in Yugoslavia until the country's dissolution after his death.

And you oppose Franco for what reasons? His belligerency and death camps?