You know how there is a communist party during the elections...

I know they will never win but in theory, if they did, what would even happen? We will just randomly convert to Communism once they get into office and once their term is up we would just magically go back to Capitalism? How would this function?

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Mugin16 · 46-50, M

Usually, Communists have taken power by violent means. First by coup in Russia. In Eastern Europe Communist parties came to power thanks to the help of the Soviet army after WWII. In China, the Communists won the civil war.

In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the Communist parties in France and Italy did quite well in the elections but they never came anywhere near getting in power.

The only Communist party that won an election, in Chile in the early 1970s, was toppled by Military coup.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@Mugin16 I think communism came to power through nonviolent means in Vietnam but I could be incorrect about that. And syndicalism in Catalonia was nonviolent but I'm not sure that quite counts as communism.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

@BlueMetalChick I doubt that. After all Communists believed in the revolution and taking power by violent means. That was one of the reasons which led to split between them and other left-wing parties around the turn of the 20th century.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@Mugin16 True, especially given the emphasis on class warfare and overthrowing the rich. However, Ho Chi Minh wasn't exactly a Marxist. But at the same time, it isn't like the North Vietnamese were very tolerant of their opposition so that's violence to be fair.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

@BlueMetalChick The reason that the Chinese and Vietname Communist parties are still power is that they have been also nationalists. They liberated their countries from foreign rule and made them great again. Meanwhile the Communist parties in Central and Eastern Europe came only to power thanks to the Red Army and only stayed in power due to the Soviet Union. Without their support, they would have been toppled in the 1950s.

North Vietnamese Communists killed a lot of people.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@Mugin16 You bring up a strong point that a lot of people ignore, I’m impressed.