(From my Political Science 101 class...)

Like many political terms in today's world, "communism" and "socialism" are words that are more likely to be said than understood. American culture has influenced people to the point where the two words are inseparable from the Soviet Union and economic-backwardness. For most of us, we associate the words with a vision of an oppressive, totalitarian regime that ruthlessly wields power over its people to forge a worldwide evil empire. In reality, the two words represent two distinct ideas whose relationship has been transformed into one in which they are synonymous, rather than separate. It is important to understand that though "communism" and "socialism" share certain ideas, the two are not interchangeable terms, and thus, not identical concepts.

A good example that explains the exact relationship between "communism" and "socialism" would be to examine the two terms "Catholic" and "Christian". Obviously, though they share a relationship, they are not interchangeable. You could for example, say that the Pope is a "Christian". But you could not say that Billy Graham is a "Catholic".

Why? The two share certain basic beliefs, but differ upon certain specific issues. Fundamentally, Christians and Catholics believe in things like an all-powerful God, the authenticity of the Bible, and the divine resurrection of Jesus Christ. But many Christians would disagree with infant baptisms, the authority of priests to absolve sins, and the direct praying to saints - all things that are part of Catholicism. So while all Catholics are Christians, not all Christians are Catholics. Just as "Catholic" is a narrower and more specific definition of "Christian", "communism" is a narrower and more specific definition of "socialism".

So to understand communism, one must first be able to understand socialism. Socialism first emerged in the late 18th century as a reaction to liberalism and its emphasis on competition. Like liberalism, socialism emphasized the inherent equality of all individuals and like, conservatism, socialism thought that a strong, unified government was desirable. But unlike liberals and conservatives, socialists contended that the inequalities created by competition are unacceptable.

Karl Marx, perhaps the most influential socialist thinker of our time, divided modern society into two classes: the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat (Marx & Engels, 193). The Bourgeoisie is the upper class that controls the government, the economy, and all society through their wealth and influence. The Proletariats are the lower class of society that is the basic workers, those who do nothing but produce in the factories and the mills for the Bourgeoisie. The Proletariat is underpaid and mistreated because of the laws of capitalism, which compel Bourgeoisie to act or face extinction as a privileged class. For the factories that produce cheaper products in more quantities, at a lower cost to itself, will outlast those that do not.

The core belief of all socialists is that human beings thrive or die depending on their social relations. As such, socialists believe that our actions are shaped by our social structures, not by an inherent human nature or individual choices. These social structures in turn are influenced by the social classes in a society, which are usually organized along the lines of wealth. "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles," (Marx & Engels, 193). Socialists also dispute the classical liberal conception of private property. To them, everything produced in society is a "social product": that without the society, it could not have been made. Therefore, socialists reason that the product produced belongs to the society as a whole and not to the individual. The product is for the common good of the society. Thomas More, an important influence on later socialist thinkers, summarized the socialist point of view in a line from his book, Utopia. "I have no doubt…that wherever men have private property and money is the measure of everything, there it is hardly possible for the commonwealth to be justly governed or to flourish in prosperity," (More 182). Socialists reason that when property is unequally distributed, this causes tensions between social classes, disrupting social relations. Thus, socialists believe that human happiness and harmony is achieved through the equalization of all social classes to create a single class, lacking any superior or inferior to conflict with.

While the ideas and beliefs of socialism are enshrined in communism, Communists take a more definitive stance on certain key issues. While many socialist advocated gradual and slow change, communists are unhesitant in their support of open, armed rebellion. Karl Marx, the originator of communism, concluded his work, The Communist Manifesto, with, "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution," (Marx & Engels, 204). Communists also advocated an all-powerful state, in which a central government wields total control over its people - the economy, the media, industry, education, etc. This is contrary to many socialists who believe that control of these things should be long to people on a de-centralized local level, rather than a centralized national level. Later, socialist revisionists such as Kant argued that socialism should also have a defined moral context and standards. Vladimir Lenin, who interpretations of Marxist socialism have shaped communism, viewed traditional morals and ethics as the tools used to keep the Proletariats in line. In revolution, the ends justify the means, as seen in understanding his infamous quote, "You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs," (textbook 156). It is probably this cold-hearted ruthlessness that characterizes communism the most in the American mind.

So perhaps communism does deserve the reputation of harshness that it possesses here in America. Countless stories of abuses at the hands of the communist governments in the former USSR and the People's Republic of China fill our minds all the time. But it is a reputation undeserved by socialism. Though communism may be an ideological descendent of socialism, in this case the sins of the child are not the sins of the parent.