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Communism


Ideology
Written by: Richard Dagger
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Communism, the political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates. Exactly how communism differs from socialism has long been a matter of debate, but the distinction rests largely on the communists’ adherence to the revolutionary socialism of Karl Marx.

Soviet Union: Lenin addressing crowd, 1920 [Credit: The Granger Collection, New York]Soviet Union: Lenin addressing crowd, 1920The Granger Collection, New YorkLike most writers of the 19th century, Marx tended to use ... (100 of 6,143 words)

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