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"Communism is the greatest evil unleashed on humanity" (1 Viewer)

Zeitgeist308

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@ Matt1120, I'm glad you found my response of value. On a completely unrelated note, as a self-described "history nerd" I'd be interested to hear your opinions of Marx's Materialist Conception of History (aka Historical Materialism). Maybe you'd even be interested in reading some historical analyses based on a Historical Materialist outlook, in which case I can recommend some works for after your HSC.

ASNSWR127 said:
I wouldn't take Zeitgeist writing an essay at me as a trial - I would embrace it, he is obviously well read and intelligent. We can all learn much off him. Whilst Zeitgeist and my own views may differ somewhat I certainly realise that he can defend and put forward his position better than many people I have met on most topics throughout my life.
Thank you very much for these kind compliments.

Cookie said:
My argments have ceased as I was satisfied with the way Zeigetist answered my Q. In fact, despite having extremely different views, I do applaude his argument style and are shocked that he can write so well and only be in year 11.
As with ASNSWR127, thank you for the compliments. I am glad you are satisfied with my response.

Cookie said:
Law school for you i say!
Law has never really interested me, nor do I think I could get the marks necessary to get into the course.

Moll said:
Hey, would the Soviet Union really have been that much better off if Trotsky had won his power struggle with the Man of Steel?
Similar sorts of questions have been asked, but I'm happy to re-answer it. I don't think that the Soviet Union post-Lenin could have been much different if Trotsky was at the helm, this is for two reasons.

Firstly, Trotsky and Stalin differed surprisingly little in their policy stances before the death of Lenin. Trotsky for example was a supporter of the use of former Tsarist officers in the Red Army, the re-employment of Tsarist officers and members of the bourgeoisie in state administration and the management of industry, the "right of nations to self-determination", the militarisation of labour, the abolition of independence for the Trade-Unions and their subsumption to the state, the policy of rapid industrialisation etc.

Secondly, in accordance with an Historical Materialist outlook, I reject the notion that history is shaped by "great men". Of course if Trotsky had won the power struggle for the general secretary of the party it is of course inevitable that differences in policy would have resulted. However, as a result of the same material conditions pressing on the USSR of the time (above all it's isolation and backwardness), similar results would have been inevitably realised.

On a side note, Marxists hate to play alternative history games. We make analyses but we think it foolish to say that "they should have done x and y" or that "if x didn't happen, y would have resulted".

Matt1120 said:
Was Engels of the aristocracy or the Bourgeoisie?
Engels had a bourgeois background, his father was a wealthy industrialist.

ASNSWR127 said:
Marx and Engels were too of the most bourgeios of the bourgeios there ever were!
Marx, no. I have explained this previously, Marx was really "de-classed" and an intellectual. In his adult life he never held a long term full-time job and he and his family lived in utter poverty (finding adequate food was a daily struggle) and only survived day-to-day thanks to the financial support of Engels. Despite this, he lived in the working class quarters of London and as such was immersed in the life and the experiences of the class.

zstar said:
We're heading for world communism soon if the global bankers get their way.
Zionist conspiracy theories = fail. The blood-thirsty jews aren't out to get too, try to sleep easy tonight, OK.
 

moll.

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Zeitgeist308 said:
Firstly, Trotsky and Stalin differed surprisingly little in their policy stances before the death of Lenin. Trotsky for example was a supporter of the use of former Tsarist officers in the Red Army, the re-employment of Tsarist officers and members of the bourgeoisie in state administration and the management of industry, the "right of nations to self-determination", the militarisation of labour, the abolition of independence for the Trade-Unions and their subsumption to the state, the policy of rapid industrialisation etc.

Secondly, in accordance with an Historical Materialist outlook, I reject the notion that history is shaped by "great men". Of course if Trotsky had won the power struggle for the general secretary of the party it is of course inevitable that differences in policy would have resulted. However, as a result of the same material conditions pressing on the USSR of the time (above all it's isolation and backwardness), similar results would have been inevitably realised.

On a side note, Marxists hate to play alternative history games. We make analyses but we think it foolish to say that "they should have done x and y" or that "if x didn't happen, y would have resulted".
Thanks for your answer.
To be honest, i already knew this. I'm studying Trotsky and the Soviet Union between the wars for Modern History.
However, i was mostly just curious to see whether you were a fanatical Trotskyist or a real Marxist
 

Faninio

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Communism is not evil, but it has some problems. Anarchism will work perfect.
Capitalism is evil.
 
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Soo..umm..to kind of shift the topic to what I think it was intended to be about...


Have high levels of state interventionism been the greatest evil unleashed on humanity?
 

ASNSWR127

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Silver Persian said:
Soo..umm..to kind of shift the topic to what I think it was intended to be about...


Have high levels of state interventionism been the greatest evil unleashed on humanity?
Certainly not they have provided for and taken care of the common man during and since the industrial revolution.

What is the point of a government if not to govern?
 

Matt1120

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Zeitgeist308 said:
@ Matt1120, I'm glad you found my response of value. On a completely unrelated note, as a self-described "history nerd" I'd be interested to hear your opinions of Marx's Materialist Conception of History (aka Historical Materialism). Maybe you'd even be interested in reading some historical analyses based on a Historical Materialist outlook, in which case I can recommend some works for after your HSC.


.
Yeah i'll check them out lol Right now the only thing I read is AOS stuff for english lol. I dont consider myself an expert in this area either Zeitgeist. However if you ever want to know anything about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire particually the public sale of it by the Praetorian Guard then i'm your man lol Have you thought of doin ext hist btw. If u base ur major work on all this stuff i can see a really high mark coming out of this all
 

Stephen Colbert

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I thought the world was over communism. Didn't it fail consistently? Didn't American patriots put a stop to this rampaging evil?
 

Cookie182

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Zeitgeist308 said:
Law has never really interested me, nor do think I could get the marks necessary to get into the course.
I know it is irrelevant to the topic, but your level of comprehension and vocabulary do demonstrate, at least on a superficial level (cause I have no further evidence beyond this thread), a very high level of intelligence. Obviously, any debate will be strong when it is written from an extremely well-informed party and as I pointed out earlier, no one else on this forum (myself included) appears to have enough knowledge on the topic to really provide any sort of detailed and meaningful rebuttal. I mean, in all honesty, I just began trolling in this topic because I was bored, having never had intentions of actually arguing on an intellectual level. I have actually left here with some stronger ideas on improving my own arguments.

In summary, the point of this post was not to ingratiate myself, but rather to point out that regardless of whether anyone here actually agrees with your view, you held your own very well and were very impressive to my friend and I. Coming to the end of first year law myself, there is no doubt that your written advocacy skills far surpass mine and many other members upon this forum. I’ll keep an I eye out for you next year when the state awards come out for Extension History :)

Out of interest, whilst it is not very important, how do you fair in maths and science?
 
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ASNSWR127

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Cookie182 said:
Zeitgeist308 said:
Law asnver ral intrestd me, or do think I could get the marks necessary to get into the course.

QUOTE]

I know it is irrelevant to the topic, but your level of comprehension and vocabulary do demonstrate, at least on a superficial level (cause I have no further evidence beyond this thread), a very high level of intelligence. Obviously, any debate will be strong when it is written from an extremely well-informed party and as I pointed out earlier, no one else on this forum (myself included) appears to have enough knowledge on the topic to really provide any sort of detailed rebuttal. I mean, in all honesty, I just began trolling in this topic because I was bored, having never had intentions of actually arguing on an intellectual level. I have actually left here with some stronger ideas on improving my own arguments.

In summary, the point of this post was not to ingratiate myself, but rather to point out that regardless of whether anyone here actually agrees with your view, you held your own very well and were very impressive to my friend and I. Coming to the end of first year law myself, there is no doubt that your written advocacy skills far surpass mine and many other members upon this forum. I’ll keep an I eye out for you next year when the state awards come out for Advanced English :)
I don't think you should look too hard.

Adv English is all about looking into things that don't matter a damn (imaginative journey's) and then trying to make absolute BS up while trying to maintain a straight face.

Zeitgeist is in effect too smart to do well in Adv English
 

Cookie182

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ASNSWR127 said:
Cookie182 said:
I don't think you should look too hard.

Adv English is all about looking into things that don't matter a damn (imaginative journey's) and then trying to make absolute BS up while trying to maintain a straight face.

Zeitgeist is in effect too smart to do well in Adv English
I see you also recognise his intellect. TBH, it was a figure of speech aimed at being a compliment, that is all. I just took the first writen subject I could think of. Realistically, I believe he would fair much better in a subject such as Ex. History etc
 

ASNSWR127

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Cookie182 said:
ASNSWR127 said:
I see you also recognise his intellect. TBH, it was a figure of speech aimed at being a compliment, that is all. I just took the first writen subject I could think of. Realistically, I believe he would fair much better in a subject such as Ex. History etc
recognise?? recognise??

I almost worship it... ;) (that might be taking it too far lol)

yeah I know he would do better doing Ext Hist.
 

Cookie182

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ASNSWR127 said:
Cookie182 said:
recognise?? recognise??

I almost worship it... ;) (that might be taking it too far lol)

yeah I know he would do better doing Ext Hist.
Haha

I lol'd when he said he wouldn't get the mark to get into law. I mean, I got into Law hahaha and I can't write like that!

The Hon. Justice (Insert his real name)
 

ASNSWR127

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yeah we should all find that out!

Come on comrade tell us tell us lol.

Mind you political and social awareness/well read does not always assure good marks/UAI - that is the problem!


damn the Board of Studies!
 

moll.

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Hey Cookie182, is your signature a quote from The Time Machine?
 

Cookie182

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moll. said:
Hey Cookie182, is your signature a quote from The Time Machine?
Not to my knowledge. Supposedly it is an interpretation from Homer's Illiad. Anyway, its translation is read by Odysseus at the beginning of the film Troy.
 

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Cookie182 said:
Not to my knowledge. Supposedly it is an interpretation from Homer's Illiad. Anyway, its translation is read by Odysseus at the beginning of the film Troy.
Ah. My mistake. Knew i recognised it from somewhere.
 

Cookie182

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chicky_pie said:
No it's not, sounds like the end of the human race :(
Well it still rates high on the 'epicness' meter. I mean, If Sean Bean's voice was to V.O. that right before I charged into battle, i'd be a happy man. Especially if it was accompanied by those whiny ancient choir voices.

But then again, that's just how I roll.
 

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