Democracy vs Communism
Democracy is a system of governance that is very popular all over the world. There is another political and social ideology that is being adopted in some countries of the world that is called communism. The world had seen the rise and fall of communism and the cold war era when the world was divided along these two blocks. There has always been debate over whether democracy or communism is better for people with no clear answer. Though democracy seems to be on the rise and communism on wane, especially with the fall of Soviet Union, there are people who feel that communism is better than democracy. There are differences inherent in the two ideologies that will be highlighted in this article.
Democracy
Democracy is also described as a rule of law or the rule of the people by the people. As against the old system of aristocracy where the word of the King or the Monarch was the last word and the law of the land, in a democracy, there is a system whereby people elect their own representatives. These representatives go to legislative assemblies and the party having more representatives or having a majority forms the government. The government has an executive branch for the governance of the country and the people according to the laws made by the representatives in legislative assemblies.
Democracy is a system that gives people a voice in the form of their representatives who strive to fulfill their aspirations and hopes by making laws that are in the interest of the people. The principles of liberty and freedom are inherent in the democratic setup, and all people have equal rights under the law. There is a written constitution, and the government has limited powers that are provided by the provisions of this constitution. There are checks and balances to keep the government under control and the judicial branch of the system plays an important role in a democracy.
Communism
Communism is more of a social and economic theory than a political ideology as it believes in equitable distribution of assets among the population. Communism believes in creating a classless society where all individuals are equal, and no one is superior to another. This is a condition that is sought to be achieved by keeping the means of production under the control of the government. It is not just production but also distribution that remains in the hands of the government so that no one gets more than others. There is curtailment of the personal rights of the people so as to lay emphasis on common good and more power is vested in the government, to interfere in the lives of the citizens.
Communism is a type of system that came into practice, to implement the theories of great philosophers Karl Marx and Lenin. These thinkers believed that unfettered freedom allowed some people to amass resources and wealth that deprived many of their basic needs. This is why communism discourages private ownership of assets as it believes that ownership of the means of production in the hands of the state will create a classless society as distribution will be need based.
What is the difference between Democracy and Communism?
• Democracy is a political ideology and a system of governance whereas, communism is more of a social and economic order.
• Democracy is the rule of the law whereas communism is the creation of a classless society where everyone is equal.
• Private ownership is discouraged in communism, and the means of production and distribution remain in the hands of government. On the other hand, entrepreneurship is encouraged in democracy and private ownership is considered good for society.
• Government is supreme in communism whereas the government has limited powers in democracy.
• Democracy allows people to elect their representative who make laws for the people.
• When communism was at its peak, the world saw the tension between the democratic countries and socialist blocks.
• The fall of communism with the disintegration of the Soviet Union has led to communism remaining only in some pockets whereas democracy is becoming more and more popular all over the world.