Why Communism Sucks...

Hey,

Welcome to the fourth edition of The Athenaeum! I’m thrilled to have you here as part of this community. Every Wednesday, I’ll be sharing thoughts and insights on three topics that I find endlessly fascinating: beauty, philosophy, and business.

This week, we dive into communism… and why it doesn’t work.

Sometimes, ideas sound better in theory than in practice. Communism is one of those ideas. The idea behind communism is to create a society where everyone is equal and shares everything. It sounds fair and just. But in reality, it doesn’t work that way. Let’s take a look at what happened in Russia as an example.

In the early 20th century, Russia was ruled by the Romanovs. They had been in power for over 300 years. But in 1917, the Bolsheviks, who were communists, decided to take over. They promised to make life better for everyone. But instead of creating a fair society, they destroyed it.

The Bolsheviks arrested the Romanov family and took them to Yekaterinburg. They were told they were being kept there for their safety. But on the night of July 17, the real plan unfolded. The family was awakened and told to go downstairs to the basement. The reason given was that they were safer there due to unrest in the city.

Once they were in the basement, a firing squad entered the room. The squad was composed of several men, armed and ready. The family was told to wait. Suddenly, the order was given, and the firing squad opened fire.

The room was small, and the close quarters created chaos as bullets ricocheted off the walls. It wasn’t a clean or orderly execution. The scene was frantic and brutal. The Romanovs, including the children, were caught in a storm of bullets. The chaos was so intense that even the firing squad struggled to control the situation. Some of the children survived the initial volley due to the jewels sewn into their clothes, which acted as a kind of armor. They were ultimately killed by bayonets and gunshots at close range.

The execution of the Romanov family was a cold and calculated act, meant to eliminate any chance of their return to power. It was also a clear message from the Bolsheviks about their willingness to use extreme violence to secure their position. This grim event is a stark reminder of the dark side of the pursuit of power and the brutal methods often used to maintain it.

The Bolsheviks said they were acting in the name of the people, but their actions spoke otherwise. Instead of improving lives, they instilled fear and chaos. The economy didn’t get better under communism; it got worse. People didn’t become more equal; they became more oppressed.

The problem with communism is that it assumes everyone will act selflessly and for the common good. But humans don’t work that way. People have different needs, wants, and motivations. When you try to force everyone to be the same, you end up with conflict and violence.

The Bolsheviks wanted to create a utopia, but they ended up creating a dystopia. The story of the Romanovs is just one example of how communism fails in practice.

It always leads to brutality and suffering. That’s why communism sucks.


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