Capitalism and Democracy vs.

Communism / Socialism and Totalitarianism

This article is a discussion on the famous communism vs. capitalism debate. It will talk about the major points of difference between communism and capitalism. The communism vs. capitalism debate is a battle between two extremely different economic theories. These theories represent two opposite ways of thinking. While capitalism is very individualistic, communism believes in putting the society before the individual. The primary point of difference between communism and capitalism is regarding the ownership of businesses, resources, and the means of production. Communism rejects private!individual ownership of land, resources, and businesses. Instead, the government owns all land, resources, and businesses. Communist societies are run by a Command Economy, where the government makes all decisions on what to produce, how much to produce, and for whom to produce for. "verything in a communist economy should be shared. #ll decisions about what should be produced should be made based on the needs of the entire country. $or example, if a country does not have enough food, the government needs to put more money and emphasis on farms, instead of perhaps building automobiles. "verything thus will be shared. There will be e%ual wages for all. In communist societies, power and wealth is distributed e%ually among the many people. &n the other hand, capitalism believes in private ownership of land and the right of the individual to conduct their business as they choose. The business owner will have the right to produce what he chooses, charge any price, and all profits earned from the business will go to the business owner. 'eanwhile, the workers who are responsible for running the business will get only a small share of the profit. Wages will be earned based on business owners( preference. In capitalism, the power and wealth belong to a few. Capitalist societies are called Mixed Economies. Mixed Economies are societies where the government and people have power in running businesses. )ecisions what to produce are all decided on supply and demand. When demand is high and supply is low, prices go up. When demand is low and supplies are high, prices go down. 'ost capitalist societies also follow a laissez faire approach, where the government has very little power to control or interfere with a person(s business. Communism and capitalism also differ on individual freedom. Communism asks one to put society before the individual, while capitalism puts individual freedom above society. Capitalist societies promote competition amongst the people. It(s all about who owns the most, who earns the most, who has the best education, who owns the most things, who has the nicest clothes, who has the new up*to*date technology. Thus, people in capitalist economies are only out for themselves and personal gain, disregards their neighbors, takes advantage of the less fortunate, and has no loyalty for the bigger picture, their country. In communism, all selfishness is abolished, there is no slavery, no corrupt government, and everyone are brothers and sisters. Communist societies are classless societies, and do not have any class ranking system. 'eanwhile, capitalists countries citi+ens are ranked based on income, which results in society being ranked into a lower

class, middle class, and upper class. In a capitalist society, people use their knowledge and money to advance human life. ,ome of the greatest advances in human history have happened due to individuals using their money and resources to conduct research and experiments. In most cases, you can argue those experiments led to advancements in society. #dvancements in medicine, agriculture, transportation, and improving human life have all come from capitalist nations. -ontrary, communism kills peoples( creative streak and their dreams by making a person do what they are told to, to do what(s best for the bigger picture, and to use their resources only to help cure suffering. In a capitalist society, power belongs to those who are rich and have many resources. Thus, the rich decide politics, hold governmental positions, and decides policies of nations. &ften, the poor are neglected, ignored, and are powerless. In communism, if all mankind was selfless and e%ual in all areas, the distribution of power will be e%ual. #ll decisions will be made to favor the many, and there will be no unjust laws favoring only the few. .astly, communist and capitalist societies have different types of governments. In communist societies, governments are usually totalitarian, where the government has absolute and complete control over the entire country. This type of government controls businesses, takes away rights from citi+ens, does not hold elections, assassinates suspicious people without fair trials, censors the media, has secret police, and usually has a strong military. # dictator is usually the head of a totalitarian government. 'eanwhile, capitalist nations are democratic. Democratic nations have governments that support individual freedom. # democratic nation follow a laissez faire approach to business, hold free elections, protects natural rights, favors education, has fair trials, has a constitution, and believes government serves the people. /eoples( freedoms are guaranteed by a constitution.

Capitalism and Democracy Vs. Communism and

Totalitarianism
Capitalism (Country ______________________ _________________) Communism (Country

1) Very individualistic 2) Supply and demand does not exist 3) Rejects private ownership of land, resources, and businesses ) Supports private ownership of land, resources, and businesses !) "usiness owners set prices on #oods $) %ndividuals have the ri#ht to control land, resources, and property &) 'ixed (conomy )) *ommand (conomy +) ,overnment controls decides what to produce and how much to produce 1-) .aisse/ 0aire approach 11) ,overnment owns all land, resources, and property 12) ,overnment sets prices on #oods 13) "usiness profit #oes to the #overnment 1 ) "usiness profit #oes to the individual 1!) %ndividuals decide what to produce and how much to produce 1$) "elieves in #overnment interference in business 1&) Supply and demand impacts production decision 1)) Society first 1+) 1as classes 2-) 2emocratic 21) 3nited States 22) Soviet 3nion 23) *lassless society 2 ) 4otalitarian #overnment

Finish the chart in a similar fashion by completin the readin on your o!n. "e ready to share
#art $ % 5nswer T&' '(T 'F T)* T)+** followin# 6uestions in a response consistin# of at least *,-)T sentences7 "e sure to use examples, and support your

opinions with evidence, examples, analysis, ands ans!er the .uestions &)/7 (Smart students) 1) 3sin# the readin# and chart that you created to help you, write a para#raph where you compare the beliefs of capitalism and communism7 28 984 S%':.; <R%4( ;83R 59S<(R <8R2 08R <8R2 0R8' 41( *15R47 4ry to be creative with your writin#, explain yourself, compare and analy/e= ( Very intelli ent students) 2) <hich society would you rather live in> 5 capitalist ? democratic society> 8r a communist ? totalitarian society> "e sure to explain your choice, and discuss what led you to your decision7 <hat do you li@e about one system> <hat do you not li@e about the other system> ( Colle e bound students) 3) *ommunism will eventually fall in 1++1 in most countries7 <hy do you thin@ it failed> *ould communism ever last> <hy or why not> 0uestion 1___________ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 0uestion 1______________________ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#art 2% *hoose the best multipleBchoice answer possible for each of the followin# 6uestions7 1) .aisse/Bfaire economists of the 1+th century ar#ued that 5) the #overnment should re#ulate the economy and forei#n trade ") individuals should be allowed to pursue their selfBinterest in a free mar@et *) #overnments should develop a stateBrun ban@in# system to prevent instability 2) anarchy would result if universal male suffra#e was #ranted 2) <hat did Carl 'arx and 0riedrich (n#els believe would be the result when communism finally emer#ed as the dominant political and economic system> 5) 8nly two classes would exist in society ") 5ll the evils of industrial society would disappear *) 4he Soviet 3nion would become the worldDs only superpower 2) *iti/ens would own their individual homes and farms 01 .aisse+*faire capitalism as attributed to #dam ,mith called for

5) heavy taxation of manufacturers ") strict #overnment control of the economy *) #overnment investments in major industries 2) minimal #overnment involvement in the economy 21 3arl 'arx and $riedrich "ngels encouraged workers to improve their economic conditions by 5) supportin# small re#ional #overnments ") establishin# tariffs *) increasin# the tax rate 2) overthrowin# the capitalist system