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Communism

Definition

Communism is a political and economic ideology where all property is publicly owned, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Analogy

Imagine if your entire class worked on a group project together. Everyone contributes what they can, and everyone shares equally in the grade, regardless of individual effort. That's communism - it aims for total equality in outcome.

Related terms

Proletariat: In Marxist theory, this term refers to the working-class people regarded collectively.

Bolsheviks: A faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which eventually became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union after seizing power in Russia during October Revolution (1917).

Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between powers in Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and its satellite states) and powers in Western Bloc (United States, NATO allies) post World War II; Communism vs Capitalism was one of major ideological conflicts during this period.