By Mingeli Palata
If there is one word that is not popular in today’s politics, its communism. Dear friends that word is so unpopular that it’s not advisable to use it especially if you have intentions of being politically trendy. Communism is not the sexiest of words and if you mentioned it among western friends they would call you politically gay. Okay, enough meandering, let me let it out; ‘I am pro communism’ but I find it fashionable to call myself a ‘contemporary Marxist’.
Yes communism is such an awful word to be associated with but like it or not Karl Marx has returned and today as I speak ‘Das Kapital’ is selling like hot cakes the world over due to a recently famous combination of words called the Global Economic Crisis or the Global Credit Crunch. By the way, the word ‘bailout’ has been voted the word of the year in the US and my rat eating neighbor from Chipata recently named his son Kledit-Klunch Mbewe!
Now for the average person reading this, this combination of mysterious words has resulted in to the record depreciation of the Kwacha and mine job loses throughout the country. Yet capitalist and economic pundits have had a hard time accepting this new reality but to spill it right in their face- Capitalism is fundamentally broken.
First the Great Depression which occurred in 1929 and now this; ‘The global economic crises’- a huge problem caused by the continuous failure to acknowledge the flaws of capitalism. Its simple, capitalism is all about free markets in which banks and financial institutions do what ever they like, they trade securities, bonds, stocks, mortgages to whoever and when ever they want. It’s called the principle of demand and supply- all regulated by market forces. Sounds fair right? WRONG! This system makes society prone to one of mankind’s’ grievous curses, you guessed right; Greed.
It being a free system, market players borrow and borrow, and because the system is so interdependent, if a few people default- everybody including the poor miner in chingola is affected. Now with such an inevitable system in place, why on earth would a government leave everything to the market forces? Isn’t that irresponsible? Well I guess the capitalists were confident that the system was perfect, but one thing they forgot that man’s biggest threat is himself.
Now world over markets are in turmoil, big companies are closing, people can’t pay back their mortgages and my abused example of the Chingola miner is losing jobs. Harold James, professor of History and international Affairs at Wildrow Winston School in the USA says in quote ‘in the face of the difficulties of the big automobile producers and smaller suppliers alike, many are demanding that, as part of the rescue package, THE STATE SHOULD COMPEL BANKS TO LEND.’
Now, does this ring a bell in your mind? Well if that is not enough, allow me to quote J. Bradford Delong, a professor of economics at University of California and a former US Treasury Secretary who suggested the following as a measure central banks should take to mitigate the impact of the Global economic crisis. ‘Central banks should try to keep the economy at near full employment by pushing asset prices up when unemployment threatens to rise.’
I don’t know about you but for me, one thing is clear, the world has now realized that the market cannot not be left to float on its own without state involvement visa vies protecting and directing its growth- sounds like moderate socialism doesn’t it?
You guys wont be number one
Hello All
This poem is too long to read….
ba Sister
how are you?
ok,you are trying your best Palata
Karl Marx’s prediction of the collapse of capitalism is coming to pass. If you read Historical Materialism, this global economic meltdown and the concomitant state intervention such as has been occuring in the US, the UK and the EU in general, is what the great Karl Marx wrote about just under two centuries ago.
Mr Palata, your article is interesting, however I would venture to suggest that the comments from Prof. Delong are drawn more from Keynes than Marx. Happy new year all!
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If people are considering switching to Communism as a reactionary response to current ‘crisis’ then there are tough times ahead. Living in a communist state is no picnic. Rather than harking back to old failed systems maybe we should start considering new ideas like curbing some of captialisms excesses. In spite of this crisis, you can argue that Capitalism has still brought as many people out of poverty as Communism led into poverty.
I will call my first born son ‘meltdown’ :”>
I am a supporter of a mix of both. I have actually proven to myself that socialism, if I may use this word other than communism, is inherent in our african roots. Take for instance extended families, this is a good mark of what socialism is all about. And as such, looking at how we are doing as a nation, neglecting the less literate, giving more money to the rich (as capitalism and corruption, i think are directly proportinal, the rise one will catalise the rise of the other) we wont develop. Its sad that developing countries are coping how developed countries are SUSTAINING their already developed economies, when we are suppose to have policies to develop and not sustain our economies.
#4 MATWORLD.
I’m fine,thankx. Hope you’re well.
I really hate communism, and I wish some of you had lived under it, apart from Cuba, I don’t where where else it worked and you can’t claim China is communism . This is system is flawed and as somebody said Capitalism has moved more poverty out of poverty than communism and this Mingeli is really confused to think this is the time for communism. There is no perfect system but we can build on capitalism. Forget communism it is dead in the water
#8 Father Kwaanza…Yesterday some asked that you quit posting this trash about passports and folks even suggested you go to Zambia and get a new one. Quit boring us with this LT has already posted your link on the top right hand side of the website. And Happy Kwaanza to you too in Alabama…bumpkin country!
LMAO =d>=))#13Papa J. Seeing is believing. Capitalism seems have collapsed with Obama coming into office. With the current financial malse how do we build on capitalism. But you are right there is no perfect system. Obama suggest alot of govt intervention to help the economy to get going. But I prefer what is happening in Europe where banks are lent the money and directed as what they should not do or face punitive measures. The US under Bush is just helping the rich get richer without any punishment to the guys that started all this mess. As for Communinism china best says it all!!!! What a mess!
You have fellows who own nothing and yet claim to be in love with capitalism. These fellows have no intellectual ability to understand that capitalism has never delivered anybody from poverty. Check on the poor in the US, UK, etc. The vast majority of Zambians are poor and how will these people be delivered from poverty?
# 11 – Hey “I have actually proven to myself that socialism, if I may use this word other than communism, is inherent in our african roots. Take for instance extended families, this is a good mark of what socialism is all about. ” – But is this successful? or an ultraistic example of what african roots should be cause I read alot of reform away from african roots. Your comments and further insight?
#16 – “The vast majority of Zambians are poor and how will these people be delivered from poverty?”
Sadly a portion of your statement is correct but you can not compare the poor in the US or UK to Zambia when system are the problem of deliver of govt support to the poor. If the legal frame work doesnt work, systems and organizations will not perform their role. If they dont perform their role how will service delivery occur to allivate poverty? In the US, Obama seems to have an answer to the problem by the political culture that needs reform. Greed in Washington and the superstructure of Govt vs lobbies has brought service deliver and the notion that folks dont matter.
Whether Obama will succeed or not is another issue. The Republicans have alot to learn and about how much the world has changed. The media needs to stop giving Sara Palin air time. She is dull, ignorant and shallow. And a poor representation of the woman in this century. There many fine, articulate, smart and intellingent woman out there and every day we see how she has even failed at home.
Back your point Zambia is not so poor but needs to put its house inorder. Starting with leadership. The forum clearly points out that the Pres. RB spends more time worrying about self, diplomat and sleeping than learning the art of governing.
What we need is mixed economy. Mixed economies do well coz they bring the rich and the poor to a converging threshold. Of course at the beginning you see divergence but over time the poor and the rich converge there by closing up the gap. This is the new world economic paradigm- THE MIXED ECONOMY. So let zambia go for it.
The media reported how he moved his entire family at the tax payers expense instead of planning. I wish he would have shuttled as many experts to Mfuwe to share their insight than the handful of ex this and that were reported.
#20 True and the point seems valid but from what #16 is saying the UK still has a large number of poor folks (when it has a mixed Economy) compared to say Sweden which is socialist.
during the 1929 depression, the state (socialism) was blamed for over protecting, over regulating the economy and thus the birth of capitalism with strong emphasis on the role of the market to drive the economy while the state provides a conducive environment and other legal frameworks.
with the current crisis, definitely fingers will be pointing at the cause Ãmperfect markets’. the question is, does this call for keynesian idea of strong state intervention in running the economy or maybe this time around there were no fundamentals to be followed. WB, IMF, MNCs and other strong actors in tghe economy (international) should swallow their pride and admit tha capitalism has failed.
#22..when say Uk, can you compare the poor people in UK to Zambia? Zambia does not need pure captalism as it is now?? Again it does not need pure socialism or communism. But a balance which will help uplift the lives of the majority Zambians. I think you know what I mean by Mixed economy. Yes for your information iam in sweden. Its really difficulty to see who is reach or poor in sweden. But remember that sweden has put a lot of investment in education and i think this has helped them to manage their economy. But too much socialism will demotivative investment and this sweden has been so caucious of.
lets not use Sweden as an example of a communist state. A distinction has to be made though they have more social provisions than other mixed economies you can still run a business there and It’s still a democratic state. Communism goes hand in hand with dictatorship and death of free enterprise.
Socialism and Communism are not one and the same thing. Mixed Economies the employ both Capitalism and Socialism are do exist in certain countries to some extent or another but a mixed economy employing both Capitalism and Communism is by definition impossible the two are mutually exclusive. No matter what the Chinese would like you to believe, you can only have one when the other is dead.
COMMUNISM IS DEAD.
Maybe the author of this article should have referred to socialism instead.
Vladmir Ilyich Lenin and his cronies short-circuited the process that Karl Marx envisioned. In fact, it was in Karl Marx mind that socialism/communism would be implemented within a quarter of a century of his death. I should think even Karl Marx turned in his grave at the way socialism/communism was being implemented by mor.ons like Josef Stalin and others. It was a long term process that would evolve on its own and that evolution is now taking place–the state intervening in markets, etc.
#25 Who said Sweden is comunist? Sweden is used as an example of socialism. And the UK in my refer to the poor stated in refer#16’s statement abut the poor. Based on poverty size Zambia’s poverty is negiligeable and is sympoamtic of a culture and lack of adherence to system rather than just culture as is the case in the US and UK.
#26 please read the input and notions that the previous bloggers have put up. Of course they are different. Both by theory and practice. (Aka Socialism and Communism). And what do you mean that the writer should have referred to socialism instead? The writer stated his opinion…do you want to state yours on socialism?
#27 That is the difference between theory and practice. As one of the folks states only Cuba has made a good attempt at practicing what Karl Marx therorized about.
#24 “Yes for your information iam in sweden. Its really difficulty to see who is reach or poor in sweden. But remember that sweden has put a lot of investment in education and i think this has helped them to manage their economy. But too much socialism will demotivative investment and this sweden has been so caucious of.” This is why I make the distinction of poverty as a culture. Something Sweden has has done well to avoid. The UK is a mixed economy, The US is a capitalist and not Laizerfaire (pure capitalism), Sweden is socialist and you may live there but it is. It is one of the good examples of how socialism on the margin has worked around the world mostly in the provision of servic
To understand the difference between socialism and communism, one needs to read Karl Marx Historical Materialism which states that communism is a stage attained after socialism. Karl Marx states that socialism is a stage after capitalism which reaches the apex of development with high industrialisation and developed economic sectors such as banking. Marx mentions stages such as the feudal system which collapsed as a result of a changed economic and social environment. It goes on and on.
#32 I am sorry I seem to miss the point you are making?
Yesterday Cuba marked 50 yrs of communism. Go into BBC.co.uk/news
After years of economic hardship, Cubans have become masters of improvisation. “It’s really hard to get parts here,” he told me, “We have to machine tool a lot of parts ourselves or make them by hand.”
He would rather have a new car, but he couldn’t even if he could afford one. The only cars that Cubans are legally allowed to buy or sell are those built before the revolution. One of the goals of Fidel Castro’s revolution was to create an egalitarian society. Private enterprise was banned and everyone from doctors to factory workers was paid the same.
Zambians, do you want Communism!!
Cuban Housing market. From BBC.co.uk
Maria Julia is desperate. She lives in a Havana flat that belongs to her husband’s grandparents.
For the last seven years she and her husband have shared a bedroom with their two children.
“The only option I have is to divorce my husband, and to marry a man who has legal title to a flat. I will pay him. Then in two years, he will sign over the property to me, we will get divorced and I will marry my husband again.” The transaction will take time, because the man she will buy from in Havana is still securing his own new property.
“He has a girlfriend in Santiago de Cuba,” she says. “They have seen somewhere in Santiago they want to buy. And
#35 contd
And his girlfriend is going to have to marry a very old man in his 80s to get that property.
“They will have to pay the old man too, with the money that I am going to give them. It is a really long chain.”
Maria Julia has used an illicit middleman, known as a corredor – literally, a runner – to find her new home. She is busy working and has no time to do it herself. If the deal goes through, she will pay him $500
Communism has no other evolutionary passage except as illustrated by GEORGE OWELS’ animal farm. Read this book and you will find Mingeli Palata as the embodiment of Squealer, that little p i g.
On one hand, historically capitalism has fallen and risen resoundingly. This time around, what may push capitalism higher is the need for new cleaner technology. The need to save the world from the environmental damage already caused thus far.
On the other hand, Gongho’s have always failed to feed themselves except when they shade off communism.
#36 contd
Now Maria Julia is worried that the deal she has set in motion will further sour her relationship with her husband.
“It’s one thing to accept the fact you have to make a bogus marriage as an idea, but quite another to actually do it.
“I have a worry – maybe it’s a premonition – that I’ll solve the housing problem for me and my children, but my relationship with my husband won’t survive.”
Well, Zambians, that’s comunism for you. Fancy a bogus marriage?
#37 ..BA MULE..’This time around, what may push capitalism higher is the need for new cleaner technology. ‘
I find it so difficulty to get yr point. Capitalisms only can make the environment clean? Hmmm..only captalism brings up envi,technology according to u. I stand to diagree with youon that. Whether communism, socialim or captalism ..they all have the capacity of craeting enviromental technology. What is required is enviromentally directed policy. Best example is sweden as a socialist country has got good policy clean environment. Look at Rusia’s technology some time back it surpassed that of usa. However rusia did not have good policy on environment. hence their dirty environment
In life some control is inevitable.Nationalization or partial as it my be makes hard core capitalist wonder whats hit them.
In any case this Iraq war has long run its term, though few would want to admit so, its the resources wasted there thats come to haunt the world economies.
Presidents Mugabe and Bush should be cell mates in The Hague.They both have alot to answer for. By the way Chiluba can be “ba neigbour”.
I agree with #3,the poem is too long!
Great info. Lucky me I recently found your site by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve bookmarked it for later!