Study Materials – by Paul Brians

List of Misconceptions, Confusions, and Conflicts Concerning Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism

Note: This study guide is presented here as a historical document only. Paul Brians is retired and his courses are no longer offered by WSU.

Conservative Ideas about Socialism and Communism:

• Communism is a secret conspiracy.
• The Communists want to take over the whole world.
• Communism is the opposite of democracy.
• Communists wanted to weaken our culture with experimental literature, abstract art, dissonant music, and sexual freedom.
• Communism could never work because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative.
• All socialists are Communists.

Socialist and Communist Ideas about Capitalism:

• Capitalists and capitalist states are always motivated by economic considerations.
• Capitalists promote war to increase profits.
• Capitalists commodify and simplify culture.
• Capitalists despoil the environment.
• Socialism is more appropriate in underdeveloped countries than Capitalism.

Capitalist ideals:

• The free market brings better goods at lower prices, so restraints on the free market all bad for all.
• The spread of Capitalism means the spread of freedom.
• Everyone has equal opportunity under capitalism.
• Privatizing services makes them more responsive.

Communist ideals:

• Socialist planning can stabilize the economy and develop it in a rational manner.
• People can be trained to value common property as much as their own private property.
• Centralized socialist states can evolve into democratic communitarian societies.
• Socialist governments with strong democratic traditions regulating mixed economies can avoid the problems of traditional Marxist governments.
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