Sources of strength and stress

pp. 10-18

in: Vladimir Tismaneanu, Judith Shapiro (eds), Debates on the future of communism, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1991

Abstract

Before we can discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a large group of contemporary states, it is necessary to establish what characterizes them. They are not "communist" because we call them that nor because their ruling parties call themselves that. Not one of these parties claims that it has so far succeeded in building a communist society. According to their own ideology, "communism" is the project of a highly industrialized, classless and stateless society; they admit that they have not yet approached the realization of that project. Some claim that they find themselves in the socialist phase of the evolution toward communism. But since 'socialism" is used to refer to a mixed society, the definition is sufficiently broad to allow its application, with some reservations, to at least some of the states under discussion.