| Communism is not a viable political or economic system, and never has been or will be. Human beings, as a whole, are highly unlikely to forego their own ambitions for that of the collective. Since this is a required characteristic of a successful communistic society, it follows that the probability of communism ever succeeding - on a large OR small scale - is approximately zero. Acknowledge this, and move on.
Castille, please refrain from making accusations you cannot provide any substantial evidence for - G. Adams is neither responsible for the actions of the Russian revolutionaries of 80 years ago, nor was he implying that he supported those actions. Buddhism holds no doctrine that promotes inaction in the face of oppression; at the same time, Buddhism holds that non-violence must be extended to those who oppose you. Case-in-point, the Free Tibet movement under the Dalai Lama. Over 1 000 000 Tibetans have died at the hands of their Chinese neighbours, yet no widespread violence has occured in retaliation.
Violence manifests itself only in intent, not in action. If intent is pure of selfish motivations, the actions that follow it will be as well. If I advocate social change in the name of personal power, my actions will be corrupted; if I advocate social change with the ultimate goal of alleviating suffering, my actions will be pure. Change, than, lies in the individual, as it always has. A body cannot move without a leg; a leg does not move without a body. |