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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whither" data-source="post: 5092581" data-attributes="member: 76643">First: communism is a highly-politicized word. People have used it to mean to many different, often deeply-opposed, things and that's still the case. Or, maybe it's more accurate to say, most communists have broad agreements re: the kind of world they want to live in (no exploited or coerced labor, no classes, no states) and very different ideas re: how to get there. The wikipedia entry on communism gives a brief overview on this subject. Second: I have no interest in defending the 20th century 'communist' states. They were monstrous. A very simple way of getting at the problem: do the ends justify the means? As a rule of thumb, I highly doubt it. It doesn't seem likely that ruthless, inhuman means will magically yield merciful, human results; no, this seems like a way of rationalizing atrocities.</blockquote>