Real Communism

A Tract Book Essay

By

Anthony J. Fejfar, B.A., J.D., Esq., Coif

© Copyright 2007 by Anthony J. Fejfar

I am not a Communist, but I suppose I could be a Constitutional Communist, but

instead I am a Liberal on the Right, sometime Democrat sometimes Republican. But I

enjoy taking a scholarly look at Communism. One of the reasons that I am interested in

writing about Communism, is that spiritual author, Neale Donald Walsch has written in

his book, “Conversations with God,” that highly evolved utopian societies on other

planets are in fact Communist. He wrote this after the Soviet Union has collapsed. So,

here goes an exploration of the notion of Communism.

First of all, let us discuss what Communism is not. Real Communism is not

Fascism, it is not a dictatorship, it is not a world where there is no government at all. As

far as I can tell, this planet has never had a real Communist government. Here’s why. If

you read the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, there is only one real ethical principle

contained in the whole thing, quoting the German Socialists, Marx said, “To each

according to his need, from each according to his ability.” I argue for the even more

radical formulation, “To each according to his or her need.” Equity is that branch of

law and philosophy which begins with need. As Aristotle put it, Equity makes an

equitable exception from a general rule at law, based upon need. Aristotles equity is

found most convincingly in the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, where Equity

is enshrined.
 Now, Aristotle’s formulation of Equity is the basis for Liberalism, not

Communism. To have a real communist society, Equity or Need, comes before law. In

other words Equity trumps or is the basis for law itself. When Equity favors those who

have been recognized as being most in need are children, the poor, the elderly, those who

are physically handicapped, and those who are mentally handicapped or incompetent.

Power players are not entitled to Equity. Thus, with the limited exception of obtaining

specific performance of a Contract, State, Local, and Federal government is not entitled

to Equity. In real Communism, we do not consider the needs of the State, they are

given very low or no priority at all. One reason that the old Soviet Union was not really

communist, was that its citizens were required to put the needs of the State above all else.

This is a total bastardization of communism. Like the Liberal State, the Communist

State must be ordered toward the Individual Good.

Now, while the Liberal State starts with individual rights, the Communist State

starts with individual needs. Needs precede and define rights. Moderate Relativism is

assumed valid, so that each person can have his or her own say as to what his or her

greatest needs are. While one might think that food, clothing, and shelter are the highest

needs that an individual might choose, this is not the case. As Plato and Aristotle tell us,

there are at least three levels to reality or consciousness. Each level has a corresponding

need: 3. Wisdom intellectual needs

2. Analytic Mind rational needs

1. Body Mind physical needs

 Psychologist Abraham Maslow says much the same thing as Plato and Aristotle in

terms of individual needs:

6. Self Transcendence Needs

5. Self Actualization Needs

4. Esteem Needs

3. Relational Needs

2. Safety Needs

1. Physical Needs

Now, my point is that some people will choose Self-Actualization needs first and

take the risk of having their safety needs and physical needs imperiled. In a Real

Communist Society, those who choose Intellectual Needs first, are to have the top places

in society, including the Politburo. People who choose intellectual needs first also

choose to live a simple life with no conspicuous consumption of consumer goods. In a

Real Communist Society the Politburo drives a Toyota Scion XB, not a Ferrari sports

car or a Mercedes convertible.

Keep in mind that those who choose food, clothing, and shelter as their greatest

need, might end up spending their lives living in a Group Home, having employment

which is manual labor. Obviously these people will not be driving Ferrari Sports cars

either, even though they might like one.

The real battle in a Real Communist Society is between the intellectual elite and

the technocrats. The technocrats are level 2 thinkers who want to run things, but are not

qualified to do so. The technocrats are not the entrepreneurial wisdom group, but are

the middle managers.. The technocrats typically have high esteem needs which they try
to satisfy not by self actualizing or self transcending, but by accumulating trendy,

popular, consumer goods. A new big house, a new flashy car, handmade designer

shoes and clothes. Perhaps the technocrats can have their needs met, but not at the

expense of the physical and safety needs of the working class and poor, and not at the

expense of the leisure life style of the intellectual elite.. The intellectual elite have a need

for a life of part time fulfilling work, so that they can live the life of a Contemplative in

Action.