“Off to Collective Work,” Soviet painting, 1929
Communism Values Everyone’s Work, Realizes Everyone’s Potential
“My grandmother came to the US as a teenager. She hoped to go to school and learn to play the piano. Instead, she went straight into the factory,” mentioned a comrade.
Everyone has stories like this. Capitalism’s greatest crime is how it squanders human potential. Not just people killed by racist cops or in imperialist wars, people who die from hunger or preventable diseases.
But, also, billions with little or no work because capitalism can’t exploit them profitably. Capitalism needs hungry job-seekers to drive down wages.
And more who are paid to control others. Or to keep them from taking what they need but can’t afford. Or to keep track of the bosses’ money. Or to make unnecessary things that nobody would buy if not for capitalist propaganda.
Who do you know who feels that their time and talents are being frittered away?
Communism will tap into the masses’ deep reserves of creativity, energy, skill and enthusiasm. Communism will realize the principle “From each according to ability and commitment– to each according to need.” We will cooperate instead of competing with each other.
“We should say ‘according to ability,’ not ‘according to commitment,’” comrades L and M argued in a recent meeting of our collective. They meant that each person’s “ability” to contribute is limited by external factors, like family and work obligations. We should not judge each other’s commitment by how much we do.
Comrade P disagrees: “’From each according to commitment’ means encouraging each other to contribute as much as we can based on our commitment to the working class and the fight for communism.”
Comrade R suggests focusing on the qualitative: “What and how can you contribute? How can we help you accomplish this?” We collectively develop our commitment through practice. We don’t measure it with some yardstick.
For example, comrades who work long hours in a factory can’t spend as much time in meetings or in the streets. But they have more ability than most to build communist relationships with other factory workers.
A comrade sometimes feels bad that time spent with family takes away from her “political work.” But she has the ability to bring family and their friends to march and help distribute literature on May Day.
Our collective agrees with Comrade P that “it’s not competitive – it’s about helping each other figure out how to build communist relations in our busy lives.”
Communist Collective Work Versus Capitalist Exploitation
The ruthless capitalist wage system values only our “ability” to be exploited for maximum profits. It looks for the “best-qualified” people for pre-defined “jobs.” In contrast, communist production asks what work needs to be done and how it can be done collaboratively by those willing to help. Tasks are organized so that “many hands make light work.”
Everyone’s differing skills (“abilities”) are a collective source of strength. Everyone learns new skills. Nobody is discounted as “disabled.” Nobody is “too old” or “too weak” or “too whatever.” No jobs are “for men” or “for women” or “for this group or that group.” Nobody lives better or worse than anyone else because of the work they do.
In this way, communism will make it possible to end sexism, ageism, ableism, racism, and all the other “isms” that divide and demean us.
Unchaining our human potential and ending useless, harmful jobs, communism will be able to meet more than our basic needs. We’ll have plenty of time to care for children and help them with age-appropriate work. To assist ill and infirm comrades, enabling them to make their contributions. To build strong comradely relationships and solve problems. To participate in meetings and help make decisions.
Plenty of time to create films or graphic novels or new dances. To study science or history or languages. To read and debate and discuss. And yes, to learn to play the piano.
We may not all live to see the final victory of communism, but we can see communism in action today. If you want meaningful work … if you want your talents to serve the masses … if the vision of a communist world inspires you… you belong in the International Communist Workers’ Party!
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