<09ed3757> Here’s another:
<09ed3757> “`&gt;But it’s impossible for every single one, or even a majority of todays laborers to be able to join a company with an esop.
Agreed at a global level. however, this effort doesn’t belong exclusively under the umbrella of communism. In fact- the existence of esop’s is a direct counterpoint to necessity for a broad-stroke communist political movement. As a minor counterpoint, Many companies offer stock options. In the same way that a worker at a company does not own the entire production process, the worker does not own all of the company stock.
I’d further argue that ownership of your Labor (self-determination) and Human Dignity go hand-in-hand. Communism only allows ownership of your own labor inasmuch as it’s beneficial to “the party” – if not, then you get exterminated. Furthermore, the issue of free-association and free-determination are global problems because some people simply don’t have a choice (sad but true).
Communism (and downstream ideologies) enforces “lack of choice” as a necessary requirement to maintain order. Other economic modalities (e.g. mercantilism) embrace free choice as a proper and healthy function of a prosperous economic system. The classic “don’t like your job, change jobs” trope. In cases where there are no other choices, that’s cause for increasing the diversity of job opportunities (positive growth, increase in types of products/services offered), not for enforcing a sub-optimal or outdated economic activities (e.g. coal mining towns).
&gt; Also I wouldn’t conflate communism with Stalinism/Maoism.
Stalinism/Maoism cite marxism/lenin/trotsky in their doctrine. I’d argue that they are fruits of the poison tree. If i take your premise that they are “no-true-scotsman,” then it’s undeniable they do exploit communist doctrine for their own benefit and to the detriment of the millions killed by communist policy (see also: explotation of the labor class).“`