Why Communism Failed and Liberal Democracy Prospered: The Human Prosperity Project

Liberal democracy triumphs where communism fails because it limits the government’s ability to make important decisions on behalf of its citizens. Communism undermines individual choice by putting government power before individual rights. Liberal democracy successfully balances individual rights with majority rule. By respecting and protecting equality and fundamental rights, liberal democracy allows humans to thrive.

[michaelwu]

Marx actually was a strong proponent of democracy. This video portrays Marx’s views inaccurately.
It suggests that Marx’s idea of communism is the same as Lenin or Mao’s, but that’s clearly not the case if you read them. Lenin and Mao adapted Marx’s ideas to seize power and install authoritarian regimes, just like Robespierre adapted the ideas of liberal democracy to seize power during the French Revolution. It’s not so cut and dry and as simplistic as this video argues. The history of political economy is a very complicated issue.

[TheProjectVoid]

Wtf? Communism is not a rival of democracy. Its a economic system to rival capitalism!

[lolihitler]

“How many socialist democracies do we have to overthrow and replace with military dictatorships before you realize communism doesn’t work?” -PolicyEd

[comrademakno]

Way too vague half of these arguments are against athoritarianism not communism!

[calvinr.johnsonjr.]

Is it because capitalistic countries put tariffs and various sanctions on those countries forcing them to fail? The lies you're telling is astounding. Like no one read a book before

[nathanh]

What you refer to as communism is actually state socialism

[TheEasterBasket]

I love how the first 100 messages are of people showing how this is dishonest.

[joshvelazquez]

This video was made by contributions from viewers like charles koch

[evelynphipps]

Communism isn't necessarily opposed to liberal democracy, you can have votes without capitalism. Also, this video implies that being under capitalism grants individuals total freedom, and that's simply untrue. When you're born in a poor area, or unfortunately you incrue great (usually medical) debt due to bad luck, your freedom is limited. In America, a very capitalist country, many a still oppressed by a broken police system. You cant induce any political change within the system without mountains of cash. How is this free?

[conanbarbarian]

"This program was made possible by viewers who enjoy the benefits of your surplus value. Thank you"

[johnjarecki]

Nothing comes out the gates perfect, Capitalism has had many reforms through the centuries.
China tried to achieve Communism right away from feudalism and the major philosophers on socialist theory agreed it must be achieved through stages, use the Capitalist engine, under state control to achieve the higher goal of Communism.
Now China has nationalized the banks to be able to rule over capital growth and is growing 3 times the rate of the U.S.
I certainly oppose any authoritarian government, but remember the U.S. has an inverted totalitarian system, the largest population in prison in the world, spys on it's own citizens. Glass houses.

[garrettmiller]

do these people understand that when you give the government the power to make choices for you the government is a republic not a democracy because a democracy is where everyone takes a vote for everything while in a republic you vote for someone to vote for you in the government

[howtocossackdance]

The person who made this video should actually read Marx’s works..

[IceAge]

Liberal democracy failed too. Federal Republic is what succeeded.

[mongoloidkongloid]

Those who say "CoMmUnIsM DiDnT wOrK BeCaUsE ThEy DiDnT dO iT cOrReCtLy" Are fools

[_imperiumromanum]

This video implies that economic development is tied directly to personal liberty. In that case, the USSR would've prospered under Krushchev instead of collapsing.

This also blatantly lumps all communists together which is incredibly ignorant and one-sided towards a western perspective.

[komrookmetmy]

Very dishonest portrayal of Marx in this video. Marxist theory is not inherently authoritarian. I'm an anarcho-syndicalist and Marxism is a useful way of looking at class relations.

[ShiivGaming]

Great concepts laid out here, one little problem though: this ideal liberal democracy you describe doesn't exist anymore. Maybe you could have said all this about America before our politicians were all bought up by special interest groups like the pharmaceutical industry and silicon valley. Not anymore. Both parties have turned their backs on run of the mill people and as a result 80% live paycheck to paycheck. In your conquest for individual freedoms you've allowed for cronyism, which always kills states. I get the points being made here, it's why I'm a social democrat and not a socialist, but this isn't the system that exists today, but rather a plutocracy.

[Alex-vnbp]

Why capitalizm failed and monarchy prospered in France in 19th century?

[alexandertheaccursed]

I wonder what will be the next video will be:

*Why Capitalism failed and Fascist Authoritarianism Prospered*

or

*Why Capitalism failed and Socialist Democracy Prospered*


I guess we’ll find out soon enough...