Nationwide protest against Proposition 8 tomorrow.

[Imran Siddiqui]

So Ancient Athens is NOT democratic according to you. So what is it? Especially seeing as how your links refer to it as the first democracy.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Now ask yourself how you can have a communist system that is democratic? Is it just that everyone has an equal vote?

Yes.

Wrong again my conservative friend. It means that the workers will control the means of production. It also means that all people will be equal. It's a contrast to totalitarianism. It's the most democratic society imaginable.

in fact you're just admitting that you're wrong, that the meaning of words change

You have reading comprehension problems. Or did you not see the "their definitions"? Thought not.

Really? Define communism for me then.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by MrFun
The group I was with was a fine example of angry but peaceful expression.

I don't see how even peaceful protests at churches advance the anti-Prop 8 cause as I've yet to hear of any on protesting at the right ones as it seems like black churches and other minorities that were the largest source of support for the gay marriage ban without which it could not have passed. Attacking that "den of hate" seems like it would be a better use of time rather than picketting Mormons.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
So Ancient Athens is NOT democratic according to you. So what is it? Especially seeing as how your links refer to it as the first democracy.

As I said it is less democratic than commonly reckognized democracies that exist today, such as Sweden or even the US.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Comrade Snuggles
Cuz MrFun is responsible for all gay people now, including people with politics he doesn't support?

I just wanted him to say that people like you hurt the cause.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Wrong again my conservative friend. It means that the workers will control the means of production. It also means that all people will be equal. It's a contrast to totalitarianism. It's the most democratic society imaginable.

That may be the communist parts of it, but the democracy part is everyone gets an equal vote.

Really? Define communism for me then.

Communism is philosophy where the workers own the means of production and equality is stressed above all. Stalin and Mao were NOT examples of real communism, but simply communist dictatorships (and the "communist" part was sublimated to the dictatorship part). Lenin and the NEP was far closer to actual communism. Things like the Paris Commune even more so.

Those who believe communism is Stalism or Maoism simply don't understand the term, even though that seems to be a common shorthand for it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kidicious
As I said it is less democratic than commonly reckognized democracies that exist today, such as Sweden or even the US.

But it is democratic? How does that jive with the democracy = equal rights BS you've been spouting?

[chequita guevara]

According to NewsMaxies, Imran's a communist.

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's what I get for trying to be nice to you

They must have found out I had you over at my place!!

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
That may be the communist parts of it, but the democracy part is everyone gets an equal vote.

No. You're failing to see how historical events change the meaning of words. The term democratic communism now exists because of changing in meaning of the term communism. Communism now means control of the means of production by the state. Notice that democratic communism means control of the means of production by the people. It does not just mean direct democracy.

Communism is philosophy where the workers own the means of production and equality is stressed above all. Stalin and Mao were NOT examples of real communism, but simply communist dictatorships (and the "communist" part was sublimated to the dictatorship part). Lenin and the NEP was far closer to actual communism. Things like the Paris Commune even more so.

Those who believe communism is Stalism or Maoism simply don't understand the term, even though that seems to be a common shorthand for it.

This is what communism was intended to mean, but the use of the term by the masses of people who used it (incorrectly if you will) changed the meaning of the word. That's is how the meaning of words changes throughout history. That's why we now have a new word to define communism as it was originally intended.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Comrade Snuggles
According to NewsMaxies, Imran's a communist.

Yes, and it's verifiable by my signiture.

*snickers

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


But it is democratic? How does that jive with the democracy = equal rights BS you've been spouting?

Like I said, you have strong democracies and weak democracies. This language is commonly used. You should really know it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

There is no such "commonly used" strong and weak democracies. Ordinary people don't go around using those terms. Stop making **** up.

And no, communism's actual meaning hasn't changed. People who aren't aware of political nuance haven't been able to decifer the difference. If you are looking at the ordinary rubes' definition, Communism doesn't just mean the means of production controlled by the state, it means a dictatorship or autocratic government controlling the means of production in the economy.

[Kidlicious]

Results 1 - 10 of about 699,000 for strong democracy. (0.18 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 9,940,000 for weak democracy. (0.23 seconds)

[snoopy369]

You really are the BK of the left.

You get 70,000 if you use quotes around it, and most seem to refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_Democracy which is a STUB about a term invented to differentiate between direct democracies and 'thin' (representative) democracies in 1984.

"Strong Democracy" in the way you use it is similar to how the Democratic Peace Theory proponents differentiate between democracies that support their argument and those that aren't 'real democracies' and thus don't support their arguments. Either way it's a meaningless term used to weasel out of arguments that your theory is crap.