What is Communism? The idea of a classless society goes as far back as the ancient Greeks, but it wasn't until the publication of the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, that the modern idea of communism would actually be implemented. Communism, by defintion, is a "system of political and economic organization in which property is owned by the community and all citizens share in the enjoyment of the common wealth, more …showed first 75 words of 2336 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2336 total…to Marx's claim that, under true Communism, the government would wither away. In the Soviet Union and other Communist countries, the government showed no signs that it would ever do so. Also, in spite of the decline of Marx's influence on government, his ideas still affect notions of social conflict, historical development, and class throughout the world. In addition, much of today's criticism of capitalism and free-market theories still reflects the impact of Marx's writings.