Even since its conception, the idea of communism has always been appealing, although its practical implementation might not have done the theory justice. It is often presented as a more humane alternative to capitalism and the ultimate solution to most problems caused by the system. Technological advancements have made it possible to consider communism from the perspective of using technologies to spread socioeconomic equality. Aaron Bastani presents the image of such a society in his manifesto, although its viability is questionable.
The name of the suggested type of communism implies an association with technologies, although it is not evident at first. Thus, society might reach such a high level of technological advancement that it will ensure universal prosperity, allowing people to travel and try something they could not before (Bastani 189). Moreover, Bastani indicates that everyone may be as rich as billionaires, essentially eliminating the issue the countries which adopted the ideology in the past had – equally low payment (189). However, it appears that the system plans to abolish wages, creating an entirely new formation (Bastani 189). Thus, fully automated luxury communism is supposed to replace capitalism and resolve the glaring issues associated with it.
Unfortunately, I do not share Bastani’s optimism and consider his ideas utopic. He puts too much emphasis on technologies but forgets that the most advanced ones necessary to implement the system belong to the top corporations, and they are unlikely to go against their interests. It is also doubtful that the new state of affairs will halt ecological problems; if anything, those will become more severe. Another point is the fate of the current billionaires, who will probably be unwilling to part with their wealth. While I sympathize with having a new system and discarding capitalistic vices, as it stands now, such a development seems improbable.
Work Cited
Bastani, Aaron. Fully Automated Luxury Communism: A Manifesto. London, Verso, 2019.