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A Quiz About Communism

Can you guess the facts related to the history and theory of Communism?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 12, 2022
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First submittedApril 12, 2022
Times taken16,360
Average score70.0%
Rating4.31
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Hint
Answer
Co-authors of "The Communist Manifesto"
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels
Quote from the above work (fill in the blank)
Workers of the world, unite
The quote, continued
You have nothing to lose
but your chains
Group of Communists who seized power in Russia in October 1917
Bolsheviks
First leader of the USSR
V. I. Lenin
Last leader of the USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev
The only Communist state in the Americas
Cuba
Stage of development that a society must supposedly pass through between
capitalism and true communism
Dictatorship of the
Proletariat
"ism" originally defined as workers owning the means of production
Socialism
Asian capital city whose name means "Red Hero"
Ulaanbaatar
City whose name was changed to "Ho Chi Minh City"
Saigon
First leader of communist China
Mao Zedong
Term for a collective farm in Israel
Kibbutz
John Lennon song which asks listeners to envision a world with no
possessions, religion, or countries
Imagine
Communist slogan: "From each according to his ability, to each according
to his _____"
Needs
Term for the long struggle between capitalist and communist countries post WWII
Cold War
European city that was briefly ruled by a commune in 1871
Paris
The property owning class who are enemies of the proletariat (starts with B)
Bourgeoisie
Communist regime in Cambodia that was led by Pol Pot
Khmer Rouge
61 Comments
+27
Level 71
Apr 12, 2022
Easy to get all of them when you're a communist, except John Lennon (and maybe the one on Israel is a bit niche, although for the quiz fanatics out there it should be known)
+13
Level 79
May 1, 2022
I got 19/20. Not bad for a fascist.
+5
Level 64
May 2, 2022
Me as monarchist got only 15/20:(
+2
Level 70
May 3, 2022
This anarchist got 5/20
+6
Level 47
May 4, 2022
Me as a Libra only got 12/20
+5
Level 73
May 8, 2022
As a solipsist, it doesn’t matter as everything is unknowable and nothing is real.
+1
Level 46
Jan 13, 2023
Me as a communist 18/20
+1
Level 75
Dec 27, 2022
20/20 As a constitutional conservative, I know my adversary better than most.
+18
Level 85
Apr 12, 2022
I realize the quote is "to each according to his needs" but in my mind I forgot the pluralization, and was surprised when "need" didn't work. Ended up not getting it after trying a few other things. Suppose that "need" can be accepted?
+3
Level 73
Apr 14, 2022
I was the same, except I was so sure it was “need” I Googled it (I had the rest of the answers) and then realised it was pluralised.
+2
Level 76
Nov 10, 2023
For you:🌷🌻🌹
+10
Level 16
Apr 16, 2022
Its funny to hear that. Im from post-communist country. Communism is worst thing i can imagine
+2
Level 41
Apr 17, 2022
The same, it was the only one I missed for the same reason.
+2
Level 74
May 1, 2022
Jeder nach seinen Fähigkeiten, jedem nach seinen Bedürfnissen!
+37
Level 78
Apr 12, 2022
Communism is a pure evil.
+49
Level 89
Apr 12, 2022
Indoctrinated much?
+33
Level 74
Apr 13, 2022
Just briefly reading the history of the 20th century and living in a post-communist country should do the trick.
+13
Level 70
Apr 13, 2022
as a matter of fact, standards of living in post-communist, european countries are mostly higher than in the USA for example
+34
Level 78
Apr 13, 2022
It's funny...every generation's youth sees communism and thinks it's a great idea on paper. I was guilty of the same in high school. Most people grow out of it when they study even a tiny bit of history and take into account actual human desires. Communism creates death, famine, and pain for the people and it has done so in literally every place it has been tried. So yes...for all intents and purposes, it's pretty safe to say that the practice (maybe less so the ideals) of communism is pure evil.
+9
Level 83
Apr 13, 2022
Sky, what evidence is there of that? Which former communist countries have higher standards of living than the USA? Bulgaria? Romania? The former Yugoslavia?
+3
Level 83
Apr 13, 2022
To take one example only: per capita GDP. In both nominal and PPP, not a single post-communist country is even close to the USA number. In fact, the only european countries that best the US in that measure are the micro countries (Monaco, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg), Switzerland, Norway, and Ireland.
+7
Level 89
Apr 15, 2022
I was mainly replying about the 'pure evil' part, which obviously isn't true. Hilarious how quickly people get all defensive and worked up about communism.

The most important thing to remember, is that the only alternative to communism is capitalism. This is a scientific fact.

+18
Level 86
Apr 15, 2022
The irony. Communism is such a failure that communists either have to blame the West for it failing or try to claim nobody's ever really tried it. It's also ironic that it bans religion yet is based on some fairy-tale idea of human nature that completely ignores evolution.
+3
Level 72
Apr 19, 2022
Capitalism and communism both take advantage of workers and are run by elites - the difference is that in a capitalist society the common man may actually have a chance of working his way out of poverty.
+6
Level 31
Apr 14, 2022
This is the ideology of China!Communism the best!
+9
Level 72
May 1, 2022
China is capitalist country and not communist at all, even not socialist
+1
Level 61
May 2, 2022
XD
+7
Level 72
May 1, 2022
USA destroying countries. USSR was developing countries
+3
Level 74
May 1, 2022
USA was "developing" countries too. There's a reason Sukarno and others avoided Soviet (and American) influence.
+14
Level 81
May 1, 2022
You are obviously a highly intelligent and well-informed individual without any particular bias.
+8
Level 78
Apr 13, 2022
The way this quiz is worded and framed explains so much about quizmaster's moderation decisions that had me confused before lol

The r*dditor jumped out 💅

+3
Level 72
May 3, 2022
And the comment section is a pretty good reflection of that!
+26
Level 76
Apr 13, 2022
A good chance to slip some African communism in missed.
+7
Level 71
Apr 13, 2022
I get why it's on this quiz, but I'd like to point out that "Imagine" isn't meant to be communist. Lennon was not a communist, and he even said, "There is no real Communist state in the world; you must realize that. The socialism I speak about... is not the way some daft Russian might do it, or the Chinese might do it. That might suit them. Us, we should have a nice... British socialism." There are some valid criticisms of the song (plenty of which you'll find on this quiz if you're interested), but at the end of the day I don't think it was meant to be ideological.
+2
Level 72
Apr 15, 2022
Imagine by Lennon was a communist thing?? I didn't even know!
+2
Level 91
May 1, 2022
And then you remember Back in the U.S.S.R. exists... (yes, I know Paul sang that, just roll with it)
+4
Level 54
Jul 14, 2022
It isn't, Lennon wasn't a communist, just vaguely anti-capitalist.
+6
Level 56
May 1, 2022
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.

John Kenneth Galbraith

+4
Level 72
May 1, 2022
Under capitalism rich exploit poor. Under communism poor exploit rich??? But rich people don't exist if all people are equal and there's no poor or rich
+3
Level 74
May 1, 2022
Galbraith's quote, while catchy, is admittedly an enormous oversimplification (as it would have to be at so short a length). Communism– by nature of the total destruction of institutions required to implement [or "try to implement" to some people] in modern societies– gets rid of the old hierarchical institutions, so while the same rich individuals are often no longer exploiting the poor, hierarchies and exploitation still crop up, just in different forms (at least initially): Instead of business tycoon exploiting the poor, it's regional official exploiting the commoners. Factory foremen exploit the workers in place of the former factory owners.
+8
Level 74
May 1, 2022
One critique of communism has stuck with me since I first heard it, and it comes from a leftist viewpoint itself. I'll paraphrase it as I understood it now:

"The big failing with communism is that it ideologically assumes tyranny to be foreign. It theorizes that once we overthrow capitalism, it will all be smooth sailing. But the reality is that oppression has been a feature of humanity since before civilization, and in every large communist society people still got there way into positions of power and exploited that power for their own personal gain and at the expense of others. A safeguard against this potential to gain power and exploit others would be necessary for communism to succeed in realizing its stated goal of ending oppression."

I heard this idea from Lily Orchard (who I only mention now because half the people who've heard of her would stop reading once I put her name.)

+2
Level 74
May 1, 2022
I myself do not know of what such a safeguard would look like, or whether one would even be possible. Still, I feel that this critique is something to consider. From the lowliest official to the head of state, communist societies have seen their fair share of corruption and oppression. It's just not tied to a corporation (at least not often).
+3
Level 78
May 1, 2022
Dammit typed shackles instead of chains
+4
Level 74
May 1, 2022
Not accepting "need" for "needs" while giving leeway for bourgeoisie is a bit meh.
+16
Level 72
May 1, 2022
So sad to see many brainwashed westerners here, who only know communism from HuffPost lmao
+13
Level 63
May 2, 2022
no, we cannot have nuanced critiques. communism no iphone vuvuzela
+3
Level 44
May 1, 2022
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Venezuela has been communist and is in the America's. Right?
+4
Level 63
May 1, 2022
I believe Venezuela is technically Socialist. Either way, it doesn't work
+3
Level 63
May 1, 2022
Communism: Looks great on paper, but doesn't work. Been tried hundreds of times and has failed hundreds of times
+7
Level 55
May 1, 2022
Maybe it's just me, but the question about the only communist state in the Americas is somewhat unclear about its time period (I answered Grenada initially, as it was communist until it was invaded by the U.S.). Perhaps change it to "only currently communist state in the Americas"?
+4
Level 70
May 2, 2022
Never again Communism! We had enough of reds in Central Europe, this is why we are much behind from Western states.
+10
Level 50
May 2, 2022
what a nice quiz... i sure hope the comments will be educated and well-thought out
+10
Level 67
May 2, 2022
Lovely how it seems the two opinions on communism are that it's pure evil or that you're a brainwashed westerner if you criticize it in any way

Regardless, this was a good quiz!

+5
Level 74
May 2, 2022
The Cold War mindset has been so ingrained it seems we never found our way out.
+6
Level 63
May 3, 2022
Both sides of the cold war were raised on pure crystal-grade propaganda, but only one side had the nature of that propaganda suddenly exposed.

Also worth considering that maybe the historical failure of communist states might have something to do with the most powerful nations in history allied against them.

+2
Level 61
May 2, 2022
Results in mass starvation and genocide 100% of the time.
+4
Level 59
May 2, 2022
Was Grenada not officially a Marxist-Leninist state from 1979-1983, as well as Nicaragua from 1979-1990?
+4
Level 65
May 2, 2022
Communism does seem great on paper. Many people, especially the young and inexperienced, buy into the falsehood that everybody is basically good, and that when given the chance they will do the right thing. Communism only works if everyone agrees to pull his or her weight even if there is no reward or incentive to do so. As expected it never works out that way. People get tired of working hard with nothing to specific to work toward. If you are the type of person that likes to challenge yourself and enjoys the fruit of your labor, then you will only tolerate the idea of communism for so long. Communism also seeks to level the playing field by ensuring that all have what they need. Human nature is opposed to this because we all want more than we need, and we are willing to work harder to get more. The people that benefit the most are those that seek to do the minimum to get by, guaranteeing the system is not sustainable.
+2
Level 70
May 3, 2022
If you look deeply into the ideology of communism, it is clearly a terrible ideology, because of human nature. However, as many people have already stated in this quiz, communism seems like an almost perfect ideology purely on paper, as many can envision it creating a utopia of sorts. However, knowing humans, utopia is impossible, and we have learned this lesson from many books. Dystopia is one of the most common genres of books today among all readers, young and cold, and in many of these stories (e.g. The Giver) the society starts out as a utopia, but the protagonist generally finds a disturbing secret that turns the setting of the story into a dystopia. I have always used this analogy while thinking of communism as there are many other similarities between a dystopia and communism, some being the restriction of human rights and totalitarianism.
+6
Level 53
Dec 13, 2022
muh human nature
+2
Level 51
Jan 6, 2024
I had no clue about Ulaanbaatar's etymology. Very interesting!