Socialism vs.
Communism: What’s the
Difference?
Ella Willford, Piper S-A, Gigi Rich, Grete Hamnes, Anna Moskowitz, Kathy Vo
Socialism
Socialism: a political and economic theory
of social organization that advocates that
the means of production, distribution, and
exchange should be owned or regulated by
the community as a whole.
Socialism
● From each according to his ability, to each
according to his deeds
● Every member of society needed to contribute in
order to benefit
● Functionality of society relies on the general
population
Socialism
●
●
●
●
Freedoms of religion, speech, & press
People who work harder get paid more
Contribution= Reward
If people want to be part of society, they need to
help other members of society
● If people help, they become higher members of
society
Communism
● The idea that everyone in a society receives equal shares of the
benefits derived from labor
● Designed to allow the poor to rise up and attain financial and social
status equal to that of middle-class landowners
● Requires that all means of production be controlled by the state
● Aims to replace private property with public ownership and
communal control of the major means of production and the natural
resources of a society
Communism
● From each according to his ability, to each according to his
needs
● Every person is allotted resources depending on his or her
needs
● It is necessary to first have production so high that there is
enough for everyone's needs
Communism
● In an ideal Communist society, people work not because they
have to but because they want to and out of a sense of
responsibility
● No centralized government
● Seeks to manage both the economy and the society by
ensuring that property is owned collectively and that control
over the distribution of resources is centralized to achieve
both classlessness and statelessness
How do they compare?
COMMUNISM
SOCIALISM
No Religion
Freedom of religion, but promotes secularism
No Leader
Works with other political systems
Everyone shares EVERYTHING
Private property allowed, but factories, parks, stores, etc.
are owned by community
Hypothetically, everyone is equal
Everyone is equal, with laws to prevent inequality
Divides society into classes
Everyone should be allowed to have the same rights and
resources
Socialism effect on Egypt
● Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein became President of Egypt
1956 until his death
o wanted to establish Egypt as the leader of the Arab world and to
promote a second revolution in Egypt with the purpose of merging
Islamic and socialist thinking
● October 1956 embarked on nationalization project for Egypt
o believed Socialism was the cure for all of Egypt’s problems
o initiated several reforms to modernize al-Azha
o 1962 introduces new charter and New Constitution
Reforms on al-Azha
● leading authority in Sunni Islam, wanted to ensure its
prominence over the Muslim Brotherhood
● used al-Azha’s sholars as counterweight to Brotherhood's
Islamic influence--1953
● changes allowed establishment of coeducational schools and
the introduction of evolution into school curriculum
● reforms also included the merge of religious and civil courts
● forced al-Azhar to admit Shia Muslims, Alawites, and Druze
into mainstream Islam
1962 Charter and Constitution
Called for:
●
●
●
●
universal health care
affordable housing
vocational schools
greater women’s rights, as
well as family planning
● widening of Suez Canal
● Charter attempted to maintain oversight of the country's civil
service to prevent inflation
● New laws provided workers with:
o a minimum wage
o profit shares
o free education
o free health care
o reduced working hours
o encouragement to participate in management.
● Land reforms guaranteed the security of tenant farmers
promoted agricultural growth, reduced rural poverty
● Result of the 1962 charter, government ownership of
Egyptian business reached 51 percent
● National Union was renamed the Arab Socialist Union (ASU)
o more domestic repression
o thousands of Islamists were imprisoned, including of
military officers.
Arab Socialist Union
● Instiuted as Egypt’s sole poltical party
● promoted Arab Nationalism
● basis of ASU: nationalisation, agrarian reform, and
constitutional reform T
o seven billion Egyptian pounds of private assets transferred into the
public sector
o Banks, insurance companies, many large shipping companies, major
heavy industries, major basic industries were converted to public
control
● Land reforms private land ownership successively reduced
from 200 to 100 feddans
● 90% top rate of income tax was levied on income over ten
thousand Egyptian pounds
● Boards of directors required a minimum number of workers
● Workers and peasants were guaranteed at least half of the
seats in the People's Assembly.
Communism’s Effect on Egypt
● Jewish leadership of several of the organizations caused
arguing and division
● 3 Jews emerged from circle of minorities/foreigners in Cairo
and established New Dawn Group
● Their organization became Workers’ and Peasants’
Communist Party in 1950s
● Yusuf Darwish’s (one of the three) work as legal counsel for
many trade unions gave comrades an introduction to textile
workers and others in northern Cairo
Communism’s Effect on Egypt
● Between 1940-1943 three other Jews established rival
communist organizations: People’s Liberation, Iskra, and
Egyptian Movement for National Liberation
● Rebellion against Henri Curiel (EMNL, who had unorthodox
political style and views on Zionism) in 1948 expressed
desire of young Muslim and Coptic intellectuals to
Egyptianize movement and tensions over Zionism that
affected every Arab communist party
Communism’s Effect on Egypt
● Communist Party of Egypt established 1949 in opposition to existing
communist organizations and it excluded Jews from membership
● Basis of future Communist Party of Sudan formed 1946 by Sudanese in
Cairo under Curiel
● 1950s and 60s party established strong base among intellectuals, railway
workers, and farmers--sectors of society that were already rapidly
developing
● Unlike in several others countries, foreigners and minorities were
insignificant, so it’s national character was undoubted
● Despite this, party was banned in 1965