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Comment by skookumchuck | Hacker News Reader

Sure I can. It's called communism, where nobody owns everything and everybody shares.

We all know how well that works.

Communism works reasonably well for commune sized societies where everyone knows each other well and have joined because of common interests.

The issue with communism is that it (or, more accurately, the behavior/attitude needed for it) doesn't work at scale for larger societies that include strangers, but for smaller communes, including the people that would form a local maker space, those principles can work reasonably well.

Communes, even smaller ones, don't work very well, and don't last.

Communes may not work well (they often act somewhat like cults) but unions, credit unions, and cooperatives work pretty well. These are all collective labour societies. They lack the all-encompassing nature of communism which makes them less likely to oppress people into rebellion.

Do you have any data for this argument?

Can't find any long lasting ones. For example, hippie communes were common in the 60's and 70's. They've all vanished. The largest, San Francisco's 1967 "summer of love", only lasted a few months before collapsing.

"those who gathered in Haight-Ashbury during 1967 allegedly rejected the conformist and materialist values of modern life; there was an emphasis on sharing and community. The Diggers established a Free Store, and a Free Clinic where medical treatment was provided."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_of_Love

This is place is most likely an exception to the rule but here is a single counter-example; a long-standing commune near my hometown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Oaks_Community,_Virginia

A more interesting article on it:

http://www.twinoakscommunity.org/paxus-307/pax-modesty-ineff...

It's a survivor of "thousands" of communes started in the 60s and 70s, perhaps the only one. Turnover is about 12% a year. Perhaps the secret to their success is the ability to attract a constant stream of replacements, as members who tire of communism leave.

Even so, it shows that if you want to live in a communist society, you're free to form one here in America.

Me, I'll pass.

Israeli kibbutzim is probably the largest example, where you have a set of many communes so you can see what is an accident and how the average behaves; and they were/are long lasting.

They're supported with government money, as they are unable to support themselves. That's not success.

we should give another chance to communism then, as those are wonderful ideas. we should learn from the past instead.

Communism doesn't work, for one major reason...

If everything is shared, who ensures how everything is shared?

A: The government.

What does any entity do when given absolute power? Hmm.....

How to get totalitarian regimes 101

Communism has had no lack of second chances.

Some would say Communism lacks even a real first chance.

There's no law against forming a commune in the US. Lots of groups have. Feel free to found your own. The problem with communes in the US, however, is you cannot make anyone join or stay.

Accomplishing that requires a government, and has been tried lots of times, most recently in Venezuela.

Given the historical results of government imposed communism, I'll pass on giving it another chance.

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