The Smurfs Were Communists! By Dave Morgan Okay, I know it sounds crazy. I didn't believe it myself at first. Then I started thinking about it, and it starts getting scary. First of all, you must put aside all the media-programmed, propaganda-driven thoughts or irrational fears you might already have about communists. Forget all that big bad Russian stuff that the 80's taught us, that doesn't exist anymore. Think of communism as just a way of life, a social order, an economic standpoint, a lifestyle choice. Take all the visions of sickles and hammers and tanks out of your head for awhile, and then you will be able to see it clearly. First of all, the Smurfs shared everything. The food in the Smurf village was stored away in those mushrooms the minute it was harvested and then equally distributed to all the Smurfs throughout the year. No one "farmer Smurf" sold his crop to a "consumer Smurf," or saw his labor exploited by another. It was understood that the crop was for the entire Smurf population, not for the sale or profit of one Smurf alone. Then there were those jobs each Smurf held. There was Handy Smurf, and Painter Smurf, and Brainy Smurf, etc... Each Smurf had his own specific job and was not allowed to try his hand at any other Smurf's assigned task. There actually was an episode where each Smurf tried to do another one's job, and failed. The moral of the story was apparently "Stick to what you do Best" or to put it another way, stick to what the society has chosen for you, or maybe just "You'll get what you get and like it!" Handy Smurf was always building. Painter Smurf was always painting. Everyone accepted what they were and didn't ask questions. Some other evidence I've gathered may strain the limits of credibility. Decide for yourself: Papa Smurf wore a red cap. All the Smurfs were the same color and sang the same song everywhere they went - stressing their Smurfy unity. Didn't you catch yourself singing that song as a kid? I know you did. Everyone did. Everyone. The most compelling evidence that the Smurfs were communists comes from their relationship to the arch-villian Gargamel. If you remember, the only thing that Gargamel wanted the Smurfs for was for his own profit. In the first four or five seasons, Gargamel's master plan was to catch the Smurfs, boil them, and turn them into gold. For some reason, in the later years when the show was dying, they started saying that he wanted to eat the poor blue creatures, but for the most part he wanted to turn them into gold. He didn't care about the Smurfs themselves, their culture, or their well-being. All he cared about was getting gold. His only interest in how to get rich, and nothing, nothing would get in his way. Gargamel was a capitalist. The evil antagonist of the Smurfs was the ultimate capitalist, terrorizing the peaceful good little communist Smurf community. It all starts to fit together doesn't it? It makes you wonder why somebody didn't speak up about this before, especially during the 80's with Reagan in the Whitehouse I guess nobody thought it worth their time. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party A spectre is haunting Europe- the spectre of Communism. All powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exercise this spectre; Pope and Czar, Metternich and Guizot, French radicals and German police-spies. The first step in the revolution by the working class is to raise the proletariat to the position of ruling class, to win the battle of democracy. The proletariat will use its political supremacy to wrest, by decrees, all capital from the bourgeoisie, to centralize all instruments of production in the hands of the State, i.e., of the proletariat organized by the ruling class; and to increase the total of productive forces as rapidly as possible. In the most advanced countries the following will be pretty generally applicable: 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes 2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax 3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance 4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrates and rebels 5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly 6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State 7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan 8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture 9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equable distribution of the population over the country 10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc., etc. When, in the course of development, class distinctions have disappeared, and the production has been concentrated in the hands of a vast association of the whole nation, the public power will loss its political character. Political power, properly so called, is merely the organized power of one class for oppressing another. If the proletariat during its contest with the bourgeoisie is compelled, by the force of circumstances, to organize itself as a class, if, by means of a revolution, it makes itself the ruling class, and, as such, sweeps away the conditions for the existence of class antagonisms, and of classes generally, and will thereby have abolished its own supremacy as a class. In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all. Question: Is communism a good idea? On the back of this sheet, write a short essay explaining whether or not you think communism is a good idea. Economic Systems of the World Mercantilism Capitalism Communism All goods and services are The country obtains more Individuals make profits shared equally gold and sells more goods through private business Goal A classless society will than other countries ventures develop Individuals are encouraged Restrictions encourage to follow their own self citizens to buy goods from interest Through democracy, the Keys to their own country Competition is encouraged proletariat will take capital Raw materials are brought Reach Goal to produce the best product away from the bourgeoisie in from colonies to enrich possible the mother country Heavily involved in colonization and the The government Government exploitation of it materials completely stays out of the The government controls Places tariffs and trade economy all means of production Involvement restrictions on imports Laissez faire (“hands off” and distribution Controls monopolies on policy of government) certain industries Private companies are Private companies are in The concept of private given charters to run large constant competition with involvement and Private scale industries each other individuality are replaced Guilds control the Private businesses provide Involvement by teamwork and ‘for the production of smaller all goods for the good of the people’ industries consumers Consumers buy from Colonists and countrymen whichever business Consumers buy all goods must buy goods produced Consumer produces the best product from the government in their country at the cheapest price Prices for all goods are set Rights Prices for many goods are Consumers have no by the government set by the government restrictions Businesses are heavily regulated by the Business are free to Business government produce anything and All businesses are totally Charters given by the make as much profit as regulated by the Rights government can be taken possible within the government away if companies do not boundaries of natural law perform up to standards Adam Smith’s and Karl Marx’s View on Capitalism Adam Smith’s View Karl Marx’s View Class struggles result when the Progress results when individuals Self-Interest “haves” take advantage of the “have follow their own self interest nots” Each producer tries to provide goods Production The labor of the workers creates and services that are better and less of Goods profit for the employers expensive than those of competitors Consumers compete with one To lower prices of goods, employers Competition another to purchase the best goods at exploit workers by paying them less the lowest prices than they deserve Through democracy, the proletariat Laissez The government should not interfere (working class) will take money Faire in the economy away from the bourgeoisie (wealthy middle class) The capitalist system will destroy Eventual Capitalism will produce the best itself- eventually a classless society Outcome products at the lowest prices will develop Imagine John Lennon Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world..