Topic 3 (session A) - Patterns, Deviations, Style and Meaning > Parallelism: non-literary examples > Task D > Our answer

Parallelism: non-literary examples

Task D - Our comments (question 2)

"SOCIALISM & COMMUNISM"

For many people these two words are more or less synonymous. But for people of a left-wing political persuasion there is a difference. For them, Communism is a theory or system in which all property is owned by the community/state and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and their needs. The leaders of communist states usually say that they are heading towards this communist ideal. Socialism is a political and economic theory of organization which is between Capitalism and Communism, and in which the means of production, distribution and exchange is regulated by the state, but the state does not own all property. It is this distinction which is being used when left-of-centre political parties declare that they are socialist but not communist.

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