We were shocked and saddened to read a recent article by MrWeish, “The Communists Have Gone Too Far”, which makes a lot of inaccurate and misleading claims about the Commune. This article was not how we, the Commune, hoped to be introduced to the world. So we humbly ask you, reader, to let go of all your preconceived notions about the Commune and hear us out.
But first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is ratat0ing. I am a lifelong member of the Commune. The elevator pitch for our experimental community is that all property is shared by all members. We have one Central Storage building where all items are kept, free to use for all members. But the Commune is so much more than that. We all live by five Pillars, emphasizing values such as collectivism, shared property, democratic decision-making, equality, and mutual trust.
MrWeish claims that “the Commune is a communist society built on the backs of the working class”. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of how our community works. In the Commune, there is no elite or working class, thanks to Pillar #4: “all members are equal in status and power”. We have no leaders. The thriving community you see today is the product of grassroots cooperation among equal members, not capitalistic greed or forced labor imposed by some imaginary elite.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was originally skeptical about the Commune’s system. Wouldn’t collective property just encourage laziness and freeloading? But to my pleasant surprise, my concerns were proven wrong. When individuals are freed from the incentive of profit, the collective as a whole thrives. That’s why the Commune is the fastest-growing and most cohesive community in the world today. It has been a beautiful thing to watch unfold.
But this community can only thrive when individuals do not cheat the system. It’s why we have Pillar #5: “All members must act in good faith, with mutual trust and sincerity of intention, for the good of the Commune”. The instant one individual begins to act out of their own self-interest, the system breaks down. That’s why we in the Commune do not take kindly to outsiders reaping the rewards of the Commune without sowing. All members contribute, all members benefit.
In his recent article, MrWeish admits that he bought a diamond chestplate from one of the villagers owned by the Commune, without permission. He was then confronted by my comrades, TheRecycler and TheBeardedCleric. As punishment, MrWeish and my comrades agreed that MrWeish would return eight diamonds to the Commune and allow my comrades to execute him and take his head. The chat logs show that MrWeish agreed to these terms. It’s not like the Communers killed him without his permission.
MrWeish argues that his purchase from the villager was not theft, since “the items offered by the villagers don’t belong to the Commune, they belong to the villagers. I didn’t steal the villagers from them.” In my mind, it doesn’t matter if the action was technically theft. At its core, it was an example of one individual benefitting from the work of the Commune without contributing work himself. If MrWeish had asked permission first, I’m sure that would have been a whole different story. The Commune has always been willing to share our spoils with outsiders.
MrWeish, if you’re reading this, let us leave the past in the past and continue in peace. If you ever want to use the Commune’s resources, all you have to do is ask. Maybe someday, if you set aside your capitalistic ways, you can become a part of the beautiful experiment we call the Commune. That goes for everyone. If you want to be part of a vibrant community and never worry about putting food on the table again, we in the Commune welcome you with open arms.