Communism was a good ideology, but it never worked anywhere. In terms of accumulating wealth, China has even beaten US in the game. In the land supposed to swear by communism, there are 150,000 individuals with over $5 million personal wealth and growing.
West Bengal & Kerala were stripped bare by the form of communism practised. Any initiative was disabled by the party, only interested in distributing anarchy and resultant poverty. Keralites left by the lakhs to Middle East worked in conditions barely keeping body and soul together. While the industrialists were were spending all their time in sorting labour issues, the overseas Keralites had to support relatives back home. It was ironical that the leftists were preventing any employment, while the enterprising had to slog without any iota of regulations in inhospitable lands.
I have seen first hand how the govt infested by the unions functioned. The downtrodden used to walk miles to get things done, while the govt "servants" were out on strikes and party work, drawing full pay. Once, I met an old man, shirtless and about to faint trying to cancel a bus jopurney for his sick daughter and get a refund. The seats were empty and I tried to get some attention. The union leader told me to mind my business. I pleaded and was told no refund as time has passed. Only on my willingness to come out with the few rupees did he relent.
That was communism at work and things might have changed, hopefully.
