Andrei Plesu on communism

Philosopher Andrei Plesu explores why communism still holds such a strong fascination, particularly for young people in the West. "For some it's trendy - they've realised that the history of the left, of Marxism and communism is cool. It has that whiff of rebellion and non-conformism. On the other hand, we're in a phase in which we've been integrated into Europe. We look to the West and whenever we look in this direction we see a remarkably vigorous form of Marxist thinking. Marx is read in the West, not in the East... The adherents of communism never tire of repeating: it's a good idea but it was poorly implemented. I'll take the liberty of briefly assuming the role of a Marxist. Marxists claim that an idea is a good one if it proves itself when put into practice... But if a good idea is not practicable you can't call it a 'good idea' - it's just a utopian dream."

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