In theory, communism is a fantastic idea for society. According to Collin's English Dictionary, communism is “a classless society in which private property has been abolished and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community” (Dictionary.com). Although communism is often mistakenly associated with the Soviet Union and China, in reality they are a totalitarian deviation from the philosophical ideal. In a true communist society there would be no government. In a true communist society there would be no government. In practice, communism is doomed to fail due to the flaws of human nature. Two defects in particular contribute to this collapse more than any other: greed and pride. Greed is man needing what is not necessary for survival. Greed instills a thirst for power in men and erases all charity from their thoughts. Pride is the man who looks down on his peers, feeling himself better than everyone else, or the man who seeks to dominate and guide them through his seeming wisdom. Even the governments of the former Soviet Union and Romania as today North Korea, China and Cuba are considered Marxist-Leninist states (a form of communism). These countries are governed by a single all-powerful government body, with a single individual at the head of government. It is said that all people of the state are equal, no one is superior to another. Yet the ruler, advisors and military live in better conditions than ordinary people, already contradicting the fundamental ideals of communism. These governments take their hypocrisy a step further by using the majority of citizens' earnings to support the lavish lifestyles of royal families or rulers, as well as the nation's military... middle of paper.... . .all things, both good and bad. To find pride and greed, one must think of oneself and oneself alone. Of course, ants can't do this. It could be argued that we, as a species, need our flaws to survive. The failure of communism is based solely on our flaws as human beings, with greed and pride at the forefront. Our inadequacies can be traced in every attempt at communism or form of communism. Until we evolve to the point of perfection, communism cannot exist without corruption and inevitable collapse. Works CitedDictionay.com. np Web. September 20, 2010.Conover, Adele. "To fathom the chatter and labors of a colony, studying the insects one by one." The New York Times. 27 April 2009, n. page Network. September 21, 2010. Rich, G. J. "A Biochemical Approach to the Study of Personality." Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 23.2 (1928): 158-175. Press.