GentlemanJonowlAs the rest of the civilized world grows to the left...
You've said a lot of strange things, but this is probably the strangest.
i'd have to say the "and thrives" part is the most absurd part of that statement to be honest, like look at what that "socialist" policy has accomplished in Venezuela, Brazil, the UK, France, Belgium (esp. Wallonia), etc...
Europe, AKA the civilised world, has been turning towards the right with the radical left as its opposition.
Centrally planned economies don't work. It's been tried and tested and lead to enough famine and suffering all across the world. Tbh, the world will never be "ready" for any marxist utopia and that's a good thing. Direct democracy is great, and the internet could facilitate this so much more, but communism doesnt allow more than one party to rule, and for the internet to function at a good price and connection, you need to let the free market do its work. trust, me as a Belgian, i lived in a time where you only had two options, both companies in the hands of the government, and boy imagine in 2010 the best internet you could get was 12 gigs max bandwidth, with 2-3 mbps and this for only 50 euros a month. :)
And Owl, think about this, the soviet union, would have collapsed in the interbellum , if they didnt had the eastern european countries to loot wholesomely (just look up holodomor and Soviet Ukraine) , Why did you think Internationalism, was so popular and the policy of the USSR? Besides later on in WWII, having Lend-Lease help from the Brits and the USA and the German logistics far over over extending (running out of fuel and spare parts after 800kms) or Hitler intervening, and turning into what made operation Barbarossa succesfull (delegating to the generals and let them figure out the priorities and strategy) to dumb direct orders like to General Paulus or the fiasco that was the battle of Kursk.