This is a complex question, as there are many reasons why people can dislike a political system. Some people may view communism as extreme, and others may think it is a system of control. But one of the most common reasons is that people misunderstand or fail to understand what communism is. Many people have been taught to believe that communism is a totalitarian system that restricts individual freedom and promotes a centralized government. However, communism is actually a system which focuses on the collective ownership of resources and the equitable distribution of wealth. With this understanding, people can come to realize that communism is not necessarily a bad thing and can provide a more fair and equitable economic system than traditional capitalism.

Socialism is the stage of human development that comes after/subsumes/invalidates capitalism. It's characterized as a move away from a societal focus on private profits and wage minimization towards focusing on public development and worker ownership/control of industry. Later stages of socialism will involve a near complete erasure of any owning or ruling classes as it moves towards communism.

Communism is a the stateless, classless, moneyless end goal emerging from a fully actualized and maximally organized/productive socialist society. Think Star Trek (TNG)

This is a “gotcha” question trolls ask when they don’t understand the difference of Communism and Socialism.

Communism hasn’t been implemented yet. But socialism has worked most every time it has been tried. It has achieved immense gains for people world wide.

Such as letting imperialized and or colonized peoples work against the yoke of oppression through development and self-determination, but it's also led to direct concessions in the imperial core: the only reason we have even the slight worker protections we have now is due to the efforts of communist-inspired unions and movements.

Anyone can call themselves a communist or socialist to gain support in order to take power, but once they have power they usually aren't living to communist or socialist ideals. doesn't matter if a tyrant says they're communist, it matters what policies they implement.

Most of my best friends are from Russia and some have lived in the USSR. Beyond personal acquaintances, we communicate regularly with socialist groups in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakstan, and Kyrgyzstan. You can find these sources at the bottom of this page:

Литература

You may know the joke by now, “Communism is when no food iphone.”

This joke has gained traction because of the ridiculous assumption of the question: “One cannot exist in a system and change the system.”

But what about enslaved peoples that revolted and gained freedom?

What about peasants and capitalists overthrowing the feudal system?

Humans do not exist in a historical vacuum. We must use the tools available to us to change the system. Communists must use platforms like Tiktok to reach the masses and raise class awareness. To hide under a rock would be to admit defeat.

Millions die each year due to Capitalism. If you add up the deaths due to Capitalism it eclipses even the most outrageous and lie filled exaggerated communist death counts.

But for a more direct rebuttal: The Black Book of Communism falsely inflated the number of deaths attributable to communist governments. The authors of the book have admitted their numbers are falsified.

Nazi (killed by the Soviet defenders in WW2) count as "victims of communism.” This is used to falsely inflate the number.

Usually not worth wading into the stalin morass.

But if they're starting off with ridiculously inaccurate black book of communism/gulag archipelago numbers then just laugh at them and direct them to a real source.

Losurdo and Martens each have good books on Stalin. Furr has a book defending Stalin. But I wouldn't say Furr is particularly reputable or a good recommendation.

Three things caused famine in the USSR.

In order of causal importance least to most:

1.) Friction from collectivization did cause some agricultural downturns as it was initiated. In a short time however the agricultural yields from collective farms overtook the original precollectivized rates.

2.) Kulak sabotage: large land owners frustrated with their loss in status due to the collectivization of farmland actively sabotaged agriculture during the famine. They slaughtered livestock en mass, let entire harvests rot in the fields, and burnt grain stores before they could be redistributed.

3.) The most important cause for the famine was literally just the weather. Semi-regular famines were common for centuries in the region, drought leading to famine was the norm until the USSR developed agriculture enough to not face starvation every drought.

Why pay a doctor as much as a janitor?