kropotkhristian:

I don’t think any nation has ever come close to true communism, because communism by definition requires the abolition of “nation-states” all together. But I think the closest would have to be Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War, if you want to give an example closest to “nation.” But I honestly don’t think this nation discourse is very useful. There are so many contemporary and historical examples of communism existing and thriving outside of nation states all together, and that is where it is built to thrive and exist. Anarchist David Graeber has a really good bit on this in his book Debt: The First 5000 Years (pages 94-102):

 …In the immediate wake of great di­sasters-a flood, a blackout, or an economic collapse-people tend to behave the same way, reverting to a  rough-and-ready communism. However briefly, hierarchies and markets and the like become luxuries that no one can afford. Anyone who has lived through such a moment can speak to their peculiar qualities, the way that strangers become sisters and brothers and human society itself seems to  be reborn. This is important, because it shows that we are not simply talking about cooperation. In fact, communism is the foundation of all human socia­bility. It is what makes society possible. There is always an  assumption that anyone who is not an enemy can be expected on the prin­ciple of “from each according to their abilities,” at least to an extent: for example, if one needs to figure out how to get somewhere, and the other knows the way