people also misconstrue communism.

"ooh, it has never worked in country x, or country y"

Communism as defined by Marx is not a one-country phenomena. Communism - the utopian society - was theorized to only be possible when the whole world was rid of other ideologies. Until then, the optimal system of government was socialism.

Hence why communism was such a feared ideology. Much like religious extremism, it sought to destabilize, topple and "convert" every non-communist gov't. Hence why the domino theory retained legitimacy for as long as it did. To a non-communist, communism was an invasive cancer would inherently and invariably spread unless neutralized.

Personally, I don't think communism is workable. Nevertheless, Marx addressed some of the most important aspects of economics and markets, and is likely one of the most influential philosophers in history.