How is communism primarily characterized?

Communism is primarily characterized by shared ownership of the means of production. In a communist system, the resources and production facilities are collectively owned by the community or the state, rather than being privately owned. This collective ownership is aimed at eliminating class distinctions and promoting equality among all members of society.

In practice, this means that the wealth generated by production is distributed in a way that seeks to meet the needs of all individuals, rather than concentrating wealth in the hands of a few as seen in capitalist systems. The philosophy behind communism is rooted in a critique of capitalism and is motivated by the aim of creating a classless society where everyone has equal access to economic resources and opportunities.

While government control of property can be an aspect of implementing communism, it is not the defining characteristic. Instead, the essence lies in the collective ownership that abolishes private property in favor of community ownership. Individual ownership of production aligns with capitalism, while control by corporations also reflects a capitalist framework where a few entities dominate the production landscape.