Communists love to wear working class struggle as a disguise. They aren't working class and once they get power they use and abuse them just like every other rich cunt.

Most of my friends are some flavor of Anarchist or Socialist. Of the two outright Commies that I've known (who described themselves as such) one was a man of the people and the other was a lazy spoiled phony who's communism expressed itself mainly as sharing memes on facebook.

Communist parties derive their power from popular support from the working classes

Political power flows from the barrel of a gun, not popular support. But of course strict control of News, Education, public discourse, and suppression of criticism really helps with the popular support.

State violence is used against fascists, sabateurs, capitalists, and landlords

as well as the workers

why there was such dramatic improvements

A phenomena that has occurred in plenty of other countries

studied Marxism and taught it in universities, and more

Priests, much like Bolshevik party officials, exist to maintain the system of control over the working class on behalf of their rulers and religion is widely taught in universities just like Marxist-Leninism was.

Marx has some interesting things to say, he should definitely be required reading, but Marxists treat Das Kapital like Christians treat the Bible.