The core idea of communism is the goal for a classless, stateless society where all are equal. Unfortunately for us, the Soviets have successfully made the concept associated with Bolshevism / Marxist-Leninism, which calls for a vanguard party to represent the working people, i.e. an authoritarian one-party state. Communism by itself is not the antithesis to democracy, but Marxist-Leninist states are usually very authoritarian. And once you have a dictatorship, you foster a cult of personality and policy is based on the decision of one person, and that never ends well for anybody but them and their inner circle.

Communism was born when capitalism was uncontrolled, working people did not have minimum wages with poor working conditions and, often times, no rights either if they were the wrong gender, background, religion, sexual orientation, or simply social class. Don't get me wrong, capitalism now is still bad (for both people and the environment), but unions are stronger, restrictions on corporations is stronger, and society is more equal. Freedom of speech and the press is more prevalent, though certainly more can be done, and inequality of all kinds is still a global issue that must be tackled.

Is communism "dead" then? No, of course not. I respect all who work towards the goal of an equal, classless society freed from the shackles of capitalism. But those who want to stifle democracy and establish dictatorships, I do not respect.