a political, social and economic system in which the state, governed by an elite party, controls production, labor and distribution, and, largely, the social and cultural life and thought of the people. (Communism and socialism are systems of social organization under which the means of production and distribution of goods are transferred from private hands to the government. The classic difference between the two systems lies in the different means they take to establish themselves: communism emphasizes the impracticability of replacing the existing social order by any means other than armed force or outside intervention; the advocates of socialism seek to establish it by peaceful means, through legislation rather than force.) —Scientology 0-8 Glossary (app 11.7.90)