Competition, antagonistic struggle between private commodity producers for the most profitable terms of production and sales of commodities; under capitalism it is the struggle between capitalists or their associations for the highest profits. Competition is invariably connected with anarchy and the spontaneous character of private commodity production, and reflects its economic law. Competition acts as an external compulsory force, which compels private commodity producers to raise labour productivity at their enterprises, expand production, increase savings, etc. It leads to the gradual replacement of small production facilities by large ones, the stratification of small commodity producers, the overwhelming majority of whom go bankrupt and thus become proletarians and semi-proletarians, whereas an insignificant minority grow richer and become capitalists. Competition goes hand in hand with the concentration and centralisation of production and capital, and the growing might of big and superbig business. In the epoch of pre-monopoly capitalism, what existed was predominantly free competition of isolated and comparatively small enterprises which produced commodities for an unknown market. The most popular forms of competition during that period were inter-industry competition and infra-industry competition. Free competition resulted in such a huge concentration of production and capital that the largest capitalist associations began playing the key role in the economic activities of bourgeois society. Free enterprise was replaced by monopoly (see Monopolies, Capitalist). However, monopolies do not put an end to competition and the anarchy of capitalist production. The forms of competitive struggle under monopoly capitalism become increasingly varied, and its methods are most cruel and predatory, which produces utterly destructive consequences. Alongside the continuing competition between small and medium-sized businesses, a fierce competitive struggle is waged between monopolies operating in the same industry, between monopolies in related industries, inside monopolies themselves, and between monopolies and non-monopoly enterprises. Monopolies strive to stifle their competitors, and use all the means available to do so—from 58 modest payments of “compensation” to organised industrial espionage and subversion at competitive enterprises. The entire world capitalist economy becomes the stage for competition, as the international monopolies and imperialist powers fight a bitter battle for markets and sources of raw materials, for the spheres of capital investment, for the redivision of the world. The struggle for world supremacy impels the most aggressive imperialists to unleash aggressive wars. Bourgeois sociologists claim that competition is the most important condition for developing the productive forces and technological progress, and for fostering enterprise and initiative of participants in production. However, in reality, competition under monopoly capitalism means the suppression of this very spirit of enterprise, of energy and initiative of the people. The abolition of private ownership of the means of production and the consolidation of public socialist ownership leads to the replacement of competition by socialist emulation, which embodies the relations of comradely cooperation and mutual assistance between all participants in socialist production.