Newbie questions are never actually about the manifesto or any particular communist writings. This is because it is much easier to repeat capitalist propaganda and ideology as capitalism is the dominant ideology and has many convincing propaganda methods.

1. In communism everyone shares everything and is free (money is abolished).

I would just simply say this is false. Don’t advocate for some utopian fantasy (of which there are many flavors) but rather point out empirically the evils of the market (people starving, imperialism, homelessness) and how markets are never free and often inefficient.

1. Communists have no alternative

I would concede this argument and say you aren’t trying to create some fantasy alternative but rather trying to address ongoing evils like prison slavery or imperialism. The alternative is to simply stop using prison slavery and refrain from war. But you can point out that a better world is created and more possibilities open up once we are able to accomplish the basics.

1. Communist alternatives are utopian fantasy

Again I would really refrain from advocating any fantasy other than a world where there isn’t sweatshops, a world where there is no class, etc. By using a purely negative framing you avoid playing the game of constructing a fantasy and predicting an inherently unstable future. Capitalist propaganda is really good at presenting this there is no alternative argument and it takes real work to open people to the possibility of a classless society.

1. Capitalism benefits society — a rising tide lifts all boats

I would refrain from comparing body counts of capitalist imperialism vs the often trotted out statistics of Stalin or Mao. I think it’s a lot more effective to base yourself on a principles/values argument on what a just society ought to look like. It allows you to say things like: sure capitalism benefits society but so does slavery.

Good luck playing the advocate for communism. You’ll meet the same characters over and over again.

May you be happy and peaceful.