Communism is a system of government where there is collective ownership. The government collectively owns properties, businesses, and social infrastructures. In this system of government, the government shares resources to individuals based on the ability of the person. It also prohibits private ownership of property.
The question is: why does America hate communism?
It is common knowledge that the majority of Americans approach life from an individualistic point of view. Americans believe that individuals should have the freedom to go about their lives and businesses as they please. Thus, it is a critical factor in answering the question, why does America hate communism? Continue reading to understand the position of Americans on communism.
What is communism?
Communism is an ideology where individuals have little or no rights as regards their livelihood. In a communist setting, there is government ownership of resources in the land. The government distributes them according to the ability of the citizens. It seeks to place more emphasis on the collective goals of the government rather than the interest of individuals.
Communism is a form of government that started in Russia. One can point to its origin as a significant reason for the hatred of communism by Americans. Studies have shown that Americans have a hard time accepting policies that originate from foreign countries. Apart from that, they opposed those who tend to go against the core American beliefs in their American constitution.
In a pro-communist system, citizens do not have the right to lead protests against the government. Instead, the government dictates to you how you should live your life. Thus, it is tough for you to become an authority in your field in a communist system as society regulates the production of goods and services.
Karl Marx, who many consider as the pioneer of modern communism, believed that nations could quickly achieve their goals in a communist system. For example, Russia quickly mobilized its resources to overthrow the Nazis. Thus, in a short while, they were able to get their economy up and running again.
A Brief History Of Communism
Communism originates from a word in Latin “communis,” meaning common or shared. The formal initiation of communism is traceable to the German ideologist, Karl Marx. In the course of the French revolution, modern communism started to gain ground. Given this, Karl Marx, the pioneer of the movement, alongside the Ideologist, Fredrick Engels, released an article on communism, which they published in 1848.
Also, the ideology started to spread in the Russian government during World War I. it happened when Vladimir Lenin took control of the government in 1922 after the Russian Civil war. In 1949, Mao Zedong’s communist party ca into power, and Russia became the second-largest nation to practice the Marxist ideology after the Soviet Union.
Other countries such as China, North Korea, and Vietnam also adopt a communist system of government majorly. However, various philosophers and ideologists point out that one of the earliest practices of communism was in Christianity. It refers to Acts 4:31-37, where the Christians of the first church regarded none of the possessions they had as their personal property.
Richard Pipes believed that the first communist type of system started in ancient Greece. The English ideologist Thomas More in 1956 also deliberated on a doctrine that spoke against private ownership of property. In the 18th century, the French ideologist Jean-Jacques Rousseau proposed communism as a political doctrine.
How Is Communism Different From Socialism?
In both communism and socialism, the government controls the elements of economic production. What distinguishes communism from socialism is that, in communism, the government controls the majority of the properties and society resources, as opposed to individual ownership. In socialism, on the other hand, all individuals in the society share equally in all economic resources as given by the government
The Rise Of Anti-Communism
Anti-communism is an ideology which centers on the belief that communism is destructive. It teaches that the practice of communism is not ideal in any part of the world. Anti-communism formally started in 1917 after the Russian revolution and gained global acceptance in the course of the Cold War, in the heat of the tension between America and the Soviet Union.
The first organized body that opposed communism was the Russian White Movement in 1918. However, in America, anti-communism formally gained ground in 1920 in the course of the Red Scare. Anti communists thrived during the 20th century in America and even expanded its tentacles into several other countries.
Since the 1920s, anti-communism has dominated the American system of government and enforced majorly by conservatives as opposed to the entire left-wing beliefs. Communism became widespread in the 1940s when various newspapers, articles, and segments of the media became ardent supporters of the move.
Anti-communism has been a significant movement in various countries, from season to season. Studies show that since the 1920s, anti-communism continues to occupy the majority of central governments in nations around the world.
Red Scare – The Movement Against Communism In America
The name ‘red” connotes the Russian flag. Thus, they referred to individuals who were loyalists to the communist ideology as the “REDS.” They used Red Scare to describe a season in the United States of America. It referred to a season when there was a great fear of the introduction of communism and anarchism creeping into the American system of government.
The first instance of the Red Scare occurred during the First World War, just after the Russian revolution. The second happened during the Cold War. During the first Red Scare, Vladimir Leni took over after he overthrew the government and killed the royal family in charge of the nation at that time.
Individuals lost their rights to ownership of property, and there was no freedom of religion. It was these circumstances that resulted in the first Red Scare because Americans were concerned about that system of government gaining ground into their nation.
The principal supporter of the second Red Scare was Senator Joseph McCarthy. He cried that Americans were beginning to endorse the ideology of communism, and that it had started to creep into the education, government, and entertainment sectors. He believed that communist sympathizers might end up becoming Soviet spies, and it would endanger the lives of Americans.
During that time, Red Scare sympathizers in America underwent investigations, fired from their jobs, and had restrictions on their rights to freedom of speech.
The Cons Of Communism: Why It Cannot Work In America?
Let’s take a look at some adverse effects of communism in our society. They are as follows:
Ban on freedom of speech
In a communist system of government, individuals cannot voice out their ideas or opinions concerning government laws and policies, especially when it conflicts with the ideologies of the government. Most times, the only way to voice out your views in a communist setting is through violence.
It encourages laziness
Workers receive an equal amount of wages regardless of the input they put into their work. The practice, in turn, fosters laziness because an individual might decide to relax because he knows in the end; he would still receive the same wages as the one putting in all the work.
It prohibits any form of opposition
In a communist setting, an individual has no right to speak against or oppose the authorities. Communism is majorly a one-party system and only permits opposition if the central government allows it. There are often severe consequences for anyone that breaks this law.
It limits Individual rights
Citizens have little or no rights over their lives. The government dictates how individuals should lead their lives, go about their businesses, and handle their resources. It, in turn, corrupts the attitudes of individuals to work, and many have to participate in labors they do not like.
The absence of free markets
In a communist system of government, the government determines the operations and production of goods and services. There is no issue of demand and supply to regulate the production of goods. As a result, it often leads to overproduction and scarcity of goods in the market.
The regulation of income
The government determines the level of income the citizens get, regardless of how much input they put into their businesses. The interest of the government is in seeing that you meet your basic needs. Thus, it limits any form of extra income. Communism limits the growth of entrepreneurs and constrains them to a particular level as the government deems fit.
Poor economic relations
In a communist setting, the government finds it hard to accommodate foreigners because they come in with their ideologies and beliefs. As a result, it leads to poor relations between nations, which, in turn, scare investors from investing their wealth in a communist system of government.
Conclusion
America relies on values that seek to protect individual rights and liberty, while communism seems to be against this ideology. Thus, we answered the question of why does America hate communism. It is because it goes against the beliefs of America. It also seeks to impose a dictatorial type of government on the citizens. Republicans and Democrats are strictly against communism as America runs primarily on a capitalistic economy.
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