Rabid anti-communism

[Exarch]

despite very very very few countries actually practicing communism, i find that a lot of people in the USA have an extreme cultural aversion to anything 'communist', and that being called a 'communist' is actually a slur.

now why is it such a loaded term in the USA, when the same attitude doesnt exist in most other western countries?

[Tiberius Nero]

despite very very very few countries actually practicing communism, i find that a lot of people in the USA have an extreme cultural aversion to anything 'communist', and that being called a 'communist' is actually a slur.

now why is it such a loaded term in the USA, when the same attitude doesnt exist in most other western countries?

Heh, its called the Cold War. You can't expect generations of anti-communist indoctrination not to actually stick, especially seeing as how the USSR itself did a very good job overall giving Communism a rather bad reputation.

[wilpuri]

despite very very very few countries actually practicing communism, i find that a lot of people in the USA have an extreme cultural aversion to anything 'communist', and that being called a 'communist' is actually a slur.

now why is it such a loaded term in the USA, when the same attitude doesnt exist in most other western countries?

It does exist in other countries, but America has never had a large socialist/communist movement, and so it has fewer supporters.

I am a rabid anti-communist, in a way.

Heh, its called the Cold War. You can't expect generations of anti-communist indoctrination not to actually stick, especially seeing as how the USSR itself did a very good job overall giving Communism a rather bad reputation.

Most Western European countries had strong socialist and/or communist movements during the Cold War.

[Tiberius Nero]

Most Western European countries had strong socialist and/or communist movements during the Cold War.

I know, I was talking about the US, since it is what the OP was asking about.

[wilpuri]

I know, I was talking about the US, since it is what the OP was asking about.

My point was that its not the cold war, because the lack of strong communist/socialist movements is something that predates the cold war in the US.

[Tiberius Nero]

My point was that its not the cold war, because the lack of strong communist/socialist movements is something that predates the cold war in the US.

That doesn't mean there was the same demonization of communism in the US before the Cold War as after, if there was much before that is. Indeed from what I remember the US and the USSR didn't have bad relations before or during the war; I remember that famous American war poster which depicted a smiling soldier of the Red Army, with the hammer and sickle prominently displayed on his helmet and all, with the legend "This man is your friend; he fights for freedom". Of course it was war time, you will say, but then again the point stands that communism and the USSR wasn't demonized in the US before the Cold War.

[wilpuri]

That doesn't mean there was the same demonization of communism in the US before the Cold War as after, if there was much before that is. Indeed from what I remember the US and the USSR didn't have bad relations before or during the war; I remember that famous American war poster which depicted a smiling soldier of the Red Army, with the hammer and sickle prominently displayed on his helmet and all, with the legend "This man is your friend; he fights for freedom". Of course it was war time, you will say, but then again the point stands that communism and the USSR wasn't demonized in the US before the Cold War.

But obviously the phenomenon pre-dates the cold war as there were no movements of European scale in the pre-war years.

[Shaun]

Because of the cold war. And also because communism is a very bad system, as history has shown us. But mainly because of the cold war.

I see nothing wrong with anti-communism, though, as it is a failed system. However, many people confuse "not right-wing" with communist.

[Exarch]

yeh, see despite having at least 2 generations -y and z- not being under the threat of ze bombe and communism, it's a tad bit hard understanding this prevalent attitude of anti-communism.
now i'm as anti-communist as they come but it does seem ridiculous when you have politicians and even reporters emphasizing how 'communist' their opponent is etc.

[Stalins Ghost]

Simple really, Communism is quite righly seen as an oppressive regieme. Not necessarily authoritarian despite that being how most have turned out, but certainly that it curtails civil liberties.

I'm strongly left wing, but I'd never condone a communist government, though it saddens me that somehow any kind of left wing thought labels you a communist, when in reality you can be very left wing without being communist, just as their are various forms of right wing thought, many of which are totally in opposition to authoritarinism.

[Exarch]

Simple really, Communism is quite righly seen as an oppressive regieme. Not necessarily authoritarian despite that being how most have turned out, but certainly that it curtails civil liberties.

I'm strongly left wing, but I'd never condone a communist government, though it saddens me that somehow any kind of left wing thought labels you a communist, when in reality you can be very left wing without being communist, just as their are various forms of right wing thought, many of which are totally in opposition to authoritarinism.

yeh, as i've always maintained, a lot of european democracies and especially australia is actually more socialist than communist; socialist is basically communism lite with heavy dashes of democracy
australia is a workers' paradise; we get so many generous holidays and even the msot lowly paid worker gets treated relatively well by the gov; something unheard from in a truly capitalistic society.

[LSJ]

Definitely due to Cold War propaganda campaigns, the very vocal anti-communist groups in America, the crimes committed by the majority of the "communist" dictatorships during the Cold War, and that the only other country that had power comparable to America's and thus threatened its military supremacy happened to be Communist, and its allies were tied to it through that communist leadership.

The last point being the main reason for the government's anti-Communist propaganda.

[Duke_of_Bavaria]

now why is it such a loaded term in the USA, when the same attitude doesnt exist in most other western countries?

It's the same here (Sweden) and it's damn good.
Friggin commies.

[MrMofo]

because in the 80's the conservative element tried to bolster their nation behind a common cause: America = Good: Soviet Communism = Bad; terms any simpleton could understand, like watching Star Wars, and then, hell, calling your anti missile program star wars heh.

(not that this was the only ugly commie pograms in the US, but the latest push which is still around. And fyi, it's now america = rah, terrorism = boo etc. Terrorists. The new commies.)

[Senno]

Growing up learning "duck and cover" in case of nuclear warfare may inspire anti-communism.

[Exarch]

Growing up learning "duck and cover" in case of nuclear warfare may inspire anti-communism.

useless drills
ducking and covering offers nil protection in case of nuclear strike

[Senno]

Thanks for the info

It's what was taught in the '50's.

No one claimed it was well thought out.

Of course the commies would of had a mouthful comin at em as well. Don't know what their plans were, probably KYSAG.

[Exarch]

Thanks for the info

It's what was taught in the '50's.

No one claimed it was well thought out.

Of course the commies would of had a mouthful comin at em as well. Don't know what their plans were, probably KYSAG.

the drills were more psychological than anything else; the gov. had to assure the people that something would've ensured their safety.
But in the end, nothing would've been able to stand up to a nuke strike; no bomb shelters (unless maybe cheyenne), no ducking and covering, no praying

communism, pah

[Thanatos]

I foam at the mouth and turn rabid when I hear of communism.

[Dunecat]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

*cough*

...

*unfurls red flag*

j/k, j/k, I won't troll.

It exists because of the cold war, america's political tradition, and the now failed economies of past-communist states. There were few that actually maintained a steady economy throughout the years, even north korea staved off mass famine until relatively recently (last 20 years).