Communism : A Great Evil

Communist had a long history during the 20th century, and communism was very influential. Almost all of Asia and East Europe became Communist. From the start of the theory then many civil wars in Russia affected the whole world. Communist defined the idea of itself in many different ways, it helps many nations came together formed a party fought wars, but it also made many countries became really poor, and the economy in most of the countries got pushed back about 10 years. Communism is an economic and political system that sought to create an egalitarian society; it collapsed because of personal interest and government’s corruption.

Communism has resulted in a poor quality of life, poor economy, and oppression of its people. In order to retain power, communist countries have needed to remove civil dissent and would result in imprisonment or murder of its citizens (Williams). In fact, more than sixty five million people were murdered by the USSR, nearly thirty five million were murdered by Communist China, and a number of Southeast Asian and Eastern European countries account for ninety seven million murders (Williams). The U.S which was founded on capitalism and free markets, protection of private property, and protection of individual rights has developed policies to oppose the spread of worldwide communism (Hughes). Consequently, the U.S has engaged directly in military

During the 1950’s, Communism was a major fear that Democratic nations such as America were afraid of because of its radical ideas. The actions taken due to the Red Scare and the rise of McCarthyism were necessary and completely justified to protect America’s freedom and government from Communist power. With an increase of Communistic nations invading other countries and forcing their ideas upon them there was an uproar of fear in the United States. The Domino Theory was a legitimate fear of if one nation falling to communism, every nation around it would fall as well. Focusing their attention to VIetnam especially, America increased military control in these regions. Multiple Legislative actions taken by the United States such as the creation of the HAUC and the Espionage and Sedition acts were necessary to stop threats to America’s freedom. The heated tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War contributed to the fear of an attack from the East. Senator McCarthy’s convincing accusations lead to many accurate accusations as well as the rise of McCarthyism. Valid points were brought up about president Roosevelt’s New Deal policies of having capitalistic characteristics. While some actions did take away the civil liberties of some Americans, and were not always accurate, they were necessary to protect American Democracy, as well as the safety of the citizens.

Communism was covering Asia and Europe, striking fear in individuals as country after country fell into communism. As American politicians strengthened the idea of containment, and cabinet members such as John Foster Dulles spread the idea that "if world communism...will increase the danger to the entire free world," Americans were greatly fearing communism. Citizens began believing others when they announced that communism was "endangering the peace of America" (Document B) and when they addressed the problem they had created by making statements such as "we fear the men in the Kremlin." American citizens highly feared this horrific government of communism, and the Eisenhower Administration did nothing to little to prevent these fears. Even though they acknowledged these fears, they used this fear as support for spending on military defense. The Americans fear during this time period was also displayed

Communism is a system of social organisation which formerly consumed almost a third of countries in the entire world, having originated in Russia. The first official communist state was founded during the Russian revolutions in 1917, due to the inaugural communist political party ‘Bolsheviks’ gaining primal power. Afterwards, the influence of communism spread to other countries with the likes of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany to name a few. These countries that were governed on communist principles were known as the ‘Eastern Bloc’. Even countries in Asia were persuaded into the theoretically human equality system such as China, Laos and Vietnam. Communism was gathering strength to strength every year in the mid 20th century, but eventually its impact was wiped off in the late 20th century when the Berlin War was knocked down in 1989, ending the barrier between the Eastern and Western blocs. Communism arguably was the most influential social experiment in history, but also the most flawed and its failure to change the world permanently will always remain significant in history.

“Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy-Mao Zedong.” During the 20th century the United States evolved into a superpower. The United States promised to defend freedom at home throughout the world by spreading democracy. The United States evolved into the promoter and defender of freedom at home and throughout the world in 20th century by fighting for world’s freedom, fighting for equality and fighting against communism.

1) After the Cold War Communism was the only thing America was afraid of. From 1950s to 1980s there was a theory called domino theory used by US during Cold War. The Domino Theory which means if any country comes under the influence of communism then the closest countries would follow in a domino effect.

Americans feared Communism would propagate during the Cold War, although Ike addressed these fears during a press conference, he merely fueled their fear claiming, “Makes us act almost hysterically, and you will find hysterical reactions” (doc. A). Three months later, Ike’s Secretary of State confronts Americans fears by claiming if Communism were to capture America, a new front has been established in order to “increase danger to the entire free

American fears in the Cold War originated not only from Communism, but what it represented in American culture. After World War II, the popular culture demonizing the fascist regimes, the built-up aggression surrounding the system, began to move against Communism as tension between the USSR and America rose. Communism became viewed as a corruption; an infection that ruined the rugged individualism that Americans defined themselves by. Communism also, though its declaration of the evils of capitalism, decried Americans as living in an unequal society, that the United States lived in hypocrisy through its statements of liberty for all while it existed in a capitalist and segregated society. Americans saw the Soviet Union as the evil its heroic

The United States mission to eradicate and halt the spread of communism within Europe and Asia was a new challenge and a new responsibility. America hoped to effectively stop and fight against communism; which is had so vigorously fought against in WWII. The United States needed to control the communist ideas and influence it had on other countries; while preventing its influence ever coming to America. The United States planned on and hoped to stop the corruption of communism from the new threats; The Soviet Union and Asia.

Fears of communism was a huge issue dating back after the Second World War. Americans were afraid of every new person coming into the United States and they did not want anyone who they thought was a “communist” to stay in the United States. The United States government made many Americans inclined to fear. Eisenhower's administration did not influence communism but Eisenhower's “Domino Theory” helped decrease a little of the American fears of communism. Containment also helped lower the fears that almost every American was having after the Second World War. Every policy that Eisenhower had was driven from the fear of communism. Communism was absolutely the biggest fear that Americans had dating back after the Second World War, the Eisenhower

Of the factors which shaped American society in the Cold War era, the fear of communism and its potential to spread imposed the greatest effect upon the United States. From the worldwide devastation of World War II arose two powers: United States of America, fueled by a capitalist economy, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, whose economy embodied the communist ideals of Karl Marx. Marx himself stated, “Communism is already acknowledged by all...powers to be in itself a power”. Marx predicted the power of a communistic society well before the first World War began. In the wake of the devastation

Communism played a major role shaping the 20th century, both for the East and the United States. Its impact can be seen in the US from 1919 to the 1990s and even today. The spread of Communist ideals in the East meant the beginning of the socialist state and mass industrialization. Its effect on the US was much different. The United States people, heavily diversified of all races, religions, and financial statuses, became extremely jingoistic as a result of competition with the USSR. This nationalism became unhealthy as citizens began determining what was “un-American.” The Communist Party USA was not successful in their primary objective of spreading communism to the US. What they did achieve however was hugely important. They showed that citizens of the United States could be scared out of their own freedom. That fear would lead them to give up “liberty and justice for all”. Still a highly misunderstood idea, it is important for citizens of the United States to understand what communism is and what impact the CPUSA and other communist organizations had on the country.

The countries using “communism” as their ideology were not really practicing the socialist ideas of Marx. In the fifties what America and the other democratic nations were beginning to learn about these places is that they were the most abhorrent strippers of human values and rights. Especially the paranoid dictator Joseph Stalin who took the “kill first and ask questions later” approach to problems. Stalinist Russia had some of the worst of the world’s slave labor camps known as the Gulag Archipelago. Whitfeild showed where our fears were manifested the best by giving credit to Stalinist Russia for “the largest killing fields of the twentieth century.

The 1960s made it possible for Americans to feel that they were in control of their lives and that capitalism provided them with the opportunity to have access to everything they wanted as long as they worked hard in order to get it. The capitalist economic system consolidated the U.S.' position in the world by presenting society with the image of the perfect American life. Americans thus came to associate communism with the denial of everything they believed in and with a future in which they would no longer have access to the values that enabled them to feel happy.