Peeps, it is time to talk about Communism.
As you may know, the words "communism" and "socialism" now play a central role in US political discourse. I will save "socialism" for another time, which was brought back into the US political debate by Bernie Sanders. But its cousin, "communism," plays an increasing role, particularly on the political right. I am inspired to write this after having discussions on Facebook yesterday with people who believe that Kamala Harris, the Vice-President Elect, is a "communist." Honestly, we appear to be in the middle of a new type of red scare. You may not have noticed, since it is confined to the political right. But it needs to be taken seriously, and I am in a good position to do so because I regularly teach a course on Communism at Penn and am one of the relatively few people in the US who thinks about Communism on a regular basis. Here are some thoughts:
1. The biggest problem we have discussing "communism" as Americans (or others) in public discourse is definitions. Generally, the right adopts a VERY broad definition of "communism" that borders on everything we don't like. So, ipso facto, Kamala Harris is a communist. When we engage in political discussion with fellow citizens about "communism," therefore it is important to start with definitions. Here is a relatively simple and common-sense definition of Communism according to me (opinions may differ):
a. Communists support a violent revolution to overthrow the capitalist political and economic system.
b. Communists believe in the abolishment of private property and its replacement by state or communal ownership.
c. Communists believe in a government led by a single party (often called "communist" or "socialist" or "people's") that rules dictatorially for the benefit of the working class.
d. Communists generally take inspiration from the writings of Karl Marx and seek to faithfully implement aspects of the Communist Manifesto, though aspects may differ.
Finally, it is important to point out that a number of actual "communist" or "state socialist" regimes exist and have existed in the world, notably the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, the Warsaw Pact nations, North Korea, etc.
2. People on the political right believe "communism" is about to overtake capitalist democracy in the US today. The main reason is that they adopt a much looser definition of "communism," to mean any increase in taxation, government, or the welfare state. Wearing masks, for instance, is "communist." The World Health Organization is "communist." So, it is impossible to talk to Americans about communism without referring to point 1. above.
3. If you adopt a more reasonable, stringent, definition of "communism," grounded in observation of the actual practice of communism in dozens of countries around the world for dozens of years, the US is obviously not threatened by "communism." I see no viable parties competing for power in the US that are communist in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I would go so far to say that "communism" is at present a pretty discredited form of government, due to its obvious (even to communists) failures in the 20th century and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
4. But what about China? Part of the assault on "communism" in the US today is about hatred for and demonization of "communist" China. The argument here is that China is "communist," it opposes everything American and is supporting politicians in the US to overturn our government. But is China communist? Now, it is certainly true that China is ruled by a "communist" party. Or rather a party that calls itself "communist." But I would beware labels. North Korea calls itself "democratic." Labels are suspect. Obviously, China used to be a communist country, but is it today? China has one of the most successful CAPITALIST economies in the world, allows and thrives on private ownership, and has such a small welfare state, smaller than the US, that it is hard to classify China as a "communist" society today (see definition above). At best, it is a hybrid of capitalist and communist elements, a dualistic system, and more likely "post-communist" or formerly communist. To say that China is "communist" is, at best, a half truth.
5. Given this, it is fair to say that the US faces a lot of challenges, but the rise of "communism" is not one of them. That may seem self-evident, but many Americans are actually concerned about this, so now perhaps you know more about what they mean, and how to address it. Basically, when they say "communist," read: more government, more taxation, more welfare state. They conflate all these things with "communism." And seek to associate them with a discredited, violent, dictatorial set of political regimes. So, it is important to go into these discussions armed with a set of definitions. And draw distinctions between a communist takeover and wearing masks or increasing environmental protections.