Karl Marx Communist Manifesto

1848 and Friedrich

Engels

Communism is a political idea that promotes the sharing of all land and possessions (community ownership = communism). Marx believed in equality and wanted people to work for themselves and the community as equals, not work for a big boss who kept all the money. Marx believed in fairness and wanted each person to work as much as he/she was able and get as much as he/she needed. Marx thought religion was a drug for weak-minded people and could be used to manipulate them (the opiate of the masses). Marx thought that capitalism should be replaced by communism through violent revolution, not slow evolution.

Many people felt that communism was anti-American. In American capitalism everyone tries to get as much property as possible. The economic system is based on competition, not sharing. The American dream is often associated with working hard to move from rags to riches. Even poor Americans usually resist the idea of sharing because they dream of one day being rich.

Many Americans did not like the anti-God message of communism. They referred to communists as Godless Red Devils.

The American Response

Two Russian revolutions took place in 1917 during World War I. In March the first of these began with food riots and caused the tsar (czar) to abdicate. In October the second revolt placed the communists in power. The leader Vladimir Lenin immediately took Russia out of WWI. During 1918 there was a Russian civil war: communists vs. royalists (Reds vs. Whites). The United States of America supported the White Army.

America experienced the first serious “Red Scare” in 1919 -1920. This fear of the Soviets and the possibility of communism spreading across the globe continued for the next 70 years with times of greater and lesser fear. During World War II Americans and Russians were allies just as they had been in WWI. The Cold War began with a vengeance in 1945 as WWII ended. The space race and arms race that followed seriously impacted both nations’ economies and influenced nearly every nation on the globe.

In 1950 a Republican senator from Wisconsin began spreading fear of communists in the American government. At a speech to a women’s group in Wheeling, West Virginia, he said, "I have in my hand a list of 205 cases of individuals who appear to be either card-carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party.” Although it was a lie, this statement set off a cruel witch hunt in America.

In 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were found guilty of spying for the Russians. They were accused by Ethel’s brother who confessed to his own role and then named them. The Rosenbergs claimed innocence, but they were executed in 1953. Ethel’s brother was not executed. The Rosenberg case fed the paranoia of the age and led to the persecution of many innocent people.

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

During this time period, the United States Congress began looking for communists in America. One committee in the House of Representatives dedicated themselves to this task. The House Un-American Activities Committee trampled on the Bill of Rights in their crusade to identify communists, particularly in the film industry. They denied people fair trials and persecuted them for legal activities. Freedom of speech, religion, and assembly were sacrificed in the hunt for communists. Those who chose not to testify against themselves (pleading the fifth amendment) were punished for it. There was virtually no defense against an accusation other than confessing and naming others. This movement came to be known as McCarthyism.

HollywoodHUAC claimed movies were being used to brainwash the moviegoers and spread evil communist ideas. The congressmen attacked Hollywood because they knew that it would draw the attention of the American public toward their work. They used the established fame of Hollywood actors, writers, and directors to enhance their own political careers. Those who were accused had to confess and name others, or the congress would pressure the studios to blacklist them. Blacklisting would mean the end of a career. No one would openly hire someone who was suspected of being a communist sympathizer. Many careers and lives were destroyed.

In 1957 Joseph R. McCarthy died from complications associated with his alcoholism. Those who had been blacklisted continued to suffer for many more years. Since then McCarthyism has come to mean false charges of disloyalty and corrupt investigations.

After several years spreading fear of a conspiracy of “Godless Communists” to increase his own political clout and power, McCarthy went too far. In 1954 he accused army officers of communist sympathies, but he could not make the charges stick. He was publicly embarrassed by his failed effort and rapidly lost popularity.