May Day
Today is May Day, and people all over the world are celebrating and romanticizing an ideology that killed 110,000,000 people over the course of 90 years.
I know this is going to upset some people. I don’t plan on making this blog a political soapbox, but 110 million people is not something that we should forget, and certainly not something we should celebrate.
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Update:
Others agree!
You’re just espousing somebody else’s propaghanda; phony numbers obtained through subjective research. But more importantly than that, you’re ignoring and rewriting history, not something which makes anyone look good. Nazism and Communism are two separate and in fact very mutually exclusive ideologies; you’re taking countries like Russia, a country torn by 2 world wars, both of which started by capitalist nations that funded the nazis, civil war, started by the tyrannical monarchy which starved and killed millions of russians, death counts in famines which would’ve happened anyway, and which were actually handled much more prudently than the famines that occurred before the Revolution. You only perpetuate ignorance, and provide an excuse to obstruct the truth. Most of the supposed “regimes” were primarily LENINIST states, and most were populist lies to hide genocide and fascism. But what is of utmost importance is your card stacking and strawman rhetoric do nothing to approach Communism, an ideology which is the product of all historical epochs and shaped by generations of the world’s most intelligent workers, on a rational, mature, academic level. You and countless others even dare to treat the Manifesto of the Communist Party like a fascist cookbook, often citing several planks which apparently are to blame for the Federal Reserve and the IRS, yet somehow nobody ever seems to remember the last plank:
“10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc., etc.”
Ya hear that? Apparently Karl Marx is to blame for inspiring those silly democrats to create a universal education system! But I’m straying from the point; May Day, International Labour Day, is a working class holiday, and we workers busted our ass to even have A day, ANY day, OUR day of rest! So screw you, ya ignorant crapitalist pig-dog!
Comment by The Worker — March 26, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
sorry man, but you’ve got things extremely distorted…
first of all, you’re taking two misinterpreted symbols and trying to compare them. which, needless to say, is only going to bring around even more false beliefs then the fabrications that were already made for them.
swastika – an ancient symbol of good, in many eastern cultures and religions. it wasn’t until the Nazi regime adapted it as their own, that it became a symbol of evil. so let’s not allow thousands of years of good connotations to be blotted out by approximately a decade of evil.
hammer and sickle – symbol of the union between farmers and industrial workers. i.e. symbol of the working class. also a symbol of communism. let’s also keep in mind that modern history and media has displayed communism as an evil political system, when the reality of it couldn’t be farther from the truth. the U.S.S.R., China, Cuba, etc. were never communistic societies. so using them as examples is completely invalid. there has never been a true communist society.
Comment by Naut — April 24, 2007 @ 1:06 am
Communism was a good theory, however the man in charge made bad choices, don’t blame communism, blame Stalin for being a tit.
Comment by Mike — April 24, 2007 @ 8:48 am
Somehow the unity between agricultural workers and industrial workers (which is what that hammer and sickle represents) kills people? Ha. Don’t be just another brain washed capitalist.
Comment by Mike — May 21, 2007 @ 12:00 am
Hah! I love the way you guys will ignore the facts in order to justify your failed, brutal ideology.
Who cares what the symbols are supposed to represent? Let’s talk about what they actually represent? Death, murder and suffering.
And Stalin was not an exception – Stalin was a natural consequence of a system that is, unfortunately, tailor-made to provide wanna-be despots with a path to totalitarianism.
In any system, there are bad people. In capitalism, bad people will sell you shoddy merchandise. In communism, bad people will shoot your family and send you to a slave prison.
Comment by jb — May 21, 2007 @ 4:42 am
Ignore what facts? The fact is, that the symbol was originaly created to represent unity and equality. In fact it was originally a hammer and a plow crossed but has since changed. It wasnt until crazy ‘red-scare’ brainwashed capitalists started tieing negitive connotions on to it that it ‘became’ the symbol of death, evil, destruction, etc. A symbol represents what the creator intended it to represent not what you want it to represent.
Comment by Mike — May 21, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
Mike – So What? Whether it originally was meant to represent unity and equality, it does, in fact, mean death and suffering.
Capitalists did not kill 20 million people in the Glorious Revolution. Capitalists did not send 15 million to the Gulags. Capitalists did not create sweeping policies that starved tens of millions of people.
The Hammer and Sickle is a symbol of death because of what Stalin and Mao did, not because of capitalist “brainwashing”.
And as for your assertion that “A symbol represents what the creator intended it to represent not what you want it to represent.” – I simply reject that assertion as unsupported by facts, by history or by logic.
And, more directly, I suspect that if we sat down for 15 minutes and talked about various symbols, it would turn out that there were several that you found distasteful or unpleasant because of your personal and cultural experiences, that were not intended as such by the original creator.
For example, many pictures from the Bible are quite distasteful and unpleasant to atheists. But the original symbols were meant as sublime and sacred and awe-inspiring by the original creator.
Stalin and Mao were butchers. And they were Communists.
Comment by jb — May 21, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
dudes, i’m sure capitalism has hurt and killed way more people or at least caused it. US capitalists giving middle east WOMDs for example, inadvertedly funding Al Queda and other terrorist groups. I’m not excusing any certain communist regimes but I’m thinking that capitalism and communism are as bad as eachother.
Comment by Jimmy — May 26, 2007 @ 9:13 am
First (after reading comments) I was tempted to take part in debates but then opened the article… and realized it’s pointless. If you believe this I won’t be able to change your mind with a few paragraphs of text.
I only want to say that many things look a great different when you study them more in depth. The USA for instance, “this cradle of freedom†appears to be a bloodthirsty monster to an outsider. The last country in the world to have slavery; the country of cannibals built on bones of the whole race of Red Indians. And USA today is a country which is steadily moving to dictatorship and tyranny.
England the beloved “standard for civilization†turns up to be a nightmare which devastated half of the world with conquest and piracy.
If to apply some sort of “high†historical judgment these 2 have to be sentenced in the first place leaving far behind the others…
It’s true that Stalin’s regime was a tyranny. But as it was mentioned in comments above his government had to lead the nation through 2 world wars and the civil war; had to bring this devastated land from poverty to a world’s superpower. Further on the Soviet Union I can remember wasn’t cruel (we even didn’t have such ugly propaganda like Rambo). It was a peaceful state with high safety and state of order. We didn’t have many things but we had “granted tomorrowâ€. And it was well forth it all.
Things keep moving. War Communism with repressions and all kind of unpleasant treatment was followed by pretty relaxing socialism. Just like in States whites don’t hang black people on the trees anymore and don’t shoot the Indians (because there’s no left to shoot)…
But in any case before making up your opinions about life in other countries you better take an effort to learn a bit the subject, read books, watch movies, speak to people, that kind of things.
May Day is wonderful. We used to go to barbeque with my family. You know it was so good to be born in Soviet Union.
Comment by Maxim — June 18, 2007 @ 9:32 am
Your nazi symbol is with back !
Nazism is funded on a racist ideology, not communism.
Nazism created an “industrial death” for million people.
Communism did not kill ANYONE. Communism is an historic period in economic and social inprovement of humanity, whereas fascism is the last solution to protect capitalism’s interests before a proletarian revolution.
Stalinism and totalitarian powers killed million people, and not communism (USSR, China… are SOCIALIST regimes !!)
And how much people are dead because of capitalism? Workers suicide, imperialist wars, genocides, Indians, Native Australians, Africans, Tibetans…
Please, open a book before talk of unknown subjecs…
Comment by Damien from France — July 16, 2007 @ 6:32 am
I’m pleased that this post has created such a strong response.
Damien – read your own writing – “It wasn’t communism that killed people, it was how people implemented communism” (and abused it for their own benefit)
But we live in the real world, where people abuse power. Communism gives so much power to a central authority that corruption and death is nearly inevitable.
And as far as capitalism – the advances of the last century in virtually every aspect of our lives can be traced to the free market. It is an unrivalled engine of prosperity, that has dramatically altered the face of the world for the better.
Is the free market perfect? No. But it is demonstrably better than any managed economy. And it fits seamlessly with people’s built-in self interest.
Comment by jb — July 16, 2007 @ 7:11 am
What the fuck man? Russian raised against nazis after THEY raised against them and from apart of that moment all nazis on soviet territory were destroyed.The russian made a mistake, yes, and?
Bush made 40 times more mistake then the great nation of Russia would ever have made.You should feel ashame to deploy those propaganda on soviets because of ONE only mistake.What would you think about me doing propaganda on you, osti d’imbécile sale de criss d’impérialiste AMÉRIKAIN de vendu sale de tabarnac!
I swear that if I ever see you, i’ll make in sort that you’ll be sued by the Est-Europe ambasade of Moskva.
If you want to get killed man you’re on the good way.Communism and Socialism give poor a chance differently of the Capitalism who make riches richers and poor more poor.
P.S. Don’t walk alone in dark streets(friend advice…oh no! wait…you…friends? HAHAHA)
Go to hell f***ing S.C.A.P.S.
Comment by Socialism defender — July 19, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Sorry, Socialism Defender. The followers of Communism killed 100 million people. I’m not going to apologize for pointing that out, no matter how vulgar you choose to be.
You’re welcome to your opinion, of course, but the dead lay at your feet, not mine.
Comment by jb — July 19, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
it was not communist followers who made such death account but loyal followers of leaders that are filled with fear
but indeed communism is an sad error in human history just because it gives way too much power to a single man that even more sadly easily comes to power but equally falls to he’s own darkness
such man was Joseph Stalin (may his nightmares and fears hunt him in afterlife) who taken power to pursue his dreams but defending it with corrupted judgment
and he is the one who lost his own battle to fear and made use of communism to remake it into stalinism which was a real devils plan that murdered millions changed face of Earth and eventually led to fall of itself and its pawns the “peoples republics”
in its opposite capitalism made people fight each other make masters of firsts and poor of seconds
which cleared way not for fearful blinded or strong but to opportunists and corrupted
it also made “dictatorship of capital” which annoys mid groups but enlightens the high groups
and poor? “what?” it would say
because of that “what?” gangs mafias and terrorists and they don’t really need money cause they just need strong leadership that will make actions which will be followed by some sort of profit (like controlling drug facility)
and they do not need to be anti-capitalist after all… they can serve as private armies…
national socialism (so called nazism) was in fact very cognate with stalinism but it was different at one point it served not only one person but one nation
so well it was equally demonic
what about symbols?
hammer and sickle a power proof of society still used as it was and in different compositions
of course used to cover true faces of wrong people in wrong positions
swastika symbol of happiness admired not only by Celtics but even by eastern (Hindi) nations
it is even still in use! where? in FINLAND!
http://images.google.pl/imgres?imgurl=http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/articles/honorable_swastika/haka1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/articles/honorable_swastika/&h=272&w=268&sz=20&hl=pl&start=5&um=1&tbnid=hMuS4b21LT6FoM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522finnish%2Bair%2Bforce%2522%2Bemblems%26svnum%3D100%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dpl%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
even a soviet general was awarded with it!
also used by wrong man in wrong place
five arm star used by well practically by everyone
and it doesn’t have any official meaning it’s just good looking
and the “S” with two lines upright
symbol of wealth
but commonly known as symbol of corruption so it is not officially used by any country but western and central eastern (the post communist) would fit
in like no one else
to conclude and to tell my ideology it is moderate socialism that still accepts democracy is the way
but with fact that even entire nations can make wrong decisions (watch: Poland and yes I’m a pol… I know you are laughing…)
and ehh… time passes and all ideologies become obsolete… some come back…
i’m wishing that one time we will be able to calmly glance back and make few jokes
but i know it will never happen it is not our nature… just lets try to make our fights small
Comment by Dragonov — August 13, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
ok look at it this way
USSR history and American History
who killed the most?
i would have to say America not only do they start wars they kill innocent people and children, just look at the famus picture ¨napalm strike¨
Let the man without sin throw the first stone
Comment by RD — August 23, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Vote Hillary ‘08! Just because Socialism didn’t work for Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Castro, Noriega, or Chavez doesn’t mean it won’t work for her.
Comment by p3orion — October 9, 2007 @ 3:33 pm
Clinton is hardly a socialist. If she seems like the communist leaders (and non-communist leaders you mistakenly named), it is only because you are viewing it from a vantage point so far to the right that mercy for the demos is all the same to you. You seem incapable of authentic thought–only obnoxious oversimplification. If you like your right-wing theology so much then why don’t you see how theocracy worked for the Islamic Empire; the Holy Roman Empire; for Ramses; for for the Czars, whose Cossaks raped my ancestors; or how it worked for Osama Bin Laden.
See, I can oversimplify too.
The hammer and sickle, represents only a union. It becomes a hateful symbol for you because of Stalin, but the fact that he killed under its banner should not pervert the meaning of it. The stars and stripes still mean democracy and the liberal conception of freedom: all the free speach oppression or unjustified wars against communism, the self-determination of latin american, middle eastern, or s.e. asian nations, cannot pervert that original meaning. If the hammer and sickle means death, than so does every symbol, since virtually every symbol has at some time been abused. Does the death and misery of the crusades change the meaning of the cross? I tell you that it does not. The cross was the symbol of Jesus, who if not the son of God, still advocated peaceful behaviour. We cannot pervert its meaning because some were stupid with it. Likewise, the hammer and sickle cannot be made to mean Stalinism–it was in use during Lenin’s time, and was a symbol not only of Bolshevik aims, but of those of the SR. It does not speak for all of their action either. The symbol is clear and only means that the workers and peasants must work togeither in union. You are an idiot to stain ideology with irrelevent historical matters of fact.
As for the swastika: this was a nazi symbol, from what I know. I believe the similar symbol which in Buddhism refers to peace and harmony is a mirror image of it. Let us not mistake the two–they look similar but mean different things. You can spit on the nazi symbol all you like, but it is utterly foolish to equate it with the simple meaning of the hammer and sickle.
Comment by M. A. R. — October 10, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
M.A.R -
“We cannot pervert its meaning because some were stupid with it.”
100 million bodies is not “stupid.” It is a horror beyond measure. Just like the Holocaust.
I continue to be amazed at the verbal and semantic hoops people will go through in order to justify why its ok to be Communist, but not ok to be a Nazi. “Oh, it wasn’t Communism… it was Stalin.” Stalin and Mao are the inevitable outcome of Communism.
All your “Good intentions” and “simple meanings” do not change the facts. All your flabbering about how “Capitalism killed as many people” is ridiculous.
Communism is a hideous ideology that preys on the good intentions of the masses, to allow a small number of charismatic butchers to slay large numbers of people.
The theory of Communism may be admirable. But the facts on the ground are that it is malignantly corrupt, that no matter how good it is “in theory”, the practice leads to loss of life on an almost unimaginable scale.
You can claim that it doesn’t mean it all you want, but Stalin and Mao said they were Communists, they used Communist dogma, claimed they were acting in the best interest of the people, and slaughtered millions.
Those people are dead because of Communism. Not because of Capitalism, or the USA. Because, in practice, Communism is fatally flawed, and there are 100 million pieces of evidence to that effect.
Comment by jb — October 11, 2007 @ 6:03 am
Communism like Trotsky’s? Stalin’s? Please. Need I remind you Hitler was even part of a socialist party. Karl Marx did not even support Trotsky’s take on his theories. Your categorization of these DICTATORS as communists mocks your own intelligence.
Comment by Puff — November 14, 2007 @ 3:59 am
I didn’t categorize these dictators as communists, they did. And the people who labored under them did. And for 70+ years, the world called them communists. They used the hammer and sickle as their flag. They espoused 5 year plans and centralized control of the means of production.
No matter how honorable or well-minded the theory of communism may be, it inevitably leads to control by a dictator, because the central authority is too strong for the people to meaningfully resist.
Communism is the means by which Stalin achieved power. The crimes he committed would not have been possible if Communism hadn’t been the model of governance in the USSR.
Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek has more to say on this subject, much more. You may wish to read his thoughts on the subject.
Comment by jb — November 14, 2007 @ 7:59 am
People seem to also confuse ideologies with the men who control them. Throughout history we’ve had men who have used people’s faith and belief systems and perverted them into a format that would allow them to rule over all. Communism, unfortunately, for all its theoretical greatness, also makes it much easier for one man to rule. And as the old saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Real-world communism is probably impossible. Humans have proven time and time again that we like wealth and we like power. And there’s some(Stalin, Mao, etc.) who know how to work these for-the-good-of-the-people systems into their control. Read the Manifesto. Socialized education? That didn’t kill people, people killed people.
That being said, all systems have had their slaughters and mistakes too. Capitalism, socialism, fascism and theocracies have all had men who have exploited them. If you trash a New-age Communist for the events in Russia and China, you might as well blame every Catholic on the planet for the Ten Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Or any capitalist for slavery. We cannot blame the ideas of an ideal, only the men who use them for evil.
“Power-lust is a weed that grows only in the vacant lot of an empty mind.” -Ayn Rand
Comment by Ernest — November 16, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
JB, you’re a moron.
1. Soviet Union was not Communist
2. Stalin killed 10 million people.
THERE WERE 150 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE SOVIET UNION, 100 MILLION WOULD’VE DEVASTATED EVERYTHING.
You all need to learn what communism is.
There is no central power, there is no government.
In fact, communism and fascist is completely opposite.
In fascism, the people are subordinate to the state
In Nazism, the people are subordinate to the race.
In communism, it’s dictatorship of the proletariat.
Maybe you’re all forgetting that if it wasn’t for the Soviet Union, we’d be living under the Third Reich, or still fighting a losing war.
Comment by A russian — December 2, 2007 @ 1:22 am
Good point as well, about living under the Reich. Makes you kind of glad that the Americans are running the world, not the Nazis or the Soviets
Comment by Ernest — December 3, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Whoever posted this is a fucking retard.
Comment by Max — December 4, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
I’d rather live under the Soviet Union than America, but that’s just personal preference.
Of course, not under stalin.
Comment by A russian — December 4, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
Oh Max, you brute. You’re so manly with your foul words and your malicious slurs.
Oh! Oh! It’s too much. I recant! I take it all back. Max’s logic is irrefutable.
Max, based on your sophisticated post, I’m guessing your mental ability is not particularly high. My previous two paragraphs were sarcasm, btw.
Comment by jb — December 4, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
Ernest, your comment is sound, in the sense that modern Communists are not responsible for those deaths. But modern Germans are not responsible for the Holocaust. Should they be allowed to fly the Nazi flag? Modern southern Americans were not slaveholders in the American Civil War, but plenty of people say that flying the Confederate flag is demonstrating affinity for and affection for racist beliefs.
Modern communists may not be brute killers, but their flag was flown, their icon was used when the killers were busy doing their work.
Comment by jb — December 4, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
Freedom should not be forced down by any means. As long as your freedom does not interfere with anyone else’s freedoms, i think it is a moot point(eg. if you want to use the swastika, be my guest, but if you start trying to eliminate Jews, well that’s obviously not a freedom your entitled to). I’d like to also point out that in Hindu and Sikh cultures, the swastika means something completely different from what the Nazi ideal is. Perhaps we shouldn’t let them use it either? The fact is that a symbol can mean anything. My neighbour, even after six generations out of the South and up here in Canada, still has the Confederate flag in his office. Why? Its a symbol of where he’s from, but i’m sure lots of blacks who disagree.
Comment by Ernest — December 29, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
Fuck you, people kill people, not god damned ideologies!
Comment by A pissed political science student — March 8, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
communism is not in any way like hitlers sick and sadistic nazi party….Russia rules!
Comment by mikki — March 10, 2008 @ 8:22 am
Karl Marx was one of the best thinkers in the world. You are one of the thickest! How the hell can you get two misinterpreted images and try to compare them!? You have made your judgement on communism by reading and hearing lots of stereotypical corporate propoganda.
Comment by I eat C4nnibals — March 13, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a post quite so ignorant before.
Nazism was the German answer to Italian facism, but it was EXTREME nationalism and racist. Stalin did not intentionally kill ALL of the 10 million people. A good number of them, yes, for speaking out against him (he most certainly didn’t mess). When Stalin was in power, things got done, industry was put in place. When people were sent to the Kulags they built industry, they did things for the Soviet Union. So most of them were accidentally killed out of starvation and overwork. He wasn’t looking to rid the state of certain people, as was Hitler. The one thing they did have in common was riding of people who spoke out against them, but more people died under the reign of Hilter intentionally than did Stalin. So to ever say that communism=nazism is false and sick.
Comment by Hannah — March 18, 2008 @ 8:48 am
I love approving the comments that disagree with me, because they only prove my point. “Most of them were accidentally killed out of starvation and overwork” Ha! That makes it better.
And, btw if you count communist China’s body bags, you end up with 90+ million dead. All because Karl Marx’s idea was fatally flawed – it centralizes power and trusts in their good intentions.
Anyone who believes that is a good way to run a government is to be both pitied and scorned.
Comment by jb — March 18, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Communism is a wonderful philosophy and I agree it gives a lot of power to one person. However this simple flaw can be fixed, like in every form of government, such as a Parlimentery system. Communism ROCKS!
As far as the comparison of the swastika and the hammer and sickle symbol, just proposterus. You can’t just simply compare two completly different philosophies such as Nazism and Communism. Nazism was founded on the violent, sadistic mean to eliminate certain races. Communism is the idea that the Proletarians (working class) should rule instead of the rich overlords(Bourgeis) and that the wealth should be spread amongst the working class.
Comment by Zach — March 24, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
It’s true that people kill people, not ideologies, but certain ideologies are a more condusive to evil behavior than others. Human beings are flawed by nature. It’s an inescapable fact. To espouse the virtues of a system (Communism) that flies in the face of human nature is folly. So what you get is a bastardized version of it, manipulated and warped into a dictatorship.
Sure capitalism isn’t perfect, but with the proper regulation and legislation it can work beautifully and fairly. Communism has no chance to ever be anything but a pathway to death and misery.
Comment by Jack Shappa — March 31, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
I only have one thing to say. The CCCP definately openly waged war against the Nazi’s in WWI and WWII, so to me this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Comment by Sasha — April 3, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Sasha – the CCCP and Deutschland were both run by dictators who horribly abused their own people in their respective quests to destroy each other. They controlled the media, travel, freedom of speech and pretty much every other aspect of their societies.
How could you not see them as similar?
Comment by jb — April 9, 2008 @ 9:10 am
Zach – Communism is the idea…
YES! It is an idea! But when that idea is put into practice, it goes horribly, horribly wrong and millions (if not tens of millions) of people die.
And, in any case, Communism doesn’t ROCK, because no one and no small group of people are smart enough to actually manage something as sophisticated and fast-moving as a nation’s economy.
Comment by jb — April 9, 2008 @ 9:16 am
In order to have communalism on a small scale, you need to have the free market on a large scale. Otherwise, the government comes in and steals your tomatoes and sends them over to the other side of the country. Humans have always been killing each other, whatever their race is. No exceptions.
Liberals in the USA just hide the teachings about Stalin, focus on the McCarthyism, and never taught us about the evils of Communism. I never learned them, and I went to public school in Virginia, not California.
Might I point out that this conversation would not be happening in a communist country???? Get rid of the World Court before we lose our freedom of speech!!!!
Comment by RR — April 28, 2008 @ 7:13 am