Before getting into the meat and bones of this piece (funny because… I’m vegan), I wanted to make a quick disclaimer. I am not taking a stance on socialism or communism nor am I claiming that either is a good system. Truthfully, I believe there are flaws in nearly every ideology and that there is no perfect system that can work for every single person… but there are undoubtedly systems and policy frameworks that are better and more equitable than others.
I was compelled to write this piece for one main reason. I had stumbled across a historical picture of an anti-integration, pro-segregation protest in Little Rock, Arkansas circa 1959 and was shocked by the signs protesters were holding up.
In the black and white photo, the emboldened words stood out – “Race Mixing is Communism”.
As you can imagine, ‘communism’ was quite the boogeyman term in the age of the Cold War (and still is).
The fact that the term was weaponized to promote incredibly racist beliefs really stood out to me and drove me to research more instances of this.
‘Socialism’ and ‘Communism’ have long been used as fear-mongering terms in order to preserve inequalities and compel Americans to vote against policies that secure basic human rights, like: healthcare, protection against unemployment, and the ability to get a good education.
In a 1952 speech made in Syracuse, New York, President Harry Truman noted that “socialism is what they [republicans] called public power…social security… bank deposit insurance…free and independent labor organizations, anything that helps all the people…..when the Republican candidate inscribes the slogan ‘Down With Socialism’ … what he really means is, ‘Down with Progress ’” (Truman Library).
To reiterate, this post is not to praise Truman or make any declarations about his policies. Rather, I find his words on conservative fear-mongering to be quite insightful and accurate. I wanted to delve into a couple of examples of this fear-mongering practice as it has been used to impede progress throughout history.
New Deal + Depression Recovery
The New Deal was a package of programs enacted by the Roosevelt administration in order to help struggling Americans recover from the impacts of the Great Depression.
Legislation was central to the New Deal. Laws established during this period include the National Industry Recovery Act, the Glass-Steagall Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Social Security Act.
Many conservatives criticized Roosevelt’s New Deal, claiming that was an inappropriate encroachment of the government on U.S. citizens lives.
In 1935, the American Liberty League rallied against President Roosevelt’s Social Security plan, calling it ‘socialist’ Today, more than 64 million people rely on social security benefits.
The establishment of many important laws and programs (like Social Security and Unemployment protection) during this time was once called ‘socialist’ in order to scare people from supporting these packages and policies. But now, so many Americans rely on these laws and programs designed to HELP them. Doesn’t seem so radical now, does it?
Civil Rights
Black activism, and the struggle for Black rights, has long been (since Reconstruction) demonized by the Right as ‘unpatriotic’, ‘un-American’, and ‘radical’. Oftentimes, politicians have even tied it to communism and socialism in attempts to divert support for civil rights efforts amongst non-Black citizens.
In the sixties, Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover repeatedly tried to link Black resistance and activism with communism and ‘anti-American’ activity.
He even went as far as to order discreet investigations on Black-owned bookstores for ‘extremist’ work.
Of course the example referenced in the beginning of the article (of anti-integration protestors calling integration ‘communism’) is another example of blatant racism swept under the rug in the name of anti-communism work.
This wonderful article by Rebecca Onion for the Slate explains other times in history when ‘communism’ has been used as a smear tactic in order to impede racial progress.
@soulfulseeds a very brief history of ##conservative fearmongering ##leftist ##racialequality ##fypage ##socialism ##CozyAtHome
♬ original sound - Zahra Biabani
Privilege and Progress
People with the most privilege tend to oppose policies that disrupt the status quo because the existing status quo serves them well.
History shows that these people often preserve the status quo by fear-mongering. They label any attempt to create a more equitable society as “communist” or “socialist” because the idea of a more equitable society threatens their privilege.
This is my first time writing a political piece on here, let me know your thoughts on it! Thank you for reading.
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