Real communism

We are having a debate about socialism among some of our young people.  From Alejandra Ocasio-Cortez to Bernie Sanders, we’re hearing that some are inspired concerning socialism.  

The Democrats are even running candidates who claim to be “democratic socialists“!  I guess that means that they will take a vote before taking your property away or something like that.

Well, two recent anniversaries will remind the young what real communism is all about.

First, Warsaw Pact tanks marched into Prague this week in 1968.  They were there to crush a freedom movement, as we remember from our history:   

On the night of August 20, 1968, approximately 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 5,000 tanks invade Czechoslovakia to crush the “Prague Spring” — a brief period of liberalization in the communist country. Czechoslovakians protested the invasion with public demonstrations and other non-violent tactics, but they were no match for the Soviet tanks. The liberal reforms of First Secretary Alexander Dubcek were repealed and “normalization” began under his successor Gustav Husak.

By the way, the confused young must be reminded what Mr. Husak meant by “normalization”.  It meant shut up or we will throw you in prison.  And your family won’t know what happened to you, either.  In other words, no “habeaus corpus” or right to a speedy trial under communism.

The second anniversary is less known but very important.  It shows how communists deal with those they disagree with.  I am talking about the killing of Leon Trotsky on August 21, 1940:  

Exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is fatally wounded by an ice-ax-wielding assassin at his compound outside Mexico City. The killer – Ramón Mercader –was a Spanish communist and probable agent of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Trotsky died from his wounds the next day.

This is the real story of communism, along with a health care system that stinks in Cuba, or people eating grass in North Korea, or people risking their lives to jump over the Berlin Wall.

Let’s remember communism, and its convenient mask called socialism.  In both cases, they take your property and freedom.  

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1962: Remembering the first casualty of the Berlin……

The Berlin Wall is something I grew up talking about.  

The construction of the Berlin Wall started on this day 1961 and the first casualty came in August 1962.    It happened when two young men tried to escape.  One young man made it to the other side.  Unfortunately, the other was shot in the back and bled to death.

From 1961 to 1989, the Wall was an international symbol of freedom.  You had free people on the Western side and a repressive state on the East.   It was clear to most of us that this wall meant something.   We can not forget those who were killed crossing this wall because they wanted to be free.  They were some of the many victims of communism in the last 100 years.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.