# Kick the Commie! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276 "2011-10-11T09:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/1 "2011-10-11T09:09:19Z")
Welp, I guess I’ve outed myself as a Communist. It’s been a long strange trip, from Green through Socialist, Jacobin, Social Democrat, New Deal Democrat, Libertarian Socialist, and aspiring God-Emperor (maybe most of them at once) to deciding just to call myself a Communist. I waited for it to pass. But you know what? I get sick of people abusing the term, using it in ways where it doesn’t even make sense, just as an insult. So I decided to claim it, just to make the point that this is a real, positive thing and people have fought and died for it. But then, by that measure, I’m a lousy representative. Heck, this time next year I could be calling myself a Fascist or a Radical Monarchist. Past a belief in sustainability, my political beliefs are somewhat fluid. Pragmatism seems practical. The truth is, I really don’t care that much about the ins and outs of Marxist theory, I haven’t studied it, I have a pretty vague idea what it’s about. But pragmatically, I’m a lefty and Commies, historically, are lefties that win. (Greens are lefties that get high, I think. Libertarian Socialists confuse people or something.) And someone (on this board, I think) pointed out that Stalin’s industrialization of Russia may have stopped Hitler, which pretty much blew away my dislike of Stalin. Pragmatism wins. But mostly it’s the twerps that call me a Leninist just because I believe in a progressive income tax. Fine! You want to call me (or anyone to the Sane side of Ayn Rand) a Commie? I’m a Commie. Your definition, friend. But if that’s sufficient to make me a Commie, than Communism can’t mean I want to abolish all private industry. That’s logic. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/2 "2011-10-11T09:25:20Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > But if that’s sufficient to make me a Commie, than Communism can’t mean I want to abolish all private industry. th **e** n Communism can’t mean… Grammar Nazi is Fascinated ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/3 "2011-10-11T09:29:26Z")
Argh. I do know the difference, in theory. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/4 "2011-10-11T10:04:28Z")
If you want to keep becoming more radical why communist? That’s so passe. It’s all about the anarcho-syndicalism nowadays, I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/5 "2011-10-11T11:00:20Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > If you want to keep becoming more radical why communist? That’s so passe. It’s all about the anarcho-syndicalism nowadays, I thought. You’re fooling yourself. The real mayonaise is in autonomous collectivism these days. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/6 "2011-10-11T11:09:24Z")
The only thing communist about your post is your use of the word friend. I think **Commissar** was a big fan of that. Fight the power! Reject communist mayonnaise! Michael will probably think this is silly. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/7 "2011-10-11T11:09:25Z")
This thread is getting silly, too silly. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/8 "2011-10-11T11:39:14Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Past a belief in sustainability, my political beliefs are somewhat fluid. Okay. Considering that the environmental record of communist regimes in practice is worse by far than capitalist countries, I wonder why you would choose communism if sustainability is your driving belief. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/9 "2011-10-11T11:50:09Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Okay. > > Considering that the environmental record of communist regimes in practice is worse by far than capitalist countries, I wonder why you would choose communism if sustainability is your driving belief. Fools is a communist who believes in sustainability, with a lot of company, since many democrats are also communists who believe in sustainability! Granted, some of them aren’t: some of them are communists who don’t believe in sustainability. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/10 "2011-10-11T13:23:10Z")
I’m sure some people have died for it, but more have died because of it (10s of millions, in fact), so I’m not seeing it as a “positive thing”. Especially the 10s of millions killed part. But maybe that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/11 "2011-10-11T13:30:16Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Fools is a communist who believes in sustainability, with a lot of company, since many democrats are also communists who believe in sustainability! Granted, some of them aren’t: some of them are communists who don’t believe in sustainability. The idealist hippie communes of the '60s-'70s, were those modeled after any particular historical commie thinkers or were they just unrealistic dreams that couldn’t stand up to the shiny allure of capitalism? Because I could totally see myself ditching my insurance gig to go drive a tractor & slop hogs in a self-sustaining village somewhere. No mayo, no killing. Except for the hogs because, you know, bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/12 "2011-10-11T13:52:09Z")
Man, the wooshing in this thread is going to be a danger to small midwestern trailer parks. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/13 "2011-10-11T13:56:55Z")
Actual Party member? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/14 "2011-10-11T16:02:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m sure some people have died for it, but more have died because of it (10s of millions, in fact), so I’m not seeing it as a “positive thing”. Especially the 10s of millions killed part. But maybe that’s just me. Geez, **John** , i sort of expected a stick-up-the-ass conservative like **Moto** to miss the whole point of the OP, but i thought that a smart guy like you, who understands the stupidity of Tea Party-style name-calling, would get the point that **foolsguinea** is making here. Hint: the last paragraph is the key here. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/15 "2011-10-11T16:48:13Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > But then, by that measure, I’m a lousy representative. Heck, this time next year I could be calling myself a Fascist or a Radical Monarchist. Join the [Royalist Party of America!](http://www.angelfire.com/ex2/royalisttn/aboutus.html)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/16 "2011-10-11T16:49:27Z")
I’m not quite ready to call myself a Communist. Is it all right if I just go with pinko freak? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/17 "2011-10-11T16:50:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Join the [Royalist Party of America!](http://www.angelfire.com/ex2/royalisttn/aboutus.html)🙂 :mad: No, join the [American Monarchist Party!](http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Monarchist-party/169554023056170) Waaiit for iiiiit . . . . ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/18 "2011-10-11T16:51:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Waaiit for iiiiit . . . . Splittist! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/19 "2011-10-11T16:52:46Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > I’m not quite ready to call myself a Communist. Is it all right if I just go with pinko freak? “Freak,” only if your monthly pot consumption exceeds two pounds. We have to maintain **some** standards! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276/20 "2011-10-11T18:40:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actual Party member? Well, I’ve been putting it off, but I’ve been meaning for a couple of months to send in dues to the CPUSA. I hope I can get a little wallet card so the next time someone calls me a Communist I can pull it out and say, “Yeah! So?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kick-the-commie/599276.md?page=2)