I am disgusted by some of those on the left who foster a romantic notion of communism. Whether from real ignorance or feigned, these dopes run around with their Che Guevara or hammer-and-sickle t-shirts and their red star hand bags as though they look to be identified with a “hip” new political or social movement. These fashionistas need to read their history books.

I just returned from a brief trip to Europe that included visits to both Poland and the Czech Republic. Many of you will no doubt recall the pivotal roles each played in the Cold War. Each was under the grip of communism. Each was able to reclaim its independence on the shoulders of brave visionaries who risked everything for their countries. Their progress is remarkable, especially when you consider the impact and brutality of their communist pasts.

Some of you may not be old enough to remember communism on the front pages of newspapers and headlining the nightly news. It is wasn’t that long ago that there was a Soviet Union (the multi-national entity of Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova). At its zenith the Soviet Union covered one-sixth of the earth’s land area and stretched from eastern Europe across north Asia to the Pacific Ocean.

According to Dr. R.J. Rummel at the University of Hawaii,

“Communism has been the greatest social engineering experiment we have ever seen. It failed utterly and in doing so it killed over 100,000,000 men, women, and children, not to mention the near 30,000,000 of its subjects that died in its often aggressive wars and the rebellions it provoked.”

And why does that matter?

Communism is evil. Beyond the philosophical deficiencies and the oppression of liberty and basic human rights, there is something haunting about it. I have stood in Tiannemen Square, the epicenter of today’s communism. The eeriness of communism is like a ghost that looms over your shoulder, not quite visible, but very present nonetheless. In the coming weeks, many of us will enjoy the competition that marks the summer Olympic games. This year’s host, Beijing, has made great strides toward modernizing the city for international television consumption. However, their efforts are more akin to living on your own as a young adult and hearing your folks will be at your front door in five minutes. Wanting to put your best face forward, you scramble around the house (read: “crappy little apartment”) looking to sweep under the rug anything that might be embarrassing. Your parents arrive. You have that “I’m hiding something” look on your face. You haven’t really changed anything, and everyone knows it. China, no matter how beautiful it looks in person or on NBC in HD, is still communist.

Professor Rummel created the term democide in an effort to broaden the concept of genocide and include government sanctioned murder for political and ideological reasons. This was needed in part to better communicate the brutality of communism and more accurately quantify deaths caused by communist regimes.

The next time you see someone yearning for social acceptance by wearing the latest in communist fashion, send him a link to R.J. Rummel’s website. The content is shocking, quantifiable, well-researched, and easy to understand.

Here are links to some specific articles written by R.J. Rummel:

HOW MANY DID COMMUNIST REGIMES MURDER?

DEATH BY GOVERNMENT

WAR ISN’T THIS [the 20th] CENTURY’S BIGGEST KILLER

DEMOCIDE VERSUS GENOCIDE: WHICH IS WHAT?

Table of Death
NOTE: These number are MILLIONS… add three zeros to the end of each!

FROM R.J. Rummel’s Personal Website:

It is true that democratic freedom is an engine of national and individual wealth and prosperity. Hardly known, however, is that freedom also saves millions of lives from famine, disease, war, collective violence, and democide (genocide and mass murder). That is, the more freedom, the greater the human security and the less the violence. Conversely, the more power governments have, the more human insecurity and violence. In short: to our realization that power impoverishes we must also add that power kills.

Through theoretical analysis, historical case studies, empirical data, and quantitative analysis, this web site shows that:

1. Freedom is a basic human right recognized by the United Nations and international treaties, and is the heart of social justice.* Freedom is an engine of economic and human development, and scientific and technological advancement.
2. Freedom ameliorates the problem of mass poverty.
3. Free people do not suffer from and never have had famines, and by theory, should not. Freedom is therefore a solution to hunger and famine.
4. Free people have the least internal violence, turmoil, and political instability.
5. Free people have virtually no government genocide and mass murder, and for good theoretical reasons. Freedom is therefore a solution to genocide and mass murder; the only practical means of making sure that “Never again!”
6. Free people do not make war on each other, and the greater the freedom within two nations, the less violence between them.
7. Freedom is a method of nonviolence–the most peaceful nations are those whose people are free.

“Pray tell, my brother,
Why do dictators kill
and make war?
Is it for glory; for things,
for beliefs, for hatred,
for power?
Yes, but more,
because they can.”

VIDEO: The Brutal History of Communism
h/t @AlinskyDefeater