Anti-Communism is the political and ideological resistance to communist ideologies, organizations, and individuals. Following the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, organized anti-communism emerged and expanded to a worldwide scale during the Cold War, a fierce rivalry between the US and the USSR. A wide range of political ideologies and movements, such as anarchism (especially right-wing anarchists), centrism, conservatism, fascism, liberalism, nationalism, social democracy, socialism, leftism, and libertarianism, as well as large-scale movements opposing communist rule, have elements of anti-communism. Along with art and literature, anti-communism has also been voiced by a number of religious groups.
History
North America
United States
Anti-communism in the United States surged during the Cold War era (1947-1991), characterized by intense ideological and geopolitical rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union. It manifested in various forms:
Red Scare
In the early Cold War period, particularly in the late 1940s and early 1950s, there was a widespread fear of communist infiltration into American society. This led to the infamous era of McCarthyism, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led efforts to root out suspected communists and sympathizers in the government, entertainment industry, and academia.
South America
Brazil
Anti-communism was a significant ideological force during Brazil's military dictatorship (1964-1985). The military regime justified its authoritarian rule by framing it as a defense against communism. This period saw repression of leftist movements, censorship, and human rights abuses.
Chile
Similarly, in Chile, under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), anti-communism was used to suppress political opposition, resulting in widespread human rights violations and persecution of left-wing groups.
Europe
Eastern Europe
Anti-communism was a major force in countries under Soviet control post-World War II. Movements for independence and democracy often had anti-communist elements, culminating in the collapse of communist regimes in 1989-1991.
Western Europe
Cold War tensions fueled anti-communist policies and alliances within NATO. Countries like West Germany and France opposed Soviet influence and supported anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe.
Asia
South Korea
Anti-communism became central to South Korean politics after the Korean War (1950-1953). The government, backed by the US, viewed North Korea as a communist threat, leading to authoritarian measures against leftist movements.
Vietnam
During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the US supported South Vietnam in a bid to prevent communist takeover by North Vietnam. Anti-communism shaped US policy and military involvement in the region.
Japan
In Japan, anti-communism was influenced by the country's close ties with the United States during the Cold War. Japan's anti-communist stance was reflected in its foreign policy, alliance with the US, and economic development strategy in East Asia.
China
China's anti-communism was primarily directed towards Soviet-style communism during the Cold War. The Sino-Soviet split and China's alignment with the United States against the Soviet Union shaped its foreign policy and domestic propaganda.
Indonesia
Indonesia experienced anti-communist sentiments during the Cold War, particularly under President Sukarno and later under Suharto's New Order regime. The anti-communist purge in the mid-1960s resulted in significant political repression and human rights abuses, targeting suspected communists and leftist sympathizers.
Philippines
The Philippines also faced anti-communist policies during the Cold War era, influenced by US military presence and alliance. Anti-communism shaped Philippine domestic politics, security policies, and relations with neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
India
India's approach to communism was nuanced, with the Communist Party of India (CPI) participating in democratic politics. India's anti-communist stance during the Cold War influenced its foreign policy alignment, particularly in relation to the Non-Aligned Movement and its approach to global conflicts.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's anti-communism emerged during the Soviet invasion in 1979. Afghan resistance to Soviet-backed communist regime led to a prolonged conflict, with the United States and other Western countries supporting anti-communist mujahideen groups.
Cambodia
Cambodia experienced anti-communist sentiments under the Khmer Rouge regime, which was opposed to communist influences from Vietnam. Impact: The Khmer Rouge's extreme anti-communist policies resulted in widespread atrocities and the deaths of millions during their rule in the late 1970s.
Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar's anti-communism was influenced by regional conflicts and internal security concerns. The military junta's anti-communist stance shaped Myanmar's political landscape and relations with neighboring countries.
MENA
Egypt
Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser positioned itself against both colonial powers and communist influence, promoting Arab nationalism. Nasser's regime aligned with the non-aligned movement but also received support from the Soviet Union for economic and military aid. In the 1950s and 1960s, Nasser's government suppressed communist parties and leftist movements, viewing them as threats to stability.
Iran
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was a key ally of the United States in the region. The Shah's regime implemented strong anti-communist policies, targeting leftist groups. The 1979 Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah's regime, which had been perceived as pro-Western and anti-communist.
Iraq
The Ba'ath Party under Saddam Hussein espoused Arab nationalism and anti-communist policies. Saddam Hussein's regime persecuted communist and leftist groups, often violently suppressing dissent. Despite initial Soviet support during the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq under Saddam Hussein shifted towards a more pro-Western stance after the Gulf War in 1990-91.
Syria
The Ba'ath Party in Syria, similar to Iraq, adopted anti-communist positions while promoting Arab socialism. The Syrian Ba'athist regime, particularly under Hafez al-Assad, cracked down on leftist and communist opposition, consolidating power.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia maintained close ties with the United States during the Cold War, aligning against Soviet influence. While not directly anti-communist in ideological terms, Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic conservatism positioned it against secular socialist and communist movements.
Libya
Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya initially pursued a socialist path but distanced itself from Soviet influence in favor of Arab nationalism. Gaddafi's government shifted alliances over time, including seeking closer ties with Western countries despite initial anti-imperialist and anti-colonial rhetoric.
Lebanon
During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), various factions, including leftist and communist groups, were involved in the conflict alongside anti-communist factions aligned with different regional and international powers.
Jordan
Jordan maintained a pro-Western stance during the Cold War under King Hussein, opposing both communist influence and radical leftist movements.
Oceania
Australia
Australia was a staunch ally of the United States during the Cold War. The Australian government implemented policies to counter perceived communist threats domestically and supported Western anti-communist efforts globally. Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War was partly motivated by anti-communist sentiments and commitments to collective security agreements.
New Zealand
New Zealand aligned with Western allies, particularly the United States, during the Cold War. New Zealand also implemented measures to counter communist influence domestically and supported Western anti-communist initiatives internationally.
Africa
South Africa
During apartheid (1948-1994), the South African government used anti-communism to justify racial segregation and repression of anti-apartheid movements, often portraying opponents as communist sympathizers.
Angola
In Angola, anti-communism was a factor in the civil war (1975-2002), with the US and South Africa supporting anti-communist factions against the Soviet-backed MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola).
Beliefs
Opposition to Marxism and Leninism
Anti-communism fundamentally rejects the ideologies developed by Karl Marx and further refined by Vladimir Lenin, which advocate for the overthrow of capitalism through proletarian revolution and the establishment of a classless society.
Private Property Rights
Anti-communism advocates for the protection of private property rights. It opposes communist ideologies that seek to abolish private ownership of the means of production and instead supports the rights of individuals to own and control their property.
Defense of Capitalism
Anti-communism often champions the principles of capitalism, including private property rights, free markets, and individual economic freedom. It views communism as a threat to these values.
Promotion of Democracy
Many anti-communists believe in democratic governance and see communism as incompatible with pluralistic political systems and representative government.
Nationalism and Patriotism
In some contexts, anti-communism aligns with nationalist sentiments and patriotic ideologies, emphasizing the defense of national sovereignty and cultural identity against perceived communist threats.
Personality
How to Draw
Relations
Based Anti-Communists
- Capitalism - Best economic system there is
- Neoconservatism - Keep destroying 'em commies!
- Neoliberalism - FUCK YES
- Liberalism - Freedom is based!
- Reactionaryism - If you managed to beat those revolutionaries... Communism wouldn't exist.
- Reactionary Liberalism - One of the first white terrors was the Thermidorian Reaction, which is based.
- European Federalism - The European Union is the bastion of freedom!
- Ingcap -
MY TRUE FORM!Alright, I say you take totalitarianism a bit too far, but fighting communism is based. - National Capitalism - The best type of fascism. The Nazis and the west should have worked together to defeat the
(((USSR))), throw commies into private concentration camps! - Esoteric Fascism-SS were based
- Ilminism - North Korea sucks, you're much better
- Pinochetism - 🚁
- Nationalism - OUR NATION WILL NEVER BE COMMUNIST
- Zelenskyism - I support you because your country banned communist ideology, even if some of us support Russia
- Conservatism - Reject "socialist realism" and return to real culture.
- Authoritarian Conservatism - The first white terror.
- Authoritarian Capitalism - The communists and socialists will not be safe anywhere!
- Zionism - Some of us push ideas like the Judeo-Bolshevik myth, but you are a capitalist who is hated by the Left-Anti-Zionists who are essentially antisemites who call you a "Judeo-Capitalist".
- Kahanism - Best Zionist.
- Libertarianism - Don't tread on our rights!
- Propertarianism - Private Property must be protected.
- Distributism - A non-capitalist alternative to communism.
On The Thin Ice
- Left-Wing Anti-Communism - The ONLY good leftist.
- Imperialism - Social Imperialism is absolutely horrible, but I love capitalist imperialism.
- Stratocracy - Same as above; communist militarism is awful, but I love anti-communist military dictatorships and private militaries.
- Nazism - The persecution of German communists, the Night of the Long Knives and Operation Barbarossa were based but you still considered yourself a socialist and your defeat in WWII gave the Soviets a chance.
HELICOPTER NOW!
- Communism - DIE, you fucking oppressive communists scumbags!!!!!!!!!! All that communism has delivered to the globe is oppression, starvation, devastation, dictatorships, slavery, genocide, mass executions, and death. Your ideology must be eradicated from the face of the planet because it worsens the situation in the world simply by existing.
- Marxism - Father of the asshole above and the original communist, fuck you.
- Jacobinism - Proto-marxist, red terrorist and revolutionary, fuck you too.
- Leninism - You took Marx's work into practice and made Russia a communist tyranny.
- Libertarian Marxism - Oxymoron, every time marxism was practiced it led to authoritarianism.
- Authoritarian Socialism, Oligarchy, Totalitarianism and Kleptocracy - What really happens when communists take power!
- Babouvism - Another proto-marxist.
- Marxism-Leninism - Burn in hell and may your filthy legacy die!
- Socialism - Aren't you just him again?
- Stalinism - This is Communism at it's finest. Purges, famines and genocides such as the Holodomor, a brutal cult of personality, Lysenkoist pseudoscience and submitting Eastern Europe to Communist oppression, installed similar regimes to yours. Fuck you.
- Maoism - One of the worst commie tyrants.
- Pol Potism - The 3rd worst communists; used extreme violence, killed a lot of people, including the rich, religious, Christians, etc. We should have bombed your country more!
- Titoism - Division of Yugoslavia go brrrrrrr.....
- National Bolshevism & Strasserism - SEE? Communists ARE red fascists!
- Khrushchevism - Overthrowing Beria and exposing Stalin's crimes was based, but you only denounced Stalin for your personal gains, and you crushed those Hungarian rebellions fighting for their rights in Warsaw Pact countries, and restored state atheist laws!
- Brezhnevism - Same as Khrushchev but worse, because you restored Stalinism in the USSR and crushed those rebellions in eastern Europe!
- Juche - North Korea is a hellhole and probably the worst country on earth currently, Kim Jong Un doesn't even care that the people are starving!
- White Communism - Racist commie.
- Marxist Manosphere - Sexist commie.
- Posadism - A lunatic and misanthropic communist who likes nukes, and wanting to destroy everything and ancient stuff through a nuclear holocaust is a terrible idea, this is the end result of communism!
- Guevarism - Another worst communist, the MRTA was awful too.
- Christian Communism, Christian Socialism and Liberation Theology - Fake Christians, and you are just commies with crosses.
Don't search up the Soviet anti-religious campaign. - Labour Zionism -
((( Judeo-Bolshevik)))Fake zionist. I don't care if you founded the based state of Israel. - Bundism-Same as above but worse
- Ingsoc - LITERALLY THE SOVIET UNION!!!! 1984!!!
Further Information
In general
Historical
Anti-Communist Organizations
Right Unity - Free Markets and | |
Centre-Right | |
---|---|
Main | Social Darwinism |
Self-Insert | Template:16384ismlink • Meso-16384ism • Quarkism • ⠀ism |
Conservatives - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. | |
Moderate | Liberal Conservatism
Regional
Self Inserts
|
---|---|
Main | Classical Conservatism • Conservatism • Authoritarian Conservatism • Anarcho-Conservatism • Libertarian Conservatism • Paternalistic Conservatism • Paleoconservatism
Self Inserts
|
Democratic ideologies - Remember to vote! | |
Main | Democracy • Demarchy • Athenian Democracy |
---|---|
Regional | |
Representative | Republicanism • Presidentalism |
Semi-Direct | |
Direct | |
Authoritarian | Illiberal Democracy |
Ochlocratic | Ochlocracy |
Self-Insert | Evenoskyism • Revolutionary Monarchism • Baxism |
Liberals - Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité | |
Main | Classical Liberalism • Social Liberalism • Big Tent Liberalism • Third Way • Liberalism • Liberal Conservatism • Ordo-Liberalism • Radical Liberalism |
---|---|
Regional | Cardosoism • Bidenism • Sarneyism • Obamaism • Clintonism ( Hillaryism) |
Self-Inserts | FreePCB Reformism • Brazilian Liberalism • DECBism |
Monarchists - We wuz kangz but literal this time | |
Main | Monarchism • Matriarchal Monarchism • Monarcho-Fascism • Monarcho-Capitalism • Monarcho-Socialism |
---|---|
Semi-Constitutional | Ceremonial Monarchism • Constitutional Monarchism • Anarcho-Monarchism |
Absolute | Absolute Monarchism • Neocameralism |
Enlightenment | |
Self-Insert | Quarkism • Neocarlism • Revolutionary Monarchism |
Nationalists - For The Motherland! | |
Moderate | Main Nativism • Patriotism Related Protectionism • Isolationism Self-Inserts |
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Main | Main Nationalism • Separatism • Pan-Nationalism Definitions Volkish Nationalism • Ethnic Nationalism • Cultural Nationalism • Linguistic Nationalism • Religious Nationalism • Racial Nationalism • Civic Nationalism • Species Nationalism Application Universal Nationalism • Fictional Nationalism • Left-Wing Nationalism • Eco-Nationalism Related Ethnopluralism • Racism • Directed Socialism • Indigenism • Tinism Other Ideologies National Agrarianism • National Capitalism • National Communism • National Conservatism • National Liberalism • National Libertarianism • Welfare Chauvinism Self-Inserts |
Chauvinists | Ultranationalism • Jingoism
Self-Inserts |
Zionists - Hava Nagila | |
Main Ideologies | Zionism |
---|---|
Sub-Ideologies | Labour Zionism • Religious Zionism • Revisionist Zionism • Revisionist Maximalism • Kahanism Modern Secular Zionism • Green Zionism • Lehianism |
Schools of Thought | Secularism • Bibism • Neoconservatism |
Sympathizers | Quarkism |