I have been intrigued by communist theology and its effects on history since I first learned about it freshman year in History class. I am interested in communism because it is an ideal government, but human nature always gets in the way. I am also fascinated by the propaganda used against communism.
While I was researching the Red Scare this weekend I learned that the Cincinnati Reds baseball team changed "Reds" to "Redlegs" to avoid association with communism. The name was not changed back to just "Reds" until 1961. This bit of information started to make me think about how the Red Square affected American life and language.
My mother was born in 1950, and my father in 1952. The Red Square was a large part of their childhood. They had "duck and cover" drills in school, much like we have lockdown drills today. They dreaded foreign invasion and nuclear holocaust. Imagine coming of age during all of that. Much of what they have gone through reminds me of our current position in "The War on Terror."
My parents often use the phrase "Nuke it" when in lieu of "Microwave it." When I was younger I just thought my parents had a peculiar and embarrassing way of speaking, not realizing that the reference to nuclear bombs was due to the Red Scare. Once, when I was with my mother in Atlantic City, we found ourselves encircled by three ironically placed restaurants: Red Square, Cuba Libre, and P.F. Chang's. When I pointed out the peculiarity my mother laughed and said something like, "That's weird. The USSR, Cuba, and Red China all in row?" I was a little put off by her use of "Red China." Why couldn't she have just said "China" like a normal person would have? It was as if she had slipped back into another time in American history. I then realized she had grown up during the Red Scare and had probably heard China referred to as "Red China" incessantly.
The effects of the Red Square are still felt in America today. Haven't we all felt the negative connatation that comes with the word "communist?" Through Hayakawa I'm sure we can all realize that being a communist is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a label for people who believe a certain theory of government should be used.
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3 comments:
Hey, this is AmyZ.
It is interesting how our views and language change with the different events throughout the decades. The change in language and customs is a sort of underlying unity that brings a population together that supports the same ideas. "Red" was a word used by most Americans and created a common terminology that Americans could assosciate and communicate with.
Just like we know Iraq, they knew Russia. Their communism is our terrorism.
I agree with most of what you said but not all of it. Communism is definatley NOT the ideal form of government! In communism, there is no competition. No one is motivated to work hard. There's a reason why America is as successful as it is and the Red Scare to me is very understandable. It makes perfect sense that people would want to keep out any ideas that run contrary to the ideas on which we build our successful country, because everyone wants continued success...don't we?
I meant that communism in thought is ideal because everyone would have equal possesions and what not, but the utopia imagined is never achieved because we are so greedy.
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