house Bill H. Res. 679
Should the House Support Designating November 7th as ‘Victims of Communism Memorial Day’?
Argument in favor
Communism as a political system has led to millions of deaths around the world over its history. However, many Americans aren’t sufficiently aware of this history — consequently, communism appeals to too many young Americans who don’t fully understand communism’s history. Designating an annual day of remembrance for victims of communism will help better educate Americans about this political system’s dangers and guard against communism taking root in the U.S.
11/07/2019
As long as the focus of this day is providing the FACTS about communism and CLARIFICATION of the differences between socialism and communism, I believe this would be helpful in the continuing effort to create an informed electorate which has been accomplished through similar national recognition months and days like Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month. Maintaining our democracy depends on having educated and informed citizens who can make wise decisions in the election of their leaders. I would like to see similar days focused on the basic tenets of our democratic republic such as Constitution Day, or days designated for Articles and Amendments to the Constitution that focus on varying viewpoints and interpretations of them, the reasoning behind those viewpoints and what the effects of those viewpoints have in the lives of different segments of our society. No American should have to attend a college or university to gain this knowledge and learn how to base their personal views on the facts and identify the reasons behind their choices. Our national history is complex and multifaceted, and our citizens should have a good understanding of how it came to be that way!🇺🇸
11/07/2019
This the about the only bill that I could get behind by the democrats.
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11/08/2019
People need to be educated. The socialist programs we have are already bankrupting our country. I fear we are beyond the point of no return.
Argument opposed
While it’s true that communism has historically hurt people, it’s not fair to condemn the entire political system due to historic failures. It’s also intellectually dishonest to pretend that communism is the only political system that has hurt people throughout history. This is clearly a partisan resolution that seeks to make socialist policies espoused by some Democrats less appealing to American voters.
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11/07/2019
Only if we have a day for victims of capitalism, who die because they can’t afford to live. Begging online for money for insulin, criminalizing homelessness, curable people dying from running out of insurance. This is pointless.
11/07/2019
While it’s true that communism has historically hurt people, it’s not fair to condemn the entire political system due to historic failures. It’s also intellectually dishonest to pretend that communism is the only political system that has hurt people throughout history. This is clearly a partisan resolution that seeks to make socialist policies espoused by some Democrats less appealing to American voters.
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11/07/2019
The words capitalism, socialism, fascism and communism have very little meaning when taken out of context of the societies so governed, and the actions they take. It is more accurate to say that someone or some group is acting like a communist because they do this or that. The fact is that most governments have some capitalistic, some communistic, some socialistic and some fascist aspects in the way they operate. So saying that communism is bad per se, is meaningless. If you want to say Communistic Russia contributed to many unwarranted deaths which should be remembered, that would be OK, since we are talking about a specific country which espouses communistic principles but uses those principles to justify bad actions. We get way too attached to the implied connotation of certain words instead of their actual meaning. I cannot judge that any of these words are inherently good or bad; I can judge that the actions taken by a specific government that proclaims to practice governing according to one of these defined words can act in ways that are good or bad. The really bad word is authoritarianism which seems to be at the core of all bad actors; NAZI Germany, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria and so forth. Something we, unfortunately are seeing more of in our own country. All authoritarian societies tend to not play “fair” with the world’s community of nations.
As long as the focus of this day is providing the FACTS about communism and CLARIFICATION of the differences between socialism and communism, I believe this would be helpful in the continuing effort to create an informed electorate which has been accomplished through similar national recognition months and days like Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month. Maintaining our democracy depends on having educated and informed citizens who can make wise decisions in the election of their leaders. I would like to see similar days focused on the basic tenets of our democratic republic such as Constitution Day, or days designated for Articles and Amendments to the Constitution that focus on varying viewpoints and interpretations of them, the reasoning behind those viewpoints and what the effects of those viewpoints have in the lives of different segments of our society. No American should have to attend a college or university to gain this knowledge and learn how to base their personal views on the facts and identify the reasons behind their choices. Our national history is complex and multifaceted, and our citizens should have a good understanding of how it came to be that way!🇺🇸
Only if we have a day for victims of capitalism, who die because they can’t afford to live. Begging online for money for insulin, criminalizing homelessness, curable people dying from running out of insurance. This is pointless.
While it’s true that communism has historically hurt people, it’s not fair to condemn the entire political system due to historic failures. It’s also intellectually dishonest to pretend that communism is the only political system that has hurt people throughout history. This is clearly a partisan resolution that seeks to make socialist policies espoused by some Democrats less appealing to American voters.
The words capitalism, socialism, fascism and communism have very little meaning when taken out of context of the societies so governed, and the actions they take. It is more accurate to say that someone or some group is acting like a communist because they do this or that. The fact is that most governments have some capitalistic, some communistic, some socialistic and some fascist aspects in the way they operate. So saying that communism is bad per se, is meaningless. If you want to say Communistic Russia contributed to many unwarranted deaths which should be remembered, that would be OK, since we are talking about a specific country which espouses communistic principles but uses those principles to justify bad actions. We get way too attached to the implied connotation of certain words instead of their actual meaning. I cannot judge that any of these words are inherently good or bad; I can judge that the actions taken by a specific government that proclaims to practice governing according to one of these defined words can act in ways that are good or bad. The really bad word is authoritarianism which seems to be at the core of all bad actors; NAZI Germany, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria and so forth. Something we, unfortunately are seeing more of in our own country. All authoritarian societies tend to not play “fair” with the world’s community of nations.
This is an empty, pointless gesture intended to froth up the right. As Jennifer notes below, it’s also intellectually dishonest, ignoring how other systems also kill people. In our current capitalist hellscape, people with diabetes die because they can’t afford insulin. Children die because their families can’t afford medical treatment. According to some numbers, 1 in 5 children in the US experiences food insecurity, and 62% of teachers have reported students coming to school hungry, while we throw out or waste (according to the USDA) 30-40 percent of the food that we produce. While Communism is deeply flawed in many ways, it is just a system. How it works comes down to the people involved. Capitalism is just as guilty of deaths, but it is forgiven as long as those deaths are profitable.
Nothing the US hasn’t perpetrated under the flag of capitalism. Does that mean we now need a ‘Victims of Capitalism Memorial Day’ for all the heinous crimes the US has perpetrated and all the people who suffered because of it?
ALEC is involved in this and that’s bad news. Through the corporate funded ALEC, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try and rewrite state laws that govern our rights.
Participating legislators, overwhelmingly CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS, bring proposals home and introduce them in statehouses across the land as their own brilliant ideas and important public policy innovations, without disclosing that corporations crafted and voted on the bills.
98% of ALEC’s funding comes from corporations, corporate trade groups and corporate foundations.
And it’s misleading to say that socialism is communism. Socialism is an economic philosophy, whereas communism is economic and political in its requirement that government be the central owner and decision maker in all matters.
Oh for Christ’s sake! We have much bigger fish to fry and this is just utter nonsense.
Only if we also designate days to commemorate victims of lynching, attacks in religious institutions, and violence against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people (at least one transgender woman is brutally killed every month this year). Communism has been dangerous worldwide, but we have much darker crimes happening right here on our own soil, and much of it goes without real consequence.
We have bigger concerns for national security like protecting our elections. Why is legislation left up to the whims of Moscow Mitch?
We are now holding National holidays for foreigners? Can we start with immigrant victims day? Or perhaps Slavery Reperations Day? How about First Nations Memorial Day? We have plenty of victims in American history that we owe apologies and memorial in memory to who suffered under the yoke of capitalism and imperialism. So how about we stop the McCarthyism redbaiting?!?
Victims of hatred , ignorance and greed abound in our Earth!! Scapegoating and creating more ignorance, hatred and greed does not help us in mourning for them!!
Imagine if the world condemned democracy for the state sponsored terrorism by The United States Of America in Iraq and The Middle East in General!! That would be wholly unfair to democracy and even to ourselves!
This whole idea is revolting to any person of conscience!!
Or... and bare with me here... our congress could use that time it would take to do this and use it, oh idk... usefully!
People need to be educated. The socialist programs we have are already bankrupting our country. I fear we are beyond the point of no return.
This the about the only bill that I could get behind by the democrats.
Due to the lack of understanding of the -isms (capitalism, communism, socialism, etc) there is too much of a risk that this could be used as political propaganda to manipulate voters especially with the day falling so close to Election Day!
Furthermore, there are more important problems for Congress to work on like healthcare, gun control, education, crumbling infrastructure, global warming, etc!
Why has Congress been side tracked into this irrelevant topic unless to use it as a tool for propaganda in upcoming elections?
Over 100 million dead. Send it to hell. Although Capitalism isn’t innocent either, it has created the most prosperous earth along with Fossil Fuels that this planet has ever known. You owe your life to Capitalism and Fossil Fuels. Like it or not..
Not unless you plan on introducing the “Victims of Capitalism Day” as well.
This bill is ignorant and full of so many -ism I can’t even be bothered to address them all. Congress - please stop your distractions and work on bills of substance that are actually designed to help the people you represent!