Opinion of History teachers explaining why communism is "bad"

[Mr. Smith]

I'd prefer that they teach the facts and let the students decide what's "good" and what's "bad".

This.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Not teaching that communism is evil in a social studies class is like teaching evolution is not real in a biology class.

[Dr. MB]

Not teaching that communism is evil in a social studies class is like teaching evolution is not real in a biology class.

There's a difference between fact and opinion. Fascism and communism are not inherently "evil", I happen to strongly disagree with both ideologies but they are just that, ideologies. Teaching that certain beliefs are uncritically evil or wrong is indoctrination. In Eastern Bloc classes they were taught capitalism is evil, America is evil, so why is teaching that communism is evil any better than the Soviets?

It's better to present the facts, talk about Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and Mussolini and not just telling them to accept one belief.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Not teaching that communism is evil in a social studies class is like teaching evolution is not real in a biology class.

There's a difference between fact and opinion. Fascism and communism are not inherently "evil", I happen to strongly disagree with both ideologies but they are just that, ideologies. Teaching that certain beliefs are uncritically evil or wrong is indoctrination. In Eastern Bloc classes they were taught capitalism is evil, America is evil, so why is teaching that communism is evil any better than the Soviets?

It's better to present the facts, talk about Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and Mussolini and not just telling them to accept one belief.

     Indeed, history class should not be taking its time to moralize. Simply lay out the historical records of fascism and communism and it should be clear to everyone why these are horrific ideologies. If anything, explaining at length why they are terrible will probably only prompt teenagers to identify with them in an effort to be as edgy as possible.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Massive FF as Communism is 100% evil.


Communism = 2nd most evil ideology in the past 200 years

Socialism = Evil

Democratic Socialism = Terrible policies

Wow lol

[Kingpoleon]

Few normal individuals would defend any of the Stalinist regimes, but American schools do not teach about the ideology correctly or with nuance. It should demonstrate quite well the problems with the way it is taught if a few of our younger posters(and more... gullible posters as well ) believe that communism is the equality of pay, something that is so hilariously and ironically false that it hurts.

I’m sorry - I was explaining it as an economic system, as, from my understanding, under communism there is no income inequality. Is this or is this not correct?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Massive FF as Communism is 100% evil.


Communism = 2nd most evil ideology in the past 200 years

Socialism = Evil

Democratic Socialism = Terrible policies

Wow lol

What did I say wrong:


Soviet Union , China until the late 1970s , North Korea = Communist


Venezuela since Chavez took over = Socialist


Bernie Sanders , Jeremy Corbyn = Democratic Socialist

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Not teaching that communism is evil in a social studies class is like teaching evolution is not real in a biology class.

There's a difference between fact and opinion. Fascism and communism are not inherently "evil", I happen to strongly disagree with both ideologies but they are just that, ideologies. Teaching that certain beliefs are uncritically evil or wrong is indoctrination. In Eastern Bloc classes they were taught capitalism is evil, America is evil, so why is teaching that communism is evil any better than the Soviets?

It's better to present the facts, talk about Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and Mussolini and not just telling them to accept one belief.

     Indeed, history class should not be taking its time to moralize. Simply lay out the historical records of fascism and communism and it should be clear to everyone why these are horrific ideologies. If anything, explaining at length why they are terrible will probably only prompt teenagers to identify with them in an effort to be as edgy as possible.

Certainly, history instructors should not be in the business of weighing souls; but critically evaluating ideologies is part of history, and that will inevitably lead to discussions of whether the given belief system is "moral" or good. On the whole, I'd say it's better to have those conversations openly — and for instructors to be upfront about their own assumptions and beliefs — than to pretend moral judgement plays no role in our understanding of history, which is clearly not the case.

[Murica!]

Massive FF as Communism is 100% evil.


Communism = 2nd most evil ideology in the past 200 years

Socialism = Evil

Democratic Socialism = Terrible policies

Wow lol

What did I say wrong:


Soviet Union , China until the late 1970s , North Korea = Communist


Venezuela since Chavez took over = Socialist


Bernie Sanders , Jeremy Corbyn = Democratic Socialist

Stalinism, the most communist thing I've ever heard of*! I mean hell, even if we say the others are in some way or form "communist", then North Korea hasn't been such since 1995 when it removed all reference to Marxism-Leninism from it's Constitution.

Ah yes, Venezuela, the country with an absolute majority of production being private is socialist.

I mean, sure?

I love how just flat out bullsh**t your opinions are, pick up a book and read one please.

*Unless we, you know, think about all those Communists it killed from the USSR to Spain, or its totallity of state which did not even resemble a vaguely socialist society.