Progressives have such a child-like romanticized view of communism. My partner is a first generation American. His father is a refugee who fled here after narrowly escaping a mass grave during the communist revolution in Laos. His grandfather wasn’t so lucky. One of my best friends is also a first generation immigrant who’s parents fled here from the Khmer Rouge lest they become occupants of the killing fields of Cambodia. That is the universal reality of communism everywhere. Your willful ignorance of that truth is duly noted.
I agree with the first part, that many liberals have a romanticized vision of communism. It has never and could never be realized for many of the reasons that conservatives note.
Conversely, conservatives have a dogmatic sense of communism, calling any socialist idea, no matter how reasonable, "communism". Furthermore, conservatives often conflate the dictatorships that have marketed themselves as communist as being proof that communism is brutal and authoritarian. If its brutal, it's not actual communism.
Pol Pot, the favorite conservative example of a communist, wasn't one. Murdering the undesirables is more of a fascist activity than a communist one.
Any discussion of communism, though, is merely academic. Our reality, though, in this country, leans much harder towards fascism. It's very true. Fascism seeks to disempower the poor, to oppress the undesirables and to consolidate power into only a few hands. Donald Trump, like his father, is a fascist. He doesn't proudly exclaim that but we should call a spade a spade. I don't care to engage in the right wing version of political correctness where we must tiptoe around the American reality to avoid insulting fascists.
Yes, the protesters (some at least) are violent and threaten the public peace. Make no mistake, though, there is plenty of violence to go around on this planet, under various names. Fascism is a false label for socialist revolutionaries, even violent ones.
