Why do people use absolute language when arguing against communism?

[Catmatic Leftist]

Why are people more comfortable with using absolute language when talking about communism?

I notice that people tend to be more careful with other political ideologies, but they won't bat an eyelash to use 'never', 'always', 'only', etc. when attacking communism.

[Property Is Robbery]

1)They're dumb
2) Because they think its been tried and failed horribly.

[Agent Ducky]

They've been convinced throughout their lifetime and had this idea reinforced that communism is the worst system ever ever and they think that nobody in their right mind could possibly follow such a terrible system. Whereas with other ideologies they don't think they know everything about it and tread more carefully... I'm not sure.

[hatzel]

Last time I checked, people do that to every ideology they disagree with. Maybe you just don't notice people laying into fascism or liberalism with these absolute terms, because you're not overcome by some kind of 'but but but you're wrong! :crying:'-emotional response.

[Ocean Seal]

Why are people more comfortable with using absolute language when talking about communism?

I notice that people tend to be more careful with other political ideologies, but they won't bat an eyelash to use 'never', 'always', 'only', etc. when attacking communism.
Simply because they want to be convincing.
Look Here:
Socialism is necessarily the better system, only class war will bring peace and justice to the world, capitalism will never be able to support the working class, and relative to socialism always has resulted in inferior treatment for the workers of the world as a whole.
Now Here:
Socialism might be the better system, capitalism can possibly support its workers and at certain times socialism has been better for the workers of the world.
That's significantly less convincing than the first statement.

Also people are ignorant of socialism and communism. At least my first statement was not ignorant of capitalism.

[hatzel]

RedBrother's example shows quite clearly what I said. You don't complain about the 'absolute' nature of the terms used because you consider it true, so it doesn't make any difference to you, it doesn't affect you in any meaningful way. The inverse argument affects you, so you notice it (and complain about it :rolleyes:), which makes you think communism is getting 'special treatment', which it isn't...

[Luisrah]

Because that's what they are taught. Communists are intrinsically evil, no one knows why, and there's really no reason, they simply are evil.

The people are taught to think in absolutes, in black and white. There's no gray. There are good guys, and bad guys, there aren't people that are good in something, but have their problems, or there aren't bad guys that atleast have something good.
That's an easy to brainwash mentality. This is good, this is good, this is bad, this is good, this is bad.
If people had critical minds, and didn't think in this way, things would have changed by now, but it's not their fault.
We just have to fight that.

[Proukunin]

because of Mccarthyism, The Cold War and US propaganda against communism and socialism. A lot of those people are either patriots are die hard constitutionalists who dont even wanna hear anything else but great U.S.A. and American Bourgeois Revolution.

[Rafiq]

Communism is a very hard idea to refute.

[jmpeer]

Paragon -- Nothing has been defending communism recently and people don't really care to discuss such things. It leaves the crazies to be about their business and even claim people like Obama are communist.

[anonymousj]

Its ingrained into people they take some things as being true self evidently so feel free to use absolutes and never even think to question this - it doesent need a logical argument because its so obvious:D. also people need to be taught how to avoid logical fallicys before serious arguments can take place.

[GPDP]

Only a Sith would deal in absolutes.

[Astarte]

In places like the USA it is because during the Cold War the ruling class has made capitalism a kind of hegemonic ideological-culture in the minds of most of the population. The result is the one-dimensional man. The only dimension that exists to them is the "bourgeois dimension". To even think of questioning capitalist hegemony is considered ridiculous.

[Maphisto86]

For some reason when I bring up the legitimate fact that "communism" never really developed, people with a centrist or right wing mindset accuse me of the "No Good Scotsman" fallacy. Throughout the west but especially I find in the USA, people equate anything left of social democracy as being the same idealogical framework as Lenin, Stalin, Mao, etc.

[Black Sheep]

It's because most people that argue about communism have read about it, and have a level of """theoretical expertsise""", this learning new terms and words which they use.

Just like someone learning math uses new words and terms, which would baffle and annoy someone who doesn't know them, in the same way when you listen to communists talk you have an urge to vomit.

Such language we greeks call it "wooden".

In anti-communists' circles,political debates between parties, etc, the 'wooden language' argument is marvellous straw man, and a pointer to "oh,you old-fashioned backwards loonies with your strange words" and stuff.

Ironically, capitalists (are forced to) use more and more the same terms in situations (like the ec. crisis for example).