Where is communism illegal?

[khlib]

I was hoping to find a list of countries in which communist parties, symbols, or rhetoric are currently outlawed. Does anyone know where I could find this?

[RadicalRed]

Poland everything related to Communism is banned you can't even wear a red star.

[Stalin Ate My Homework]

Poland and the Baltic states outlawed all Communist symbols and you an be thrown in jail for denying 'crimes of the Soviet past', they tried to enact similar laws in Czech and Hungary but I think they failed.

[Tim Cornelis]

Florida Laws: FL Statutes - Title XLVI Crimes Paragraph 876.01 “Criminal anarchy, Communism, and other specified doctrines; advocacy prohibited”

And South Korea because of North Korea (a Left communist -- i think -- was arrested for advocating socialism even though he considers North Korea 'state capitalism').

[Ocean Seal]

Everywhere in the United States advocating communism is technically illegal, but it is not strictly enforced being that there needs to be a substantive threat before they kill anyone.

[Tommy4ever]

I believe Slovakia passed legislation to ban Communist symbols and the usual thing about making it illegal to deny 'crimes of Communist past'.

[Red Future]

Saudi Arabia.

[Krano]

Why not just ban workers while your at it? see how well your society works.

[Drosophila]

Florida Laws: FL Statutes - Title XLVI Crimes Paragraph 876.01 “Criminal anarchy, Communism, and other specified doctrines; advocacy prohibited”



What the hell?? Isn't that completely illegal?

[Prometeo liberado]

In the US many unions ban membership from being members in a communist party or organization. UFCW union for one just recently lifted those restrictions. AFL-CIO proudly flaunted this restriction for membership.

[Ostrinski]

I believe all the Iranian communists are in exile.

[DarkPast]

I know for sure that Hungary has banned communist symbols. I've read Lithuania and Latvia did it, too. They failed to pass the law in Estonia. Poland banned the symbols, but I've heard something about it being reversed last year (I think someone on this forum mentioned it, but I couldn't find confirmation anywhere on the 'Net).

I have no idea for countries outside Europe. I only know that you can be denied an American visa if you are - or even were - a member of a communist or anarchist organization.

[danyboy27]

Communism is illegal everywhere.

[khlib]

I know for sure that Hungary has banned communist symbols. I've read Lithuania and Latvia did it, too. They failed to pass the law in Estonia. Poland banned the symbols, but I've heard something about it being reversed last year (I think someone on this forum mentioned it, but I couldn't find confirmation anywhere on the 'Net).

I have no idea for countries outside Europe. I only know that you can be denied an American visa if you are - or even were - a member of a communist or anarchist organization.

What are things like in Croatia? Are there any restrictions there?

[DarkPast]

What are things like in Croatia? Are there any restrictions there?

Thankfully, no. All communist symbols are legal, as are communist parties (they're all quite small and insignificant, however). Nazi/ustaše symbols are banned, but this law is often ignored.

However, there is a moderately strong lobby that's trying to equate communism with fascism. There's also some neonazi idiots who hide behind labels like "patriots" or "real Croats", "good Catholics" etc. who are pushing to remove the remaining streets and squares named after Tito or other partisan war heroes (they haven't had any real success). The first group is far more dangerous.

[ВАЛТЕР]

I don't think they even need to ban the parties in many countries, since they have no teeth anymore due to the overwhelming anti-communist propaganda.

I feel it is a bigger problem when a Communist party becomes so "mainstream" that it loses itself to bourgeois politics.

I think having classical bourgeois-style parties is counterrevolutionary in many ways. I do believe that a party must exist, however I do not think it should ever compromise with other bourgeois parties. No alliance forming, and no deals. Compromise is defeatist I think. You are either a proper communist party, or you are some kind of social-democratic/nationalist mix of bullshit painted red with a hammer and sickle on your office door.

Just thinking out loud.

[MarxSchmarx]

Tragically, and significantly, communism remains illegal and brutally suppressed in Indonesia.

Indonesia once had one of the largest communist parties of any post-colonial nation. The vibrant party managed to guide a significant share of post-independence initiatives and had substantial support among the working class. Moreover, the Communist Party enjoyed tremendous support for having fought vigorously against both Japanese and Dutch occupations.

And then the hammer fell - hard. Indonesian communism was crushed through massacres the scale of which can only be described as a true crime against humanity. Upwards of half a million communists, their sympathizers and their family members were murdered in a blood bath barely rivaled in Latin America. But unlike Latin America and parts of Africa, the regime in Indonesia never had to account seriously for its crimes.

Perhaps more tellingly, centrist politicians in Indonesia no longer see communism as a threat and have been inclined to relax prohibitions the way it was done in Taiwan and to a lesser extent Thailand. However, even these paltry concessions have met fierce opposition from an unholy alliance of Islamic radicals and Indonesia's immensely powerful oligarchy. The situation is likely to remain at the status quo in this, the world's fourth most populous country.

[eric922]

What the hell?? Isn't that completely illegal?
The Supreme Court has ruled that unless there is threat of "imminent lawless action" you can't arrest people for mere advocation of an idea without violating the free speech clause of the first amendment. Though, how they interpret "imment lawless action" is anyone's guess and there are several exceptions to freedom of speech in the U.S. The capitalist state is very good at carving out "necessary" exceptions to the rights they claim are absolute and "inalienable."

[GatesofLenin]

Communism is illegal everywhere.
Where in Canada is being a communist illegal? I'm openly commie and tell others about it. I even carry the manifesto and read it in public location like cafes. The Communist Party of Canada has a website and it lists real names on it of members. I wear my Lenin pin as well when the time is right like at public meetings, etc...

[Comrade Samuel]

Why, wherever ignorance is to be found of corse.

I guess I can see some reason in former soviet states to ban communist symbolism but not only is it a insult to the phrase "freedom of expression" it Is also a disgusting attempt to suppress the prolaterates of the world. It's like denying it ever happened which is a horrible idea because the whole point of history is to LEARN from it. The only people who would want to ban communism are those who benefit most from capitalism and only a fool would believe it to be "what the people want".

[Grenzer]

What the hell?? Isn't that completely illegal?

No, I don't think it is. In fact, I think it's still technically against federal law to be a member of the CPUSA, but it's been unenforced. Not that this particular law should be a problem for any of the people who come here(I hope). Such a law would be unconstitutional, but then again who gives a fuck? We shouldn't, and they certainly don't. "Law" means nothing to the bourgeoisie other than as a tool to further their interests.

I can guarantee you that if the US government felt that communists posed a political threat again, it'd be the Red Scare all over again and all that feel good bullshit about being open and tolerating towards minority views would go right out the window. "Rights" about free speech and political views in the context of a bourgeois republic are completely meaningless; these things change in accordance with the threat level of the opposition.

[Dunk]

Where in Canada is being a communist illegal? I'm openly commie and tell others about it. I even carry the manifesto and read it in public location like cafes. The Communist Party of Canada has a website and it lists real names on it of members. I wear my Lenin pin as well when the time is right like at public meetings, etc...

I think danyboy didn't mean to suggest that being a communist or even being in a communist political organization is illegal everywhere, but meant perhaps that actively participating in the real historical movement to abolish capitalism is de facto illegal everywhere simply for the threat it poses to power. For example, Fred Hampton being assassinated in his bed.

[o well this is ok I guess]

As a rule of thumb, if there's guerrilla's hiding in the jungle don't bring your copy of Capital there.
No point inquiring about the legality.

[hashem]

I believe all the Iranian communists are in exile.

except those who are in mass graves!

[hashem]

in all countries of middle east, even small circles of revolutionaries are illegal.

there might be some legal opportunist and reformist parties which claim to be "revolutionary" but we should judge them by their deeds.

[m1omfg]

I guess I can see some reason in former soviet states to ban communist symbolism but not only is it a insult to the phrase "freedom of expression" it Is also a disgusting attempt to suppress the prolaterates of the world. It's like denying it ever happened which is a horrible idea because the whole point of history is to LEARN from it. The only people who would want to ban communism are those who benefit most from capitalism and only a fool would believe it to be "what the people want".

What is this "reason"? Most post-Soviet states are semi-dictatorships and far worse off than when they were part of the USSR.

[Sasha]

The PVV (wilders his party) has in their program the clause "on the 4th of may we remember the victims of (national-) socialism", the 4th of being the remembrance day before wo2 liberation day. Luckily this brought them so much ridicule from across the whole political spectrum they don't talk about it much anymore but its a telling sing of the party's views and what would be in stock if we would ever be faced by a PVV led government..

[GatesofLenin]

I think danyboy didn't mean to suggest that being a communist or even being in a communist political organization is illegal everywhere, but meant perhaps that actively participating in the real historical movement to abolish capitalism is de facto illegal everywhere simply for the threat it poses to power. For example, Fred Hampton being assassinated in his bed.

Yeah, I can see that point of view. Thanks for the clear up!

[The Young Pioneer]

I know for sure that Hungary has banned communist symbols.

That's strange, since this is in Budapest...

http://www.dunatv.hu/data/cms693130/soviet_1.jpg

(Soviet star on top, hammer and sickle in the middle - inscription below honouring Soviet heroism.)

(And no, this isn't in Memento Park.)

[DarkPast]

That's strange, since this is in Budapest...

http://www.dunatv.hu/data/cms693130/soviet_1.jpg

(Soviet star on top, hammer and sickle in the middle - inscription below honouring Soviet heroism.)

(And no, this isn't in Memento Park.)

Yeah but the context is different: this is a war memorial, not something related to modern politics. There's bound to be other exceptions: such symbols can be shown in museums or movies and the like.

As you can see in the following article, people can actually get arrested for using communist symbolism during protests and the like.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,663154,00.html

[Lanky Wanker]

So what if we just rename ourselves and use different imagery? Tell them we base our ideas on the writings of a Mr Carl Narx, as well as other glorious non-existent figures like Fladimir Ilyish Lemin... problem solved.

[Dr Doom]

And South Korea because of North Korea (a Left communist -- i think -- was arrested for advocating socialism even though he considers North Korea 'state capitalism').

actually it was 8 south korean left communists arrested and all sentenced to over a year in prison.

the national security act, which is pretty much an anti-communist law makes it illegal to promote 'negative ideas' regarding the south korean state.

[danyboy27]

Where in Canada is being a communist illegal? I'm openly commie and tell others about it. I even carry the manifesto and read it in public location like cafes. The Communist Party of Canada has a website and it lists real names on it of members. I wear my Lenin pin as well when the time is right like at public meetings, etc...

Being able to talk about is is verry different from being able to actually do it.

Go try to takeover your workplace from your boss and see what happen.

[danyboy27]

Law against communist symbols and communist litteratures are not really relevant, even worst they can actually become a nuisance to the capitalist beccause it would force their opponent to upgrade both their messages and tool to the situation at hand.

The really bad things that is hurting anti-capitalist is the injust property law and the gun that back them up.

Without gun, the CEO of general motor would have a hard time imposing his control over his factories.

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

Who cares about where communism is illegal? The capitalist liars cannot prevent it. They cannot prevent the fact that when the workers rise up, the first people they will be looking for is them. And this shit-talk about communist crimes is bullshit. I think those Eastern European capitalists would have prefered if the fascists stayed and killed millions of more innocent people. They cannot accept that the deathless ideal of Marxism-Leninism saved them from fascist terror. Pisses me off so much.

And with the (almost nonexistant) anti-communist laws in America: who gives a fuck, they are not going to stop us or the workers movement. That would be impossible.

With South Korea and Taiwan . . . they are not even countries. One is a province of the People's Republic of China and the other is a colony of the United States.

[Rooster]

Poland everything related to Communism is banned you can't even wear a red star.

Really? When I was in Poland I was walking around with a red star on my lapel and no one said anything. I was even able to get a couple of books by Marx and Trotsky in Polish too (albeit second hand).

[gorillafuck]

advocacy of any sort of communism is illegal in all right wing dictatorships (some of which are "anti-imperialist" countries that some so vehemently defend here), south korea, and several eastern european democracies.

[Arlekino]

Really? When I was in Poland I was walking around with a red star on my lapel and no one said anything. I was even able to get a couple of books by Marx and Trotsky in Polish too (albeit second hand).

Poland got strong issues against communism. I am not sure if Poland banned communism symbols but as far I know is illegal. Regards about Lithuania is illegal to propagation of communism as well illegal to glorified in war times there was Partizans whom flighted against nationalist (Forest of Brothers). There are few cases now few partisans in war times whom worked together with soviets ending to courts now they are old now but classified as criminals.

[daft punk]

Tragically, and significantly, communism remains illegal and brutally suppressed in Indonesia.

Indonesia once had one of the largest communist parties of any post-colonial nation. The vibrant party managed to guide a significant share of post-independence initiatives and had substantial support among the working class. Moreover, the Communist Party enjoyed tremendous support for having fought vigorously against both Japanese and Dutch occupations.

And then the hammer fell - hard. Indonesian communism was crushed through massacres the scale of which can only be described as a true crime against humanity. Upwards of half a million communists, their sympathizers and their family members were murdered in a blood bath barely rivaled in Latin America. But unlike Latin America and parts of Africa, the regime in Indonesia never had to account seriously for its crimes.

Perhaps more tellingly, centrist politicians in Indonesia no longer see communism as a threat and have been inclined to relax prohibitions the way it was done in Taiwan and to a lesser extent Thailand. However, even these paltry concessions have met fierce opposition from an unholy alliance of Islamic radicals and Indonesia's immensely powerful oligarchy. The situation is likely to remain at the status quo in this, the world's fourth most populous country.

It was the policies of the PKI that led to the genocide.