The Great Depression

[Huelguista]

So I was just watching To Kill A Mockingbird in my film class, and for those of you who don't know, its set in the 1930's in America, during the great depression.

Throughout the movie i kept connecting a lot of the things they did to communist values, for instance in the beginning of the movie where one of the characters pays another with food, because he doesn't have any money (i.e. according to his or her need)

Then I thought about it further, because people hardly had any money to their name, they had to rely on their professions as a means of trade, like doing jobs for others and giving them what they could for payment.

Do you think The Great Depression was Americas first taste of premature communism?

[Spartacist]

Barter is an old concept, but yes, the Great Depression fostered the New Deal (the SECOND New Deal, post 1936) which could be interrepted as the thin end of a socialist wedge. Of course that said, the New Deal was something of a grab bag which included fascism.

A number of radicals, communists, socialists and progressives were attracted to the New Deal and the Depression fostered a good amount of radicalism among the average people. Too bad we could not fully capitalize on that spirit.

[Janus]

Throughout the movie i kept connecting a lot of the things they did to communist values, for instance in the beginning of the movie where one of the characters pays another with food, because he doesn't have any money (i.e. according to his or her need)
No, a communist society would not operate based on bartering as that is simply a more primitive method of the exchange that takes place now. Communism seeks to abolish this and socialize distribution.

[luxemburg89]

It's set just after the depression (1933) - especially as they often reference to during the depression - thus suggesting it has passed (although I don't think that's mentioned in the film, to really understand it and get a better idea of what its saying read the book) . I think its more sort of primitive communistic values - btw the film is fucking awesome but the book is even better.