subject: United States First Amendment Vs. Communism [print this page] Note how the communism did exactly the opposite of what The First Amendment was designed to do.
The United States adopted the First Amendment of the Constitution on December 15, 1791.
The Bolshevik revolution started the creation of Soviet Union, a country almost ten times the size of the United States and Canada combined, in 1917. That was 126 years after the First Amendment was added to the US Constitution.
Did the Soviets tried to learn anything from the so called New World, the America?
No, a resounding NO!
Communism collapsed on its own weight of an incompetent government that meddled too much into peoples life instead of setting them free.
All they had to do is learn from America. But thats not the way communism operated.
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights.
The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, infringing on the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
1. Prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion.
The founders did not want a state sponsored church or religion.
Communism
Communism replaced the church and God with communist ideologist Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. Communism became the church and its leaders the Gods.
The communists established the new sponsored state religion, Communism.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
2. Prohibits the making of any law that Prohibits impeding the free exercise of religion.
The founders wanted the religion to be free of government interference.
Communism
Communism did not close the churches. It elevated the head of church to a ministerial position and kept all the priests and clergy on government payroll and there were no complains from the clergy.
On the other hand, the public was advised not to attend the church. Planted spies reported on individuals who attended, and these individuals were reprimanded. Within few years, the churches were empty and stayed that way. Only elderly women attended.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
3. Prohibits the making of any law that Prohibits infringing on the freedom of speech.
This is self explanatory. The freedom of speech is probably the most difficult topic to explain to the American public, mostly because there is no precedence in the American history. The political correctness speech comes somehow close.
Communism
To critique the government was a criminal offense, even if it was done in private. If one was reported even by ones child, the secret police would open an interrogation often preceded by the individuals arrest. All criminal charges were executed in secret. My uncle was arrested as he got off the train. Nobody in our family knew anything about his fate, until two years later when he showed up. All he did was sharing his frustration about the communist government with a stranger in the train while traveling. The stranger was an informant.
Even the legal system, whatever was worth, was so deeply affected that it was impossible to sue any institution (since all belonged to the government and run by loyal communists.) The main reason was: The communist government could never be wrong.
People learned at an early age what could not be said in public. We became diplomats even in private conversations at home within the family.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
4. Prohibits the making of any law that Prohibits infringing on the freedom of the press.
Freedom of the press is also self explanatory although fairness doctrine comes close to what the communism implemented. The press could only attack the enemy of the state. The state was immune.
Communism
Communists understood the power of the media even before radio was invented. When the communist government took hold of power, the first thing they did was to control all media organizations. The media became the propaganda machine. It included also arts and movie industry. Each media organization was assigned a very strict censor.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
5. Prohibits the making of any law that Prohibits interfering with the right to peaceably assemble
Peaceful assemblies are also self explanatory. It is more difficult to explain how the communists managed to ban all unofficial assemblies.
Communism
Communists knew very well the power of assembly, especially if held in secret. They themselves used it quite successfully to gain political power. The government decreed that each assembly and its purpose must be reported. An assembly was defined as three people or more. The Soviets went so far as to build restrooms with open stalls (no doors) to make sure nobody could hide in the privacy of the bathroom. At least thats what I was told in a visit at an aircraft factory in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
US First Amendment to the Constitution
6. Prohibits the making of any law that Prohibits the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances
Even this government has been trying to make it very difficult for private entities to sue but it is still possible.
Communism
Communism made impossible for any private individual entity to sue any organization. I am not talking about suing the government. No attorney would dare. It was suicidal. I am talking about suing government owned factories or food processors who sold tainted food. The reason was very simple. They were all run by loyal communist managers, most of them incompetent. The court, controlled by the communist leaders, took the position the government entities were always right and charges were unsubstantiated. No one could ever win, unless the top manager involved fell out of favor with party bosses and was summarily dismissed.
