What exactly is communism?
Think back to kindergarten, when you were required to share your toys with everybody—even that one girl, Alexis, who "borrowed" your red crayon and broke it. (We're still mad at Alexis.)
It all comes down to equality, which is essentially the foundation of communism: everything is shared equally, and the government owns and controls almost everything. Which, if you think about the American economic system (competition), you can see why there were some basic philosophical disagreements.
In "The Evil Empire," Ronnie's saying we need to put an end to the evil that is communism, to stop oppressive governments from breaking the red crayons of their people. What's important, though, is he didn't focus on how perfect America was—he opened the Burn Book and was really honest about our history to prove we could learn from our past and make things better for everyone.
Questions About Communism
- Why do you think Reagan waited to address issues of communism and nuclear arms until the end of his speech?
- Do you agree with Reagan that "the real crisis we face...is a spiritual one?" (160) Why or why not? Do you see any parallels with what is happening in the world today?
- What is Reagan's stance on the nuclear freeze? Do you agree with him?
- In line 165, Reagan says, "I believe that communism is another sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages even now are being written." Why do you think he believes communism is coming to an end?
Chew on This
The biggest ideological difference between communism and American democracy comes down to the interpretation of what it means to be equal.
Thomas Paine said, "We have it within our power to begin the world over again." In his speech, Reagan says the only way to change the world is to practice American ideologies everywhere.