Decades ago, many believed communist ideology should have been sidelined following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Instead, the malignant ideas and strategies derived from Karl Marx’s twisted mind have gained a significant academic, institutional, and cultural foothold in the Western world.
This insidious shift began quietly as the 1970s counterculture started to fade. A quiet revolution unfolded through American universities, where humanities and social science departments became ideological echo chambers. Drawing on Antonio Gramsci’s theories of ruling-class power maintenance and the Frankfurt School’s critical theory that derided capitalism, communist principles emerged as a blueprint for deconstructing societal frameworks with the goal of replacing them.
To achieve this, a battlefield was created: “The Oppressors vs. the Oppressed.” By fostering class envy and assigning victim status, members of society were pitted against one another.
What began in university halls quickly spread to elementary and high schools. Then, like dominoes falling in a row, federal and local governments, corporate boardrooms, news agencies, internet platforms, and Hollywood studios gave way under the influence.
Communism has been labeled as progressivism or democratic socialism by some. Yet it remains plain old communism—a relentless force seeking to gradually capture the systems that form America’s societal pillars: government, law, education, economics, business, and media.
For America, communism was custom-tailored to focus on culture and identity, a strategy designed to condition society against its neighbors. It was then marketed to an already-primed public to reshape institutions from within.
The evidence is stark: nearly all elite universities have faculties that lean decisively toward the far-left, with entire departments devoid of dissenters to the dominant ideology. Graduating students are highly knowledgeable about “systemic oppression,” “systemic racism,” “equity,” and “decolonization”—but woefully ignorant of the millions who died under history’s most notorious communist regimes.
This same curriculum infiltrated preschools, elementary schools, and high schools. As a result, too many young Americans now view socialism and communism as preferable to the representative republic that has secured freedom for nearly 250 years.
A significant portion of Democratic Party politicians, major corporations, news media outlets, the entertainment industry, and internet platforms have played a key role in this shift toward communism.
Over recent years, we’ve heard much about existential threats. Now, America faces what some call the “Mother of All Existential Threats”: the slow seep of communism into hearts, minds, and souls under the guise of virtue.
Whether it occurs suddenly or incrementally, the outcome remains the same: The America we cherish ceases to exist.
This is why reversing the trend is imperative. A critical first step is holding accountable those politicians already out of the communist closet. This is especially urgent because having avowed communists in public office is a new phenomenon—Even Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont did not embrace communist candidates until recently.
Another solution: joining the current religious revival. Faith, hope, and love have the power to transform our world.
May God bless America, now and forever. May we decide to cherish and keep her.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., is a law professor specializing in media psychology and a best-selling author.
