It is crucial for young people engaging with these ideologies to recognize that they have not merely been theoretical; communism has been implemented by Marxist-Leninist parties in numerous countries, leading to oppressive totalitarian regimes, as evidenced by the communist legacy in my home country of Czechia.
On the 77th anniversary of the election that brought communists to power in Prague, the horrors of that era remain vivid. I, born shortly after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, grew up listening to the bleak experiences of living under communism – a time when individual freedoms were crushed and dissent led to severe repercussions.
In that period, career opportunities were determined by one’s political alignment rather than skills, leading to qualified individuals in stifling, marginalized positions, while poorly qualified communist party members occupied influential roles. The regime’s brutality and surveillance were widely known, but countless personal stories of repression remain hidden.
Given the vast impact on society, the fact that many now romanticize communist ideas without understanding their real-world effects is particularly troubling. This disconnect risks overlooking the violations of human rights and the introduction of new inequalities under the guise of eradicating them.
To move forward and avoid the repetition of historical wrongs, we must consider the lived experiences of those under totalitarian systems and allow their stories to inform our political ideologies.
This article reflects the author’s own views and not necessarily those of Al Jazeera.
