How corporate America became the bogeyman of today’s anti-Communist crusaders.
by Steve Fraser, Tom Dispatch
Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida and perhaps the next president of the United States, is waging war against something he and many others on the right identify as “woke communism.” DeSantis even persuaded the Florida legislature to pass a Victims of Communism law, mandating that every November 7th (the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia), all public schools in the state must devote 45 minutes of instruction to the evils of the red menace.
You might reasonably ask: What menace? After all, the Soviet Union fell apart more than 30 years ago and, long before that, communist parties around the world had dwindled in numbers and lost their revolutionary zeal. The American Communist Party was buried alive nearly three-quarters of a century ago during the McCarthy hysteria of the 1950s.

How then can there be a muscular rebirth of anti-communism when there’s no communism to face off against? The Claremont Institute, a right-wing think tank, explains the paradox this way: the powers that be of the present moment, including “education, corporate media, entertainment, big business, especially big tech, are to varying degrees aligned with the Democratic Party which is now controlled by Woke Communism.”
All clear now? A “cold civil war” is afoot, so we’re assured by DeSantis and crew, and if we don’t act quickly, “woke communism will replace American justice… the choice is between liberty or death.”
Recent Posts
To Resist Trump, The Left Must Change, A Zero Hour Conversation With Norman Solomon
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now Norman Solomon and RJ Eskow discuss the challenges facing the Democratic Party and the need for a united front against the Trump…
An AI Dragnet Is Sweeping Up Immigrants
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now The U.S. government is activating a suite of algorithmic surveillance tools, developed in concert with major tech companies, to…
The ADL Has Been Going To Bat For Weapons Manufacturers
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now The Anti-Defamation League now says criticizing the use of US weapons is ‘antisemitic’.By Eli Clifton, Responsible…
America First? No, Corporations First.
May 8, 2025
Take Action Now Big corporations donated heavily to Trump’s inaugural fund. Just a few months later, federal cases against them are being dropped.…