Communism

Communism is a political ideology, established by Karl Marx. In 1917 Vladimir Lenin established the first Communist state in the world in Russia. Other countries, like China, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba became communist later.

Zappa about communism

"On the left you've got Communism. Well, Communism doesn't work. It absolutely doesn't work. - Frank Zappa in Interview by Bob Marshall, 22 October 1988.

"Mr. Gorbachev has apparently stumbled onto one of the best-kept secrets in recent Soviet history: Communism doesn't work. It's against a basic law of nature: "PEOPLE WANT TO OWN STUFF." - Frank Zappa in The Real Frank Zappa Book.

"In Prague, I was told that the biggest enemies of the Communist Czech state were Jimmy Carter and me. A student I met said that he was arrested by the secret police and beaten. They said they were going to beat the Zappa music out of him." - Frank Zappa. Interview in Playboy, 2 May 1993.

What has failed in Eastern Europe?

Zappa: "The United States government."

What do you mean by that?

Zappa: "Because after all these years of saying "We'd love to be rid of Communism," and then we built up these weapons to destroy Communism, and this huge army, it rots before your very eyes, and you've got this opportunity to go in and spread democracy, which all the Presidents have talked about. "This is democracy, it's good, everyone should have it, our way is the best," and all it would have taken is a couple of bucks, and some advisers to say, "Here's how a free-market system works" and a little friendly help. And that just wasn't there."

- Signs Of The Times, Spin, July 1991, Interview by Bob Guccione Jr.

References to Communism in Zappa's music

• Lonesome Cowboy Burt: "I'll find me some Communist bastard"
• Billy The Mountain: Ethell the Tree is under investigation for being a Communist.
• Anti-communist zealots are also a theme in Hunchentoot.
• I Don't Wanna Get Drafted: "Goddamn little communist..."

See also

• Joseph McCarthy
• Stalin
• Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev