Anti-Communist Myth-Busting
By Climate Vanguard
Stop Communism by US Department of State (1951).
General
"Is China Capitalist?" Vijay Prashad on Chinese Socialism by Qiao Collective (2020)
Some guidance on how to analyse and critically appraise real-existing socialism.
Defending Socialism: Debunking Anti-Communist Myths (w/ Radical Reflections) by Revolutionary Left Radio (2019)
A longer discussion on some of the most common anti-communist myths.
Black Shirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism by Michael Parenti (1997)
An equally readable and detailed defence of real-existing socialism.
The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism by Torkil Lauesen (2024)
Situates real-existing socialist projects within the broader process of transitioning away from capitalism.
Western Marxism and The Imperial Theory Industry by Revolutionary Left Radio (2026)
Unearthing the dynamics of anti-communist knowledge production.
Myth 1 Socialism doesn’t work
The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World by Vincent Bevins (2020)
The harrowing history of the mass murder programmes that killed millions of communists.
Washington Bullets by Vijay Prashad (2020)
A short but revealing history of US regime change operations.
Blowback: Season 2 – The Cuban Revolution (2021)
An in-depth look at the wide ranging efforts to sabotage socialist construction in Cuba.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Kim Bartley and Donnacha Ó Briain (2003)
A captivating account of the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.
Myth 2 People’s lives are worse under socialism
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence by Kristen Ghodsee (2018)
An exploration of how socialism can improve women’s economic independence and lead to more equal, fulfilling relationships.
Interrupted Emancipation: Women and Work in East Germany by The Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research (2024)
A review of the major advances women experienced in the German Democratic Republic.
Serve the People: The Eradication of Extreme Poverty in China by Tricontinential: Institute for Social Research (2021)
An in-depth look at the social mobilisation that eradicated extreme poverty in China.
Yugoslavia: Socialist Construction in the Balkans by Revolutionary Left Radio (2022)
A history of socialist construction Yugoslavia and anecdotes from everyday life.
Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man by Robin Shuffield (2006)
A documentary about the sweeping human development during Burkina Faso’s period of socialist construction.
Myth 3 Socialism is authoritarian
State and Revolution: Marx, Lenin & the Dictatorship of the Proletariat by Revolutionary Left Radio (2018)
An understanding of what words like “dictatorship,” “democracy,” and “freedom” mean in the context of class struggle and the transition away from capitalism.
Commune or Nothing: Venezuela’s Communal Movement and its Socialist Project by Chris Gilbert (2023)
A look at the communes in Venezuela and opportunities for full participation in public life.
Building Whole-Process People's Democracy in China by Paweł Wargan and Jason Hickel (2025)
An analysis of what democracy looks like in China.
Myth 4 100 million people died under socialism
The Black Book of Communism Is a Shoddy Work of History by Stefan Gužvica (2025)
Unearthing where the figure of 100 million deaths under communism even comes from.
The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism by Torkil Lauesen (2024)
Understanding the cause of deaths under real-existing socialism and contextualising them in relation to capitalist development [pp. 153-157; pp. 186-193].
Myth 5 Socialism is bad for the environment
Socialist States and the Environment Lessons for Eco-Socialist Futures by Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro (2021)
An assessment of socialist states’ environmental records and the lessons they provide for building eco-socialist futures.
China's Green Development is Both Anti-Imperialist and Socialist by Ashwin Shantha (2026)
A look at China’s world-leading ecological efforts and the political economy that makes it possible.
Cuba’s Life Task: Combatting Climate Change by DaniFilms (2022)
A study of Cuba’s national efforts to combat climate change, with a focus on its acroecological revolution.
Got any recommendations? Email us at hq@climatevanguard.org