(Minghui.org) The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, begins with, “A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism.” Some may find humor in this statement, but communism’s bloody 170-year history shows this description to be fitting.
From the Paris Commune to the Soviet Union and China, the communist specter has brought brutality and lies wherever it went. Despite China’s 5,000-year-long history, the country was devastated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After the CCP persecuted landlords during the Land Reform Movement (1950) and business owners in the Three-anti and Five-anti Campaigns (1951 – 1952), it moved on to silencing intellectuals during the Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957 – 1959) and wiping out traditional values during the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976).
The communist specter wasn’t done, and the resulting tragedies continued. Ten years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989), the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong practitioners for following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The Chinese regime’s military-style lockdown during the COVID pandemic also led to endless pain throughout China.
The damage is not limited to communist countries. “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win,” concludes the Communist Manifesto. In keeping with this ambition, the Chinese regime exports its communist ideology globally. In 2013, the regime proposed “a community of common destiny for mankind.” The English translation was later changed to “a community with a shared future for mankind,” but its essence remains the same.
The CCP’s aggressive expansion is not accidental; rather, it is rooted in its deep desire to control more territory and people. Since the regime disregards faith and moral principles, in this process it engages in unrestricted warfare–not only toward Chinese people, but globally.
“Unrestricted warfare” is a modern term, but the CCP achieves its goals at any cost—it has no consideration for laws or moral principles. Yan Xishan, a Chinese warlord in Shanxi Province, was clear on this, and in a 1948 speech he called the CCP “a most bewitching nine-tailed fox spirit.” He said whoever worked with the CCP would be misled and harmed.
Nevertheless, people in China continue to be deceived by the CCP’s lies and cover-ups. Many countries in Europe and the Americas have also been deeply infiltrated by communism and socialism, leading to an increasing number of problems surfacing in these countries.
The CCP’s ideology of class struggle, hatred, and deception makes it difficult for the regime to tolerate traditional values such as Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa, which began in July 1999, is among the world’s worst human rights atrocities in the 21st century.
In another example of unrestricted warfare, former CCP leader Jiang Zemin (who initiated the persecution) once gave an order to “ruin their [practitioners’] reputation, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically.” The Party defames Falun Dafa through its state-run media and education system. It uses the justice system to detain and torture large numbers of practitioners. By killing practitioners for their organs, it is carrying out an unprecedented crime against humanity.
The CCP’s goal is not only to rule the world, but to destroy mankind’s traditional values. That is why the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners for their faith goes beyond a violation of human rights–the CCP is systematically depriving people of their conscience, turning Chinese people and others around the world into its accomplices, and endangering mankind.
Despite the CCP’s harsh suppression and defamation, Falun Dafa has remained strong and gained support outside China. According to leaked documents, the CCP plans to escalate its defamation campaign against Falun Dafa and Shen Yun Performing Arts. In line with these plans, waves of news articles and social media posts slandering Shen Yun and Falun Dafa have emerged since the summer of 2024.
One of the reasons the CCP has exhausted its overseas influence to target Shen Yun is that Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, while the CCP’s goals include suppressing and eradicating traditional values.
Based in New York, Shen Yun now has 8 touring companies that have put on over 7,400 performances in front of more than 11 million audience members to date. The hard work and success of Shen Yun, along with the traditional culture it represents, is a testimony to the American dream. By targeting Shen Yun, the CCP is undermining American values and threatening the free world.
Looking back over the past century, the harm that communism and the CCP have brought to humanity is beyond description. According to The Book of Revelation, the Battle of Armageddon refers to a battle between good and evil. To some degree, the spectre of communism represents the evil forces or Satan, and it attempts to destroy humanity by spreading lies and depriving people of their conscience.
In this battle, the choices we make and how we align ourselves are critical. It is important to distance ourselves from communism, embrace traditional values, and cherish kindness. By staying away from the CCP, humankind will have a bright future.