Because American’s are stupid and don’t understand the difference between economic systems and political systems. After WW2, Russia was seen as a political threat/rival. Since Russia used a communist economic system Americans were taught that communism was bad. I can at least personally attest that I was educated to believe communism was equated with authoritarianism during the mid 1980s. This is something I didn’t come to recognize until I was in college.
Because American’s are stupid and don’t understand the difference between economic systems and political systems. After WW2, Russia was seen as a political threat/rival. Since Russia used a communist economic system Americans were taught that communism was bad. I can at least personally attest that I was educated to believe communism was equated with authoritarianism during the mid 1980s. This is something I didn’t come to recognize until I was in college.