My theme this week on the Wordcraftjr board is governmental/political words, and today's word is "Communist." I tried to find out why red is associated with being a Communist. Is it because of the flag? Is it the Red Army in Russia? Or is it something else?

What I know, Red-in policy- refers to violence and revolution, and also refers to any political or sociological changes depandes on power like Japanes Red Army or Italian Red Brigades or as you mentioned Red Aramy in Russia.

I know you don't trust it, Kalleh, but The Online Etymology Dictionary gives:

quote:

"Bolshevik," 1917, from red (1), the color they adopted for themselves. Association in Europe of red with revolutionary politics (on notion of blood and violence) is from at least 1297, but got a boost 1793 with adoption of the red Phrygian cap (Fr. bonnet rouge) as symbol of the Fr. Revolution. First specific political reference in Eng. was 1848 (adj.), in news reports of the Second French Republic (a.k.a. Red Republic). The noun meaning "radical, communist" is from 1851.

Arnie, it isn't that I don't trust it. It's just that sometimes they copy, word for word, from the OED, and I always find that annoying. However, I use it a lot, and I do like it.

Thanks for the link. I was surely wrong, wasn't I?

Association in Europe of red with revolutionary politics (on notion of blood and violence) is from at least 1297, but got a boost 1793 with adoption of the red Phrygian cap (Fr. bonnet rouge) as symbol of the Fr. Revolution. First specific political reference in Eng. was 1848 (adj.), in news reports of the Second French Republic (a.k.a. Red Republic).

Funny how red has recently been associated with the right wing of the Centrist Demo-GOP in the US of A these days, and blue with the left wing of same.

Somehow in mind's eye I see a revolutionary in bright carmagnole, and with red beard

Assuming that Evil Spirits are like Terrorists, the War On Terror has been going on for several thousand years, especially in China, where they invented Gunpowder.

During most of those millenia Gunpowder, in the form of firecrackers, served only one purpose -- to keep Evil Spirits away.

Everyone knew that Evil Spirts were repelled by loud noises and bright lights. Shooting off whole packages of firecrackers provided both.

Perhaps it was those sneaky Evil Spirits that suggested it might also be useful in gunnery and ballistcs and blasting.

Then the wise philosophers somehow discovered that the color red is also effective, so a decree went out that every household should have at least 100 Chinese-red items.

Think how bad things might be if those Evil-Spirit repellents had not been used.

The Chinese people are not particularly supersitious, they just know it doesn't pay to take chances.

This doesn't explain the association of Red with Communism or Violence, but it does suggest a reason for the popularity of that color. Especially in China.