Welcome to the People’s Republic of America: A Fictional Journey into Real Misconceptions
What if the U.S. were truly communist? A fictional walk through an alternate America to clear up the confusion once and for all.
By R.L. Crossan
The Fictional Republic: Year 2035
The American flag had long since been retired—replaced by a single red banner with a hammer, a wheat stalk, and a state-issued barcode. The 50 stars were deemed too “individualistic.”
Gone were state borders. Now, the country was divided into Zones of Labor. You didn’t live in Texas anymore—you lived in Zone 17-A, where you were required to produce no less than 1,000 industrial labor credits per month.
Healthcare, education, housing, even socks—everything came from the central government’s Department of Resource Allocation. Choice was discouraged. Asking for a second pair of socks was considered “capitalist hoarding.”
The Morning Routine
At 6:00 AM sharp, the sirens wailed across neighborhoods—the daily wake-up call.
Every home had the same beige, government-assigned furniture and the same state-approved news channel, which turned on automatically with your morning cereal ration.
Today’s breakfast: half a bowl of gray nutrient paste. “Efficient and fair,” said the Commissar of Provisions on the screen.
Personal vehicles? Outlawed. You took the "People's Transit," a windowless train that stopped at every district checkpoint for loyalty inspections. Talking about "starting your own business" would land you on the Suspicion List.
The Job You Didn’t Choose
You once dreamed of being a writer. But the Department of Vocational Assignment decided Zone 17-A needed more pipe fitters. Passion was no longer a career path.
Every day you filled out productivity forms and recited the Collective Pledge:
"I exist to serve the many, not the self. Glory to unity, shame to ambition."
You overheard someone criticize the wage caps last week. They haven’t shown up to work since.
The Digital World—Monitored and Sanitized
The internet, now known as the “People’s Network,” had one homepage: govlink.usa. Social media no longer existed. Too many people were exchanging “dangerous ideas,” like memes or sarcasm.
Books were reduced to an approved list of 25 titles. Anything else was burned—paper wastes resources, and free thought is a bourgeois distraction.
Art, music, and films were made exclusively by the State Culture Committee. Every film had a happy ending… as long as the main character surrendered their dreams for the greater good.
Education Without Questions
School children wore matching uniforms and repeated lessons in unison. Critical thinking was discouraged—it led to deviation. History lessons started in the year the revolution began. Everything before that? “Capitalist propaganda.”
Gifted children were not accelerated. Slower learners were not left behind. Everyone marched forward at the exact same pace. To stand out was to betray the collective.
Religious expression? Treated as a relic of a misguided past.
Dissent? Never Heard of It.
Elections were ceremonial. You could vote, but only for The Party. There were no debates, only speeches from the Central Speaker, broadcast on every screen in every home.
Your neighbor once asked why beef had disappeared. That question was reported and labeled as a "food supply morale offense."
He now works the night shift in Zone 94-B. Or so they say.
Back to Reality
Of course, this is fiction.
Wild, absurd, dramatic fiction.
But it matters because this is what real communism has looked like in history—in the USSR, in North Korea, in Maoist China. Not higher taxes. Not student debt relief. Not Medicare expansions. Not an emphasis on civil rights or climate protections.
And yet, the word communism gets thrown around in America like confetti at a campaign rally.
Some shout “socialist” at any social program. Others claim "tyranny" when asked to wear a mask. But the truth is far more nuanced—and less apocalyptic.
So, Is America Communist?
Not even close.
You can own a business.
You can vote for multiple parties.
You can worship—or not—freely.
You can criticize the government online.
You have dozens of media outlets.
You can quit your job and pursue a different life.
You can protest—and sue—your leaders.
You can run for office with no Party membership at all.
These are not communist traits. They are democratic freedoms, even if imperfectly protected.
Final Reflection
Words have power. And when we misuse them, we dilute their meaning. Calling every progressive idea “communism” doesn’t just discredit political opponents—it also ignores the suffering of people who have lived under actual authoritarian regimes.
Let’s keep debating policies. Let’s challenge each other’s ideas. But let’s also keep things grounded in reality.
Because fiction should stay on the page—not become our political vocabulary.