Life — August 31, 1922 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Bolshevik Primer" Satire Explanation This is a satirical attack on Bolshevism (Soviet communism) disguised as an educational primer for children. The title mockingly presents communist ideology as something taught to "Moscovite Minors." The page parodies legitimate educational content—including word lessons, arithmetic problems, and a catechism—but fills them with anti-communist propaganda. The "First Catechism" section defines Bolsheviks as "kindly, humane, peace-loving" (sarcastic), while depicting capitalists as "unscrupulous crooks" and Russia as "suffering from unfair discrimination." The "Advanced Reading" story about Nikita Gogol appears designed to mock Soviet hardship. The "Multiplication Table" equates Soviet concepts: "5 bombs = 1 machine gun" and "2 machine guns = one more revolution." This reflects 1920s American anti-communist sentiment, using satire to mock Bolshevik ideology and present it as dangerous indoctrination.