Communism is a political ideal that was embraced by several Earth nations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Nations that embraced it included Soviet Russia and China. Slang terms for a person who followed the ideal included "pinko", "red" and "commie." It was the clash between communism and capitalism that sparked the Earth Cold War.
In 1953, Douglas Pabst insinuated that Herbert Rossoff was a proponent of communism. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")
- It should be noted that the economic system used by the Federation has been interpreted as communism, however, it may also be a left leaning socialism, in either case it is used in conjunction with a democratic political system.