The reality though is that most of the lefties have never set foot in a communist country and have no real understanding of what an evil and pernicious system it is.
The lefties (and those on the right) should read The File by Timothy Garton Ash. It details his research into the Stasi's files gathered on him when he was living in East Berlin as a post-graduate research student. The efforts by the East German state to tap into everyone's thoughts and actions are horrendous.