I have remembered and discussed that phrase often the past few years. It has much more meaning to me now than when I questioned my parents about it's meaning. Funny how I have thought about something so often that held so little understanding for me as a child.
Better dead than red was a trite saying that was deadly serious for so many people in so many countries. Just think of all the East Germans who died trying to escape to freedom.
If we're honest with ourselves, it is still going on in Cuba and China.