Liberal democracy in Europe fell apart during World War I, and just as it happened there, the same could have happened in California. Along with the Great Depression and the devastation it was causing, the Communists saw an opportunity and took it. The fear that became part of communism overshadowed the benefits, as well as the threat against American values, such as the free market and maximum profit. Laws have been created to dissuade people from striking, such as the Criminal Syndicalism Act. Seen as terrorist, communism has gained a lot of negative attention and has been given a negative connotation in a nation where wealth is valued and big business rules. The negative connotation was largely a consequence of strikers becoming violent, as well as growers becoming involved in vigilante groups. How communism is viewed depends on who a person is; where farmers were against it because unionization gave farm workers a lot of power, but farm workers supported it because it would improve their lives and provide economic benefits