There are NO Communists left in America!

Do you think that title is true?  Have you ever even stopped to think about it?   What I have found is most people haven’t.  They assume it is true but never really think about it.

As people scream these labels at the administration, it is easy to say, “Whoa, that goes to far.”   I will admit I have my fears about the path we are on and the rapid desire of this administration to get there at any cost.  But arguing the emotional…”Yes, he is.  No, he isn’t” does not go far.  Next time, try this.

Ask calmly, “Do you believe there are NO communists(socialists) in America?”   You will likely get some comment about “a small, fringe, etc.”  Point to the recent protests for “education funding in CA”.   Ask if they bothered to look who was behind it.    Maybe you could entice them to read up a bit on it.   Since they probably have not bothered to look, you might try asking this follow-up, “Do you remember the big pro-Communist Party groups and politicians running around in the 70s?”   They may not and you might need to remind them that until the fall of the Soviet Union they were pumping money into the US to try and change our direction.

Try this on for size: As for issues, the CPUSA calls for free universal health care, elimination of the federal income tax on people earning under $60,000 a year, free college education, drastic cuts in military spending, “massive” public works programs, the outlawing of “scabs and union busting,” abolition of corporate monopolies, public ownership of energy and basic industries, huge tax hikes for corporations and the wealthy, and various other programs designed to “beat the power of the capitalist class …

Nothing like the current administration at all.

As for issues, the current administration calls for free universal health care, eliminating increasing the federal income tax on people earning under over $60,000 a year, free college education (i.e forgiving of student loans if you serve the community), drastic cuts in military spending, “massive” public works programs (i.e. shovel ready stimulus), the outlawing “scabs and simplied creation of a union busting,” abolition of corporate monopolies, public ownership of energy and basic industries (i.e banks, car companies), huge tax hikes for corporations and the wealthy, and various other programs designed to “beat the power of the capitalist class …”

Yeah, not even close!

I remember, and these days I ask myself, “Where did they go?”  Did they decide they where wrong and change sides?  Did they just go “Poof!”? Did they move away?  OR did they just get quiet?   Being quiet… did they work or live in caves and under rocks?  What kind of jobs would they have taken?   Van Jones said it best, “I’m willing to forgo the cheap satisfaction of the radical pose for the deep satisfaction of radical ends.”   I would put my money on Professors, Union Representatives and Community Organizers as some of the favorites.     It will take someone with better research then me to trace these paths but a few old articles and interviews from the late 60s and early 70s would likely turn up some interesting information.

The simple fact is they were here, are here and they always will be here.    Is it possible that as funding dried up when the Socialists and Communists decided to join the Democratic party and fight from within instead of outside it as a third party?   Does that not sound a lot like the conservative Tea Party conversation within the GOP?  The real question needs to be,  “Is it possible that we elected one to be President?”  Some now answer, “Yes!”   Some simply say it is not possible but that (as listed above) is just an emotional response and not supported by the facts.  Cut the people that use labels some slack, they just happen to see the connections and the direction and have assigned name to it.

As for the rest, the answer should be easy; had there been a 10-20 year voting and legislative record.  But there isn’t.   Therefore, we are left with current actions and those with which he chooses to surround himself.  So far a few self-labeled communists, a few Mao supporters and a handful of those that think Marx was pretty darn smart.   There is a lot of love for FDR.    There are not a lot of mentions of our founding fathers (besides Lincoln:)).   Then we have the take over of 34% of the US private sector and a mad dash for 17% more in health care and the rest of the student loan programs.

One final quiz question.  What do you call the form of government when government controls 50+% of  industry?  Especially, the distribution of all money and health services?  Is certainly is not a Representative Republic or a Democracy; but it is a “fundamental change for America.”