Marxism, communism in America, Part I
Published on -10/28/2009, 9:07 AM
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Daniel Green
On the night of Oct. 1, the Empire State Building, one of the most iconic American landmarks, was lit up in bright red and yellow lights to honor and celebrate the Chinese communist revolution and sixty years of communism in China. Despite local protests and thousands of phone calls, the celebration of communism continued.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Is there a growing trend today in America that accepts and even glorifies Marxism and communism?
Over the years, I have met several individuals who have expressed a respect for and belief in Marxist ideas, specifically communism. A few months ago, a repairman told me that the "best system of government is communism" because of its supposed "egalitarian quality." This disturbing viewpoint is more common than one might think.
While attending classes as a student, and later as a professor, at Fort Hays State University and elsewhere, I noticed that some students, as well as the occasional faculty member, were strongly Marxist. A few of them openly expressed a strong belief in class warfare, the evils of private property, the necessity of government ownership, etc. In the classroom, we all study the horrible atrocities committed by the Nazis, including the six million estimated deaths in the Holocaust of Jews alone. However, there seems to be little if any mention of the millions of men, women, and children who have died under communist rule in the last 90 years. Why?
There appears to be a great void in the educational system across the country. Why are so many teachers ignoring the atrocities and oppression found in the pursuit of communism? This might explain the ignorant acceptance, or at least sympathy for, Marxist ideas in our society.
For years, the communist revolutionary Che Guevera has been made into a glorified countercultural symbol. Che was an intelligent revolutionary writer, as well as a cold- hearted killer. He aided Fidel Castro in the communist takeover of Cuba in 1959. During the Cuban missile crisis, Che voiced his desire to bomb New York City and he openly expressed his hatred of President Kennedy and the United States. He was placed in charge of La Cabana prison, where Che personally oversaw the executions and brutal torture of hundreds of people at the prison and during the purges.
Today, one can find pictures of Che Guevera on T-shirts worn by high school and college students across the country who ignorantly revere him as merely a "revolutionary hero." I have even seen these shirts available for sale at the Hays Mall in the past. Obviously, most of these young people are not communists; they are simply uneducated.
What is next? Will swastikas, pictures of Adolf Hitler, and perhaps Joseph Stalin, be stenciled on T-shirts for fashion statements? This could become a reality if we keep ignoring history.
In April, several Democratic members of Congress visited Cuba, meeting with Fidel Castro and his ruling brother, Raul. All of them seemed enamored with Fidel. On national television and in numerous articles, they extolled the greatness of the Castro brothers and one congressman described Fidel as "one of the most amazing humans I have ever met."
Propagandist filmmaker Michael Moore recently released his new opus, "Capitalism: A Love Story," which became a box office success, in which he continues his mission to blast America and "capitalism" while praising communism and socialism. Moore expresses much respect for the Cuban government in his films, suggesting that we should adopt that system here.
Ironically, Moore lives in a multimillion-dollar penthouse apartment in downtown New York City, enjoying the fruits of the "capitalism" he deplores. In reality, Fidel Castro has executed and tortured thousands of people during the Cuban revolution, the purges, and the rest of his bloody rule during the last 50 years.
Over the past decades, thousands of Cuban refugees have risked their lives on flimsy homemade rafts sailing through shark-infested waters toward the U.S. hoping to find a better life. These refugees know the truth about communist oppression, torture and death.
Apparently, many members of Congress, not to mention Moore, lack the sufficient knowledge regarding the horrible reality of communism and are misleading many people.
* The second half of this column will continue in tomorrow's Hays Daily News.
Daniel Green has a history degree and certificate in ethnic studies from Fort Hays State University and a master's degree from Ryerson University, Toronto. He is a local resident, who worked as professor of film at FHSU, and is currently working for Castle Resources Inc. and Austex of Melbourne, Australia.
Mr. Green delights in chronicling the crimes of communist dictators--and declares that that the U.S. is becoming a communist dictatorship That's not only nonsense, but marketing the standard paranoia of the rabid right, which is much closer to facism in their use of demonizing propaganda. I would hope in vain that Mr. Green and his supporters are embarrassed by what they're selling. The only comfort is that they are a very raucous minority, more impressed with themselves than meriting respect.
(Posted by: Voltairetoday)
Good editorial, disturbing liberal response: 10/30/2009
Very true. "Voltairetdoay" seems to defend Marxism. He attacks Mr. Green's views which shed light on Communism and its horrors. I am a Democrat. I did not like President Bush or many of his policies, but this current administration is not any better and in fact arguably worse. How can you possibly defend extremists on any side whether republican or democrat? It sound like you applaud a Marxist revolution in this country (gaining capital from those who earn it and redistributing it to those who do not).Do you know what this truly means in terms of potential bloodshed, inequality and oppression? I do not know Mr. Green's viewpoint on current politics, but I have studied Communism and his facts and his editorial are correct. You sir are not.
(Posted by: Hammond63)
Just maybe some "wonderful...: 10/29/2009
practitioners of "free market capitalism" have got caught with their pants down and their pockets full of profits they didn't morally earn? Maybe they fear a little regulation in the interest of we the people? That would account for the sudden public paranoia by Mr. Green and his "commie fearin'" sympathizers. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mr. Green is full of what points south call "mierda." He needn't be too concerned; with the corporate money that bought out our government long ago, there'll be more than enough capitalism in the U.S. We can only hope to keep them a little more honest than they were under the Bush adminitration.
(Posted by: Voltairetoday)
Great Editorial: 10/29/2009
Excellent editorial and well written. It looks like it may have upset some of the "comrades" of the community. The support for marxism is on the rise and our education system is partly to blame. My guess is that Mr. Green's critics have never traveled outside the U.S. or studied the effects of communism through history. They are simply ignorant malcontents judging by their words. Equating the negative effects of Capitalism to Communism is absurd. The Free Market system is not perfect by any means, but it is arguably the best system in the world. Free speech is important, and I support any one's freedom to support different idologies but it is also important to criticize extremist ideologies that cause oppression and death so they do not take shape here. Keep up the great work and I look forward to reading the second part soon
(Posted by: Enigma Jones)
To all those liberals again: 10/29/2009
In my haste to counter all the liberal attacks on Mr. Green I erred on my comment about Ted Kennedy. Ted tried to circumvent President Reagan's strategies to defeat communist Russia. He went behind the President's back to deal with the Soviet Union on his own terms. My historical error. While I am at it! In many ways there isn't any difference between communism and socialism. Both involve redistribution of wealth and government control and power. It's obvious that the Obama administration and the Democrat controlled Congress has umpteen socialist agendas just like many communist countries of the present and past. I fully expect some liberals to zero in on my historical error in order to avoid the fact that this country needs to be concerned in a big way the many who have communist or socialist plans for this country. Go Mr. Green. Tell us more!
(Posted by: A Pro, not anti American)
To all the liberals below: 10/29/2009
Don't kid yourself! There are many communist sympathizers in this country. How about Obama's energy czar that was an avowed communist. How about Obama's communications director Anita Dunn who looks up to Chineese communist Mao Tse Tung who murdered 70 million. These are just a few examples of many. Why would Michael Moore and all those in Congress praise Cuba's communist Fidel Castro? During the McCarthy era far too many politicians took the side of communists who infiltrated our government. Even Ted Kennedy was a sympathizer at the time. It's okay for the Empire State building owner to exercise free speech but not Mr Green?
(Posted by: Pro, not anti American)
Mr. Green is selling...: 10/28/2009
the usual paranoia. Is he calling members of Congress communists or communist sympathizers? (If he were really courageous, Mr. Green would name them.) Has Michael Moore ever said capitalism is "evil" -- or is he noting the obvious, it's not perfect and often leads to greed. What does he mean "all of them 'seemed enamored' with Fidel"? Did they kiss his boots or what? Which members of Congress "apparently...lack the sufficient knowledge regarding the horrible reality of communism and are misleading many people." We will be waiting (I predict) unsuccessfully for Mr. Green to live up to his "responsiblilty to get specific about who the people are in our government who constitute this horrible threat. I hesitate to resort to a four letter word here, but Mr. Green is n.u.t.s.--- not uncommon among the paranoid, "capitalism is without faults and is the way of Jesus" right wing. As to the Empire State Building color display, I assume the private company that owns the building are within their American rights. (I grant you the right to express your opinion....but give us a break, Mr. Green, this country's not even close to communism or Marxism. Your column is, however, timely for the Hallowe'en moment.)
(Posted by: Voltairetoday)
Drivel: 10/28/2009
Did you produce this from a weeks worth of notes from Modern World Civ? This article doesn't deserve to be printed, and certainly not a second installment of undergrad level regurgitation. And since you have a degree in history, I'm sure you are aware that every form of government is fallible when a corrupt individual takes the helm. Right, Il signor Mussolini?
(Posted by: Nick the socialist)
drivel: 10/28/2009
apparently to Mr. Green free speech is ok as long as it is red white and blue and corporate sponsored. Or perhaps he didn't know the Chinese flag flies alongside the Stars and Stripes at 13th and Hall in good ole Hays America.
(Posted by: redpink)
Disagree: 10/28/2009
Are you kidding me? You cannot possibly be serious. I recently graduated from FHSU, from the English Department no less, and I don't recall a single student or faculty member who could be, even remotely, described as "strongly Marxist". Furthermore, I don't what school you attended, but from elementary school through college all I ever heard about in my history and civics classes (let alone from movies and popular culture) were the evils of communism and communist countries. One thing I certainly never learned about was the forced labor, enslavement, torture, and deaths of thousands of young children for profit by American coal and textile companies during the Industrial Revolution, or the thousands of deaths resulting from William Walker and Cornelius Vanderbuilt's efforts to overthrew the governments of many Central American countries with their own privately funded military in order to establish the most profitable steamship routes for their respective companies, or the dozens of incidents of armed strike-breakers hired by corporations to murder employees attempting to unionize or collectively bargin for better wages. Interestingly, while learning volumes of the negative aspects of a communist system while in school, I never once learned about any of aforementioned not-so-positive aspects of a capitalist system.
(Posted by: Brody77)
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