Marxism, communism in America, Part II
Published on -10/29/2009, 2:18 PM
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Daniel Green
Continuing my column from yesterday, is there a growing acceptance of Marxism in America today? With the modern glorification of Marxism, maybe we should all review the staggering number of deaths resulting from the pursuit of attempting Marxist utopias.
Under Mao Zedong's Chinese communism, there were an estimated 50 million to 72 million deaths. This number also includes the Great Chinese famine of 1958 to 1961 in which the communist government's collectivist policies and rationing killed anywhere from 15 million to 36 million people. In Cambodia, the Mao-backed Khmer Rouge regime executed more than two million people, approximately 15 percent of their entire population. The Khmer Rouge accomplished this feat in less than two years.
In the Soviet Union, from 1924 to 1953 there were an estimated 20 million deaths, though some estimates are even higher. In Eastern Europe, the estimated number is around one million deaths. There also have been millions of Marxist-inspired deaths in other regions around the world, including Africa, Vietnam and Latin America over the last 50 years.
I was fortunate to have taught in several Chinese universities, and to visit much of northern China a few years ago. During this time, I learned a lot about the effects of communism from students and others who are still scarred by the violence and oppression found there. At the University of Beijing, there are still cameras mounted in the classrooms for government scrutiny. I was one of only a few Westerners to explore the Underground City, a vast maze of underground tunnels built in the 1970s as a nuclear bunker under the streets of Beijing for the preservation of Chairman Mao and his officials. I saw pictures of Mao and Lenin plastered on the walls in these dank, dark tunnels winding like an immense labyrinth under the city.
I visited Chairman Mao's tomb and watched the people line up daily bringing flowers to Mao's mummified corpse, bowing their heads sometimes in fear, sometimes moved by regime-supported admiration. Yet, despite the political lag, today the Chinese are moving away from communist economics and embracing an economic system of freer markets. Since 1979, these economic changes in China alone have lifted 10 percent of the population of the earth out of poverty. No other economic reform in history, including those of the disastrous Marxist variety, has ever even imagined achieving this result.
On Sept. 20, a large celebration of Chinese Communism occurred in the Ellipse, a park in front of the White House. Anita Dunn, the White House Communications Director, is an open advocate of Marxism, as is White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett. On a recently released video from June 5 at the St. Andrews Episcopal School graduation ceremony, Dunn proudly stated to the students that one of her "two favorite political philosophers" was Chairman Mao and that he should be emulated. What would have happened had she proclaimed her admiration for Hitler, one of Mao's few rivals in 20th century butchery?
Van Jones recently had to resign as our "Green Czar." Jones is an outspoken communist and extreme left-wing radical who has no love of the United States.
Mark Lloyd, our "Diversity Czar" over the FCC, is openly Marxist and has expressed his belief in censoring opposing viewpoints on the radio and in the media. In a recorded speech in 2008, Lloyd explained his deep respect for emerging Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez (a pro-Castro "socialist"), including the latter's near-complete control of the communications media in Venezuela as a means of pushing successful revolution. Lloyd has expressed his desire for greater control of the media here in the U.S. via the proposed "Fairness Doctrine," which is not about "fairness" at all, but power and censorship.
Robert McChesney, one of Lloyd's friends and advisers, as well as adviser to the president, is a prolific writer, professor and communist who was the former editor of the Marxist journal The Monthly Review. McChesney has remarked openly that capitalism in America should be dismantled "brick by brick," and several other czars seem to share his views.
A frightening video was released on Oct. 19 featuring Ron Bloom, our "Manufacturing Czar," who stated that the "free market is nonsense" and then praised Chairman Mao and Marxist ideology. It is amazing to see such ignorance, especially from people in such important positions in government.
These are only a few examples of the many radicals who are currently appointed by or advising the president.
Totalitarian governments and ideologies, both right wing and left wing, are poisonous. Nazism, communism, fascism, etc. are systems equally responsible for squelching freedom, diversity and individuality over much of the globe, in addition to taking their horrible toll in human deaths.
It would be nice if our schools actually conveyed the facts about all totalitarian systems and why so many people should rightfully avoid collectivist philosophies.
History, including the ugliness that has accompanied communism, should be neither erased nor ignored.
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 is telling the truth. I find it very funny that Brody77 and the other liberals who are commenting on this blog about Mr. Green's editorial have decided to attack Mr. Green and the "messengers" of these facts, rather than the message or facts by themselves. This is typical of liberals. They cannot attack the message or facts because they are true. There is nothing inaccurate with Mr. Green's facts. So far, Brody77 just screams liar, but offers no proof to the contrary. To set Brody straight - it was just released on Fox News this last week that Mr. Robert McChesney IS in fact an advisor to President Obama. He has been a guest to the White House on several occassions and is considered an advisor. Green is correct. This is public record. The guest list to the WH is a public record and if it takes Glenn Beck and others to expose it, so be it. Facts are facts, no matter who reports them! Maybe Brody77, Voltaire, and the other liberals online should try watching a real news organization for a change instead of 'state run' news outfits such as ABC, MSNBC, CNN, etc which spew liberal opinions rather than news. Also, does it seem like there are a few kindergarteners on this blog (talking about fecal matter, 'poo' and 'passing gas' rather than debating the issues?) Typical infantile liberals.
(Posted by: Conservative and Proud)
Brody: 11/4/2009
I find it amusing that Brody's latest rant is about McChesney only. What about the others Green addressed? You called Green a liar on all accounts but now you only try to defend McChesney? Are you admitting that there are communists in Obama's circle, but it just isn't McC? I have a super big question? How do you know your guy never met Obama? Do you follow this guy around 24/7? How do you know your source is telling the truth that McC has no ties to Obama? How do you know your source isn't one big lie? One thing is sure it's that both Obama and your guy are radicals and if they haven't crossed paths yet it's probably just a matter of time. I also find it silly and amusing that, when all else fails, do the typical liberal thing. Go after your opponents (Beck, O'Reilly, etc.) with one personal attack after another. Who loses credibility? It's not your enemies, it's you!
(Posted by: An Amused Observer )
You've Done Enough: 11/3/2009
"Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
(Posted by: Joseph N. Welch)
The "amused observer" embarrasses himself. "Amused observer" embarrasses himself. : 11/2/2009
Brody77 wrote "Robert McChesney is not, nor has he ever been, an advisor to President Obama. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest McChesney has even ever met Barack Obama, let alone advised him. Just one big fat Glenn Beck lie Daniel-son is trying to pass off as his own revelation." Nothing "amused" had to say refuted that assertion. What "amused" did produce was the usual right wing flatulence. We forgive his passing gas in public, but hold out some hope that he would be gentleman enough to excuse himself, as uncharacteristic and unlikely as that is.
(Posted by: Voltairetoday)
Robert McChesney : 11/2/2009
To everyone who responded to my post, I have one question for you: Is Robert McChensey one of President Obama's advisors? Mr. Green clearly stated Robert McChesney is one of President Obama's advisors. Is that the truth? It's a simple question so please answer it. Is Robert McChesney, as Daniel Green clearly states, an advisor to President Obama? Do a little research yourself and you will see he is not an advisor to Barack Obama. Not even close. That is a complete and total lie. The actual truth is that Robert McChesney is a co-founder of a liberal media reform organization by the name of "Free Press" that has lobbied the FCC for reform inline with its political agenda. From this, Mr. Green has asserted that McChesney is a Presidential Advisor to Barack Obama. Are you kidding me? Facts matter people. This is what you get when you get all of your political education from Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. McChesney has never even met Barack Obama let alone served as one of his advisors. He co-founded a group that met with the FCC. That is a far cry from advising the President of the United States of America. Facts matter. It is absolutely terrifying to think Mr. Green is a university-level educator and this is all the more mastery of the facts he has. If he's willing to lie about McChesney being a Presidential Advisor to Barack Obama what else is he willing to lie about? Again, my recommendation to everyone here who is so upset I simply pointed out where Green was lying about McChesney being one of Obama's advisors is turn off Glenn Beck and conservative talk radio and go out and educate yourselves and not simply take everything Glenn Beck - a twice married college drop-out and recovering alcoholic & drug addict - tells you about the moral problems with Barack Obama. Give me a break. Why is it that only those with multiple failed marriages and a lifetime of illegal drug and alcohol abuse like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and George W. Bush and shameless adulterers and complete sex perverts like Bill O'Reilly feel the most qualified to speak on the moral and ethical direction of our country is beyond me. And those of you who worship them as the Gods of conservative values is even more baffling.
(Posted by: Brody77)
red paint: 11/1/2009
ist step to defeating your enemies when you can;t win on the merits...especially at the ballot box.... grab red paint.... slather liberally.....repeat... get on fox news and repeat ad nauseum.... note. paint must be bright red.....
(Posted by: jamesehaze)
Out of Control Brody: 10/31/2009
It's a fact that McChesney was editor and now current board member of the Marxist Monthly Review. This publication has a 50 year history of supporting communist movements and regimes. It is a fact that McChesney has founded an organization called Free Press. It's a fact that Free Press had several meetings with Obama's FCC recently to work on regulating the internet. Free Press advocates that government take over media as opposed to private enterprise. Put two and two together and it's obvious McC and Obama have ties. On a different note. Anybody who saw the video of Anita Dunn praising Mao and construing that she was joking is brain-dead. I think Brody's outburst was the result of knowing in the back of his mind he's dead in the water about there not being communists connected to his president so he lost it.
(Posted by: An Amused Observer)
Right on!: 10/30/2009
I didn't think anyone in the 21st century would be foolish enough to defend Marxists or Communism (it's like supporting Nazis), but "brody77" proves me wrong. What happened to Common sense? What school did "Brody77" attend??? Do you have any proof that these czars didn't say those things? The only liar I see here is Brody, not Mr. Green. I saw the videos of these people saying these outrageous comments adn they were real, not edited. My advice to Brody77 is to get out of the classroom and get in to the real world and you will see why everyone wants to live in America. Brody77 is no better than the fools who say the holocaust never happened.
(Posted by: Freedom's not Free)
The Marxist Rat Nest: 10/30/2009
Wow, it looks like Mr. Green's editorial really hit a nerve with some of the local communists, especially Hooper, or Brody 77. Brody77, who is apparently ok with the radical nature of Marxism in our government and acceptance, states that Mr. Green is stating "lies", but it is very interesting that he provides no proof disproving any of these comments. He is just into yelling 'liar,' but offers nothing intellectual - no valid argument. Pretty sad. I have actually read the transcripts and seen these videos of the czars making these statements. Mr. Green did NOT take anything out of context. I would urge the reader to look up all of these quotations and you will see that these czars and advisors are indeed Marxists. Brody77 - you need to study history and understand the harm of Marxism. Mr. Green - good job - you have disturbed the rat nest.
(Posted by: American Democrat)
The Liberals are Coming!: 10/30/2009
The liberals are coming, coming, coming - to attack Green. Why? Obviously, the liberals have no problem with communists in Obama's circle. Wow! Some guy who Posts as Brody (but everybody knows who he is) went berserk about Green's column. Brody uses the word liar or lie some 23 times in his attack. I guess Green touched a nerve! Brody went to Media Matters website or some other left wing spin machine to try and debunk Green's assertions. The Obama staffers who have communist beliefs is there in black and white in what they said or wrote and I would bet big bucks Beck and Green can back it up. Socialism isn't that far removed from communism in many respects and nobody would argue that the ones Green points out are diehard socialists. You can bet many more in our government are socialist/communist. I will stop right here since I wouldn't want to take away from Brody's record of having the longest HDNews blog ever.
(Posted by: An American Anti Communist)
What In The World?: 10/30/2009
Good job Mr. Green. Sure sounds like a few people out there forgot the lessons of the 20th Century, and perhaps even the 19th as well. Totalitarianism should never be praised in any form. Poking fun at arguments addressing a legitimate concern of socialism in the system demeans the idea that totalitarianism isn't a threat. It always is. Maybe you should ask these liberal drones what they were saying about the "Neocons" and fascism in 2001-2009. Sure sounds similar to Obama's socialism doesn't it? The more things change the more things stay the same. I wonder if they realize poking fun at Bush while praising Obama is like calling the kettle black. Furthermore, Karl Marx thought that communism would take time to implement, that change couldn't happen all at once. We're kind of seeing that now and some aren't aware of the dangers. Take for instance the praise Germans gave Adolf Hitler for a majority of his 12 years in power. My question is how long will people praise Obama and negate the power of the people in government. Legislators are not scholars. They don't have the time to be. Just wait and see when moral crusades are proven to be only a front to socialism. These "Neosocs" are something to truly worry about, and thank God Mr. Green remembers the rise of totalitarian states. We're definitly seeing the beginning of that. (Must of hit pretty close to the mark to get em all riled up like that, huh kid? I don't have problem with "Goin' Green" now!)
(Posted by: ArchaeoCon)
Profound words from the Left: 10/30/2009
Great editorial and well done. It looks like the liberal argument or opposition response posted here on the blog is as profound as usual courtsey this time of "stay down wind" AKA Mr. Hooper. Usually when there is such a juvenile response, or personal attacks, the argument is valid and irrefutable. Good Job Mr. Green!
(Posted by: Voltaire)
Bald faced lies : 10/29/2009
Dude, seriously, how much Glenn Beck do you watch? I think Glenn Beck could legitmately sue you for the column above. It is practically a verbatim carbon copy of every lie he has ever made up - which is quite a few. Either you are extremely ignorant or a bald-faced liar. Nothing, and I mean not a single thing, you just said above about those in the Obama Adminstration was true. When you get all of your information from Glenn Beck, as you obviously do, you really should do a little fact checking so you don't just sound like a big fat liar. LIE #1 - ANITA DUN IS AN OPEN ADVOCATE OF MARXISM: Bald faced lie without a shred of evidence to support it (which is why none was provided by Mr. Green). LIE #2 - ANITA DUN PROUDLY PROCLAIMED MAO WAS HER FAVORITE PHILOSOPHER: This comment was made in irony, everyone there knew it was made in irony, and Mrs. Dunn has stated several times it was an ironic statement (i.e. oh Mao is my "favorite" philosopher as in "oh yes I love the smell of poop"). This is a lie and trying to protray it as a serious statement either means you are ignorant or a liar. LIE #3 - VAN JONES IS AN OUTSPOKEN COMMUNIST: Yet another Glenn Beck repeated lie that Daniel neither thought of himself nor researched for accuracy. Van Jones was once, many years ago, a member of STORM, a group with partial socialist roots. That is a far cry from being "an outspoken communist" and by "far cry" I mean outright lie. And of course by this logic, that any activity of ones past means that is exactly how they believe and act today, that means George W. Bush is currently a line snorting coke-head alcoholic and this junkie lush was the President of the United States for 8 years. LIE #4 - MARK LLOYD IS OPENLY MARXIST: Another Glenn Beck/Daniel-son balded faced pants-on-fire lie without so much as a sliver of evidence to support it (which is why Daniel-son provided none). LIE #5 - ROBERT MCCHESNEY IS AN ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: Lie, Lie, Lying lie. Absolutely not a shred of truth to this statement. Robert McChesney is not, nor has he ever been, an advisor to President Obama. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest McChesney has even ever met Barack Obama, let alone advised him. Just one big fat Glenn Beck lie Daniel-son is trying to pass off as his own revelation. LIE #6 - ROBERT BLOOM PRAISES MAO AND MARXIST IDEOLOGY: Oh boy this is getting old. Lie, lie, lie, lie. Here is the full context of the quote in question Daniel-son cites. I'll let you decide for yourself if, when quoted in full context, is the praising of Marxist ideology: "Generally speaking we get the joke. We know that the free market is nonsense. We know that the whole point is to game the system, to beat the market, or at least find someone who will pay you a lot of money because they're convinced that there is a free lunch. We know this is largely about power, that it's an adults only, no limit game. We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun. And we get it that if you want a friend, you should get a dog." Seems pretty spot-on to me. Maybe you don't agree with it, but it is hardly praising Marxist ideology. Maybe Daniel Green should try the incredibly novel idea of thinking for himself and coming up with his own ideas instead of simply being a Glenn Beck clone mouthpiece. He might accidentially stumble across a halfway truthful idea or statement once in a while.
(Posted by: Brody77)
More bovine brown poo-poo: 10/29/2009
from Green. Commies are comin' commies are comin' comies are comin' run n hide, run n hide.
(Posted by: Stay down wind.)
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