One of the lowlights of an otherwise pleasant Thanksgiving was when one of my relatives, in whose home we were all staying for a couple of nights, decided to read to us the list of 45 goals of the Communist party as stated in the book The Naked Communist, “written in 1958 by conservative United States author and faith-based political theorist Cleon Skousen.” The goals were read into the Congressional Record in 1963. There are also YouTube videos about this, but I won’t link to them.
The point of the recent recitation, I’m guessing, was to show how much of a Communist/socialist country the United States has become. For instance, 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. has happened – aha! There are those who have argued that 15 – Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States – has taken place, and you can guess which party. Likewise, the so-called liberal press (20), social welfare program (32), et al. Add to that some items that many people might agree with has happened to some degree (25 – changes in morality) and you have an apparently prescient document that lives a half-century later in some circles.
Here’s the thing: I KNEW there would be some religious/political provocation that would take place before we got there. I had previously vowed: “Don’t engage. Don’t engage.” But it was tough, really tough; the hole in my lower lip, where I had been biting it, has only recently begun to heal. Not sure that it was the right decision either; if/when it comes up again, and it surely will, I’ll have to decide then.
I was most pleased, though, by my mother-in-law, who, in response to a comment about how difficult it is to follow God’s law perfectly, noted an American Indian tradition to put deliberate imperfections in their crafts because only God is perfect. Suggesting that a Native American deity is somehow equivalent to THE God was quite an…interesting response in this setting.
I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that I tend to lean more to the right. That said, I am deeply disturbed our federal government has felt the need to take over quite a few things that should be state decisions. I don’t like big government and really don’t trust any of them to have my best interest in mind anymore. I’d love to see smaller government (aka smaller federal budgets) and have more people take responsibility for their own destinies.
Yes, Lisa – I do know that. I guess I was more miffed by the out-of-the-blue sermon by the host to a captive audience of folks, some of which almost certainly disagreed with him.
Now Roger, you know I am an old leftie. Having said that, you make a number of excellent points. The cartoon is, I believe, inaccurate, and I’ll explain why neither Socialism nor Communism have a chance to take hold in our nation, although I can see your point on many of the facts cited in the Manifesto. I don’t think the moral stuff means any more than people thinking gay marriage is killing our country, frankly.
Nixon and Reagan were credited with having eased the way for better relations with Communist China… under Clinton, we got NAFTA, which paved the way for Bush’s CAFTA… which cost us millions upon millions of industrial jobs, from car manufacturing to crappy Chinese steel to the entire shoe and clothing industry. The Bush admin. gave $1,000 tax credits PER JOB OUTSOURCED to multi-national companies for the “inconvenience and expense” of sending those jobs over. That all came out of our pocket, too, so we were screwed twice.
Obama did inherit a lot of problems, but he is nowhere NEAR the president I thought he would be. He agreed not to prosecute Bush and Cheney et al. for lying about the WMDs and for the Blackwater tortures. Torture continues under Obama. We are still in Afghanistan… it’s hugely disappointing, but, given the choice between Barack and either Mitt or (shudder) any of the other Republicans, I may have to go for Obama again.
Socialism? We are far from it. Oligarchy is where we are headed. Our entire nation, under the thumb of a few moneyed families, much like English royalty (you can see that pattern with the Bushes AND the Kennedys). Greed is sinking us, and there is no way the Top One Percenters would allow either socialism or Communism to enter our borders in a substantive way. It would give too much power to real people and less to the bought-and-paid-for politicians in DC (and, of course, here in Wisconsin…).
As for religion? My advice is to NOT take them on. You will be met with opinions from Mars, cherry-picked verses from the Bible out of context, and all the rest. Remember, I’m a pastor’s wife, and I see it all the time, espec. with my Fundie sister. I also see it in groups where the majority are agnostic or atheist. I simply know when it’s not worth it, excuse myself, find a book, and sit in another room until the football game starts!
That’s my two cents. I think, Roger, that we are headed for oligarchy and a possible revolution, sad to say, unless we get folks back to work and Obama vetoes any jobs bills that don’t include the phrase “100% In-country American-made products to be used in manufacture.”
I’ll send out word for folks to read this post and respond, because it’s so rich in the kind of controversy that encourages thought, not fists being thrown! Thanks, Amy
Amy – I was using the illo as art complementary to the book’s thesis, not as my personal belief; I hope that’s understood…
Rog, you sneaked one past me, but somehow I knew you weren’t serious on that score, especially given the actual post!
I try to comment thoroughly, and not including that comment would have been remiss. Didn’t really catch the full import – sorry! Great work! Amy