Should Communist Sympathizers (ComSymps) be purged from the Party?

There are a few people who post on DU and other progressive/liberal forums that appear to be communists, communist sympathizers, and/or fellow travelers. It does seem sort of funny - since the USSR is long gone and the only commies left are a few upper-middle class academics on Manhattan's Upper West Side - but perhaps we shouldn't underestimate the threat that groups with ideologies and tactics anathema to us infiltrate our Party. Frankly, an old fashioned Party Purge might be just the thing to get rid of pinkos. They can always go to the Greens. The Democratic Party defeated Communism once, surely we can do it again!

(I am not now nor have I ever been a member of the Green Party.)

One - we have a general election coming up - what if radical groups try to discredit Democratic groups like DU? They might want to throw the election to Bush and they might vote for Nader. They are not necessarily on the Democratic side.

Two - economic issues are going to be a major part of the Democratic campaign - we should be speaking with a unified voice, don't you think?

"...we should be speaking with a unified voice, don't you think?"

I think if we are going to purge anyone it should be the centrist DLC'ers who confuse socialism (an economic system) with communism (a totalitarian form of government).

I never thought I'd see the day we would have Red Baiting in the Democratic Party.

In case you hadn't noticed - we have quite a bit of red baiting here on DU. Also, in case you've forgotten - the Democratic Party has a very long history of red baiting. Let's deal with it.

heart of the party. unfortunately we are also mostly poor.

Really? Where did you get that info from? Or am I just misreading sarcasm?

I really hope you're joking.

It is a very bad joke.:thumbsdown:

sorry, I'm being serious (well, the part about commie academics on the Upper West Side WAS meant to be funny, but it's true).

if not a joke.

AND am a member of the CPUSA.

This is the reason why I'm not a Democrat, they're no different than the Republicans.

Socialist... Marxist... extreme Left wing, whatever.

wctv is usually pretty cool ya commie ;)

Sorry, I know way to many people who lived under communist oppression in the former USSR to find much, if any, good about communism. Sure, college kids can come up with utopian fiction all they want, but real communism in the real world is a terrible, evil thing, and that is NO joke.

Are you saying that you'd just as soon vote for a republican?

Marx and Engels are scary to read. It is as though they were prescient to today's problems. Perhaps these problems are the same now as they were then. The only problem I have with Communism is the civil right debacle. I also feel that there is no need for a bloody revolution, because I am an extreme pacifist.

What's to prevent a communist from being in the Dem Party? Are you suggesting we open up inquiries like in the fifties and put people on watch lists? I thought we were through with that nonsense.

(PARTICULARLY as it is put into practice around the globe)

And yet...I voted "no".

NO.

not falling for it this time.

Agitation? Sure, maybe, but deadly serious. We HAVE to run on economic issues, and we need to know exactly what the Democratic message on the economy is. Communism is obviously NOT part of our message - thank God.

how communist are we allowed to get?

... *bushsr imitator Dana Carvey doing bushsr imitation* Not gonna do it.

I'm socialist, but I support the Dems because I'm a pragmatist (and because there IS a difference between the Dems and repubs)

The source of their dirty money. The two party system has played perfectly into the hands of BB(Big Business of Big Brother? Everyone is just the bitch of the Vulture Capitalists.

Nader: Not for Sale!!
(Though I suppose neither is Edwards.)

If both parties are bitches, how will anything not on the agenda of
BB pass? What this country needs is democracy, kinda like what the founding fathers had in mind. We have a Kleptocracy.

I'm not really a socialist myself, but I would not support a purge of socialists from the Democratic party. Our Independent/Socialist Rep in Congress isn't a bad guy really.

Our Rambo answer to the GOP's Terminator.

I'm a ComSympleton... ;)

the bush version of anything that does not directly enrich the most vested interests... course act two is ... bankruptin' government, and the final act is ... implodin' government.

I am distributing your post among all of the peace activists that I know, many of whom are foolishly ABB not knowing the true nature of some of the DLC people.

BTW, most of them are deeply religious people.

You're beautiful more beautiful than me
You're honorable more honorable than me
Loyal to the Bank of America

It's a sign of the times
it's a sign of the times

It's such high school behavior.

now we have to worry about purging the Communists as well?

He is our Messiah! How can you criticize him for Bush's election stealing? What makes anyone better than Nader? He could solve all of this country's problems... He has spotted a MAJOR inconsistency in Bush's bullshit that, if not stopped by the con media, could cost him the election... I suppose Mike Moore's opinion doesn't sway you at least a little?

I'm sure President Truman is watching the results with bated breath.

...for supporting such a morally bankrupt ideology.

I'm not now, nor have I ever been a communist, but I would suggest the first purge that needs to take place is removing the FASCISTS from the Democratic Party.

Beginning with the DLC and it's PNAC subsidiary PPI. Then moving along to every traitorous son of a shit eating bitch who voted for the Iraq Invasion Resolution. And then to anyone who voted for the Patriot Act.

And then anyone who supported any of the above.

How's that sound?

At least with my plan, it would still be the Democratic party when it was done.

dont take this out on the dlc - the poster is rather reflecting sentiment expressed elsewhere and giving us a little perfomance art... the avatar is part of the costume.

Fascism on the other hand ...

I sadly think that there are some who believe it should...

shield us from other ideologies... they might poison us... whisk them away because they might help the... the.. er.. soviets...er no.. they might help... er... cuba well cuba's too small to be a threat... maybe they will help the chinese... of course the chinese are the wrong kind of communists... but they are morally bankrupt and dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*rubbing eyes to look at the calendar*

even though social and economic equality was greatly reduced by communism there has been no control on political power. Also, it isn't economically efficient. It has also seemed to live and breath off of social authoritarianism, which isn't a positive. I prefer a constitutional republic much like the one we have in America.

USSR and China only behaved the way they did becuase that was the only way those countries had ever behaved...under totalitarion dictatorship. Nothing about "Communist" nations has ever even come close to Communism.

.... capitalism, socialism, and communism are all economic systems from industrial societies. Even when those labels could be applied in general, there was never a "pure" society on this planet ..... public schools? socialism! Yet today we are "high tech." But, ah, there is something sad when people today apply those labels from yesterday to others, and something pathetic about people applying them to themselves today. Free market? Generally a good concept. Welfare system? Think big business. Words have the ability to define our reality. Words are powerful. The mis-use of words, the ignorant clinging to concepts that are long gone, the inability to change -- these are not strengths. There are communists in parts of China and most of Cuba. There are no communists on the D.U. Some people may wish they were, but that's as sad as the guys who are over 50 and now wish they were Vietnam veterans. Or as weak as someone who watches an "action" flick, and identifies themselves as "Rambo." It's time for serious work, not for fantasy plays.

But if such "sensible" people as you like to think you are continue to villify everyone to the left of Bill Clinton, don't expect us leftists to care if the Democrats lose elections by just the margin that you imbeciles have chased off. If I am disenfranchised, it won't matter to me if I am disenfranchised by Republicans or Democrats.

It's a good thing for the Democratic Party that most self-described moderates aren't as foolish as you to even suggest a party purge.

Purging people is hardly progressive. More like Stalin, if you ask me.

Oh, the irony - an anti-communist calling for Stalinesque purges!

Perhaps you should change your name to "Who Counts The Loyalty Oaths".

What the Soviet block had was totalitarism with an elite class. The U.S. has always been closer to communism than Russia will ever be.

This is just trolling.