I am writing in response to “The Communist disguise” (ODE, Dec. 9). While I was not surprised to hear the “There are several other countries that already have a Communist government” argument, I feel that M. Reilly Cosgrove’s reasoning behind such a statement is based on half-truths and misinformation. Not only does such a statement misrepresent American history, it also relies on the schoolyard “Take your ball and go home” tactic that is so often used when people argue against such things as socialism and communism.
Cosgrove writes that if the American people wanted communism, they would have voted it into office long ago. I find it amusing that this statement comes only three months after the United Nations officially stated that capitalistic democracy, because of such things as corporate donations and so on, does not work.
Cosgrove also writes that Marxists “utterly fail(ed) to recruit Americans, too.” This statement is often used when arguing against the non-patriotic ideas of communism and socialism. However, it does not in any way represent the actual history of the United States. Does Cosgrove not enjoy the weekend, the eight-hour day, or the abolition of child labor? Corporate owners did not give the above realities to the American people. They were fought for by the workers — the “proletariat” of this very nation. Many of these workers carried the red card, the majority at times, and yet such realities remain unmentioned.
Blind patriotism, such as that exhibited in Cosgrove’s comments, is an example of the lack of education many Americans have today. Had the columnist done research prior to bashing “radical” professors on campus, he would have found that communism has a rich and tragic history in the United States. He would have found that it was not “voting” that stopped communism, but rather it was oppression in the name of Truman/McCarthy. Harassment, torture, murder and imprisonment all played a crucial role in dealing with and stopping the rise in communist thought. Voting, however, played no role at all.
I find Cosgrove’s lack of accurate information to be an insult to the ancestors and history of the nation he is so eager to defend. If we, as a university, are to critically analyze the structure of society, we must first understand its history. Blind faith in our founding fathers has caused great harm to our nation, primarily because it does not encourage debate. Rather, this faith stops discussion with schoolyard statements, such as “just move to another country.”
It encourages us to sit passively, with our hands extended to the sky, waiting for gifts of justice and freedom that will never be handed out. The weekend was not a gift from a benevolent CEO. Rather, it was fought for by the people, the “proletariat,” many of whom were Marxists.