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

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

Poll question: 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.)

[corporatewhore]

1. Da Comrade Lets begin the purges!!!!

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

15. WHY this is serious

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?

[sybylla]

45. How Stalinist is that?

"...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.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

50. "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.

[mopinko]

2. hey, us pinkos are the

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

[bushclipper]

5. You think the heart of the party are communists?

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

[MaryBear]

3. You're joking, right?

I really hope you're joking.

It is a very bad joke.:thumbsdown:

[corporatewhore]

11. look at user name she/he had an avatar change

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

21. no, not a joke, see my second post

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).

[salin]

43. performance art.

if not a joke.

[Sean Reynolds]

4. I voted no. Though I don't belong to the Democratic Party

AND am a member of the CPUSA.

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

[redsoxliberal]

8. I'm extremely liberal

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

[corporatewhore]

9. whocounts the votes changed his/her avatar i just noticed it too

wctv is usually pretty cool ya commie ;)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

26. I am stridently anti-communist

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.

[Droopy]

12. You were going to vote for a Dem before he dropped out of the race.

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

[Uber Llama]

23. I'm somewhat glad to hear you say that

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.

[Droopy]

6. And just how would you go about these purges?

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.

[DuctapeFatwa]

19. The Patriot Act will take care of it just fine

[lutherj]

7. You sound like a closet republican to me.

[tom_paine]

10. I have a strong dislike and distrust for Commie philosophy and practice

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

And yet...I voted "no".

NO.

[salin]

13. a little more agitation WCV?

not falling for it this time.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

31. I consider the economy to be a serious, important issue for Dems in the GE

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.

[rucky]

41. so much for social programs

how communist are we allowed to get?

[salin]

42. not going to work this time

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

[mitchum]

14. Of course not!

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

[Uber Llama]

29. There is no difference in

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.)

[mitchum]

48. but there are other SIGNIFICANT differences

[Uber Llama]

49. How so?

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.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

39. socialists aren't communist

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.

[rucky]

16. Stallone for Governor!

Our Rambo answer to the GOP's Terminator.

[Cooley Hurd]

30. "Stalin for Governor!"

I'm a ComSympleton... ;)

[rucky]

35. "I'm comin' after you, Murdoch"

[salin]

38. Stallin' Government

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.

[rucky]

52. Salin For Governor!

[IndianaGreen]

17. Joe McCarthy resurrected in DU no less!

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.

[Cooley Hurd]

18. Exhuming McCarthy...

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

[aquart]

20. No purges, except for those who urge purges.

It's such high school behavior.

[West Coast Democrat]

22. We have enough to deal with in purging the Nader supporters....

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

[Uber Llama]

36. Nader is Jesus

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?

[robertpaulsen]

24. Thanks for the timely post, Tailgunner Joe!

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

[ChiefJoseph]

25. No, but they should be treated with the disdain they deserve

...for supporting such a morally bankrupt ideology.

[AntiCoup2K4]

27. Why am I not surprised this came from someone with a DLC tag?

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.

[salin]

34. one point

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.

[wyldwolf]

47. In other words, he isn't DLC

[sybylla]

51. Couldn't have said it better myself. eom

[w4rma]

28. Communists? This country is not in any danger of falling into Communism.

Fascism on the other hand ...

[salin]

32. Wow... should HUAC be reformed

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*

[usregimechange]

33. I like communism to a degree but

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.

[Uber Llama]

46. Communism preaches equal rights for all

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.

[H2O Man]

37. labels from yesteryear.....

.... 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.

[pop goes the weasel]

40. I won't vote in such a stupid poll

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.

[Zhade]

44. Are you sure you're a progressive?

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".

[genius]

53. Define communism. Communism means sharing of resources and work

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.

[Skinner]

54. I'm locking.

This is just trolling.