Like any other well-organized attempt at power, Communism too has a plan marked by a series of goals. This week I will at least start to look at these goals as they were gleaned from testimony given to Congress by various scholars and from the writings of current or former Communists. In 1963 these goals were read into the Congressional Record and since that time they have been shared world-wide. The general thrust of the goals is to attack the Judeo-Christian underpinnings that had long prospered and protected freedom, and to replace them with the bricks, mortar and top-down force of a purely socialistic/liberal/progressive/communist society. In spite of the fact that all prior attempts at a utopian society have destroyed civilizations, the Communists and their supporters put forward the same formula anyway. The goal, after all, is not to advance human welfare, but to advance human control.
Conquering a nation typically comes about in one of two ways. The first is to attack it militarily and compel the people to obedience. The second is to corrupt the institutions that keep the people unified, and raise up leaders who promise to stabilize the chaos, establish order and return a sense of security…sound familiar? America is too strong to conquer militarily, so the second process has been undertaken…the process of corruption. Disconnecting America’s institutions had to be approached surreptitiously…with excruciating patience over time as Communist agents worked to degrade the culture, break down the family, destroy rule by law, politicize judicial relief, erase traditional values, and eliminate private property ownership. An ancient Chinese leader, Shan Yang, described this process in 350 BC, calling it ‘weakening the people’ so they could be more easily controlled by the elites. (The Naked Socialist, 2014, pp.58-60). This weakening of the American people gained momentum in the 1960s. As rebellion rose and support for traditional institutions fell out of favor, an atmosphere of ‘anything goes’ became the new norm. Parallel to this was increased crime, disorder and dissatisfaction. The American people didn’t turn to themselves for solutions, they turned to the government. The ‘best solutions’ came packaged as more laws, less freedom, and more ‘masters’. This potential was recognized by one of the founders of this nation, Benjamin Franklin. His famous quote summarizes this exact outcome: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Is that where America is heading?
When the goals of Communism were made known, they were received in some quarters with skepticism and in others with abhorrence. For the most part, Americans believed that such blatantly declared assaults on the ‘American way’ would be virtually impossible to achieve. People believed that Americans would never accept any of the Communist goals in the great and impervious sanctuary of virtue and liberty known as the United States of America. Yet, within two generations, America’s envied system of self-perpetuating liberty, virtue, education, and understanding was dangerously undermined and forgotten. There was talk of a so-called ‘enlightenment’, a New Age, and a change in nomenclature that renamed wrong as right, good as bad, and dark as light. Within five decades many of these Communist goals to be discussed have been reached/achieved. In the eyes of Communist leadership their end result has been ‘successful’.
What then are some of these Communist goals that liberal/progressive/communist proponents are so proud of? How have they been engrained into the American culture?
> U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. This has already been suggested in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Coexistence is a negative word, a lose-lose outcome for all parties involved. In order to achieve coexistence, it is necessary to abandon the moral responsibility of advancing the good in order to get along with the bad. The West fell for this ploy. The West has negotiated a dozen major treaties that did little more than take away the West’s superiority. It went by the name of ‘detente’. President Reagan exposed the great lie when he led the West to prove that coexistence was not the only alternative. By out-spending, out-producing, and out-competing on multiple fronts, he forced the USSR into financial ruin and political dissolution in 1991 without launching a single nuclear strike. Unfortunately, this peace-through-strength formula applied back in the 1980s was abandoned by succeeding leadership who returned to the previous weaker position of coexistence and unilateral disarmament.
> U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. No sane person wants a nuclear war. President Reagan pursued a policy of peace through strength. His buildup of American forces across all fronts contributed to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union. The only wild card in this scenario is the fluid willpower that is constantly mutating and evolving away from peace through strength. A pattern of appeasement and capitulation has led to a weaker America…the exact fulfillment of the original Communist goal.
> Develop the illusion that total disarmament by the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. As nation founder Benjamin Franklin warned, “Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.” (Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, January 5, 1773.) Since World War II the US has closed more than 325 military bases in all 50 states, reduced the number of enlisted, and has decommissioned thousands of ships, armor and aircraft. While some cuts were prudent for budget and technological reasons, many of the cuts effectively weakened America’s military standing in the world.
> Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. The Mutual Defense Assistance Control Act of 1951 banned US economic reconstruction aid to countries doing business with the Soviet Union. However, regular and routine violations of its provisions under the names of humanitarian aid and economic assistance pledges have characterized every presidential administration for the past 60 years, helping socialist regimes gain strength.
> Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet Satellites. The generosity of the US to help others in need is an important stabilizing influence in the world. Problems arise when such help allows nations the surplus resources to arm themselves to attack others.
> Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. The US gives aid to more than 150 nations, many of them ruled by dictators, terrorist, and Communists. Billions have gone to nations such as Russia, China, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela and others that have declared their opposition to the US and called for its overthrow. US decision makers…not surprising…have turned a blind eye to the advantages they give enemies when they put humanitarian needs above security concerns. Any avowed enemy of America that receives US humanitarian aid also becomes free to focus more funds and attention on activities inimical to the US and its allies.
> Grant recognition of Red China and admission of Red China to the UN. Supposedly trading partners tend to foster prosperity in each other, and granting recognition is the first step to starting a trade relationship. Many allies said that the idea of recognizing avowed enemies such as China and admitting them to the UN was ludicrous. That opposition was abandoned when President Nixon initiated the process of China’s recognition to the UN in 1972 and President Carter consummated it in 1979. The benefits of that deal went to China. In January 2014, China surpassed the US as the world’s largest trading nation, with the US buying 17.2 percent of China’s exports. Did this deal promote more peace in the world? Such trading advantages have quite a way of corrupting dictatorships. China is now the number one holder of US debt at $1.317 trillion, with interest payments exceeding $164 million per day! Another Communist goal achieved.
> Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev’s promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the UN. The Helsinki Accords signed in 1975 gave the Soviets what they really wanted: official acknowledgement of USSR gains from World War II, with smaller European states becoming uncontested satellite territories controlled by the Soviets, including the divided Germany. It was not until the West challenged the Soviets that ‘promises’ were kept. As I have previously stated, the Communists are persistent in their goals and when things don’t go as desired, they back off and reorganize, i.e., Ukraine.
It would be comforting if I could say this is the last of the Communist goals, but I can’t. There are still many more at work in today’s world and I will continue with them next week. We will get to see the Communist influence in the events, activities, and evolutions in the world today…especially right here in the United States. It’s not a pretty picture.
-Bob Munsey
“When you are in trouble, expect God, who is your defense, to supply strength so you can hold steady.” Hope in a Chaotic World, Ray C. Stedman
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