"Manifesto on Communism: Are the Ten Fundamentals and Forty-Five Communist Aims Resembled in Your Nation's Policies?"
In 1963, US Congressman Albert S. Herlong Jr. read a list of 45 goals into the Congressional Record, attributed to Cleon Skousen, researcher and author of 'The Naked Communist'. This list, often criticised for its sensationalism, outlines several objectives that communists allegedly sought to achieve in America during the Cold War era.
The list includes goals such as gaining control of schools and educational content, capturing one or both of the political parties in the United States, and infiltrating the press and gaining control of media outlets. Other objectives involve undermining traditional institutions, extending long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites, and promoting pornography and obscenity in various forms of media.
One of the most intriguing goals is the thirteenth, which does away with all loyalty oaths. This could be interpreted as an attempt to weaken the commitment to democratic values and the rule of law. Another noteworthy goal is the twenty-sixth, which eliminates prayer or any phase of religious expression in schools, allegedly on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
The list also includes goals that aimed to discredit and weaken American institutions, such as the twenty-eighth, which discredits the American Founding Fathers, presenting them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." The twenty-first goal continues discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression.
The list also includes goals that advocate for redistribution of wealth and resources, such as the first plank, which advocates for the redistribution of land ownership and the use of land rents for public benefit. The fifth plank proposes the concentration of banking and credit systems under government control.
While it is important to acknowledge the historical context in which this list was created, it is also crucial to evaluate whether similar patterns are currently evident in today's political and social landscape. This requires a careful analysis of media independence, education policy, political developments, and other factors.
One could argue that some of the goals listed in the Manifesto, such as gaining control of educational content and media outlets, still resonate today. However, it is essential to approach such evaluations with a critical and nuanced perspective, taking into account the complexities and evolutions of modern society.
- The twentieth century's communist aim to control education-and-self-development, as outlined in the list by Cleon Skousen, appears to parallel today's debates about the curricula and content in schools and universities.
- The goal to infiltrate the press and gain control of media outlets, as mentioned in the list, raises questions about the independence of today's news sources, particularly general-news and articles related to education, politics, crime-and-justice, and the arts.
- The thirteenth goal, which calls for doing away with loyalty oaths and weakening the commitment to democratic values and the rule of law, echoes modern concerns about the erosion of these foundational principles in some societies.
- The discrediting of American institutions and icons, such as the Founding Fathers, as detailed in the list, has parallels in current discussions about the relevance and truth of historical figures and events.
- The call for redistribution of wealth and resources, such as the first and fifth planks in the list, finds contemporary counterparts in debates about economic inequality, capital controls, and progressive taxation.
