The Socialist Democrat Party of America - Where's Joe McCarthy When You Need Him?

Alright. You want to know the other reasons the Democrat Party has turned me off? It's pretty simple. I might have mentioned before that I had an excellent social studies teacher in high school. It was an advanced study course to prepare you for college and we had to read and write a lot. Being a well rounded program, we had to read about Marx, Lenin, socialism, communism, etc. This was largely part of the World History section related to Europe.

The first time I heard John Kerry use the term "Misery Index", I sat up and said, "What?" I found that very strange coming from a man with millions, married to a woman with billions.

Then, along comes John Edwards and he uses the term "Two Americas". Again, my eye brows just about climbed off the top of my forehead. This was too bizarre. If you do not understand the reasons for my concern, let me explain:

• Misery Index - This is a Marxist concept. A play on Karl Friedrich Marx's terminology, "the immiseration of the worker". This represents the point at which the "common worker's" misery will cause him to rise up against his "bourgeois masters". The point at which the worker, a slave in the capitalist market, will force a capitalist society to turn to socialism. The point at which the worker becomes the master. Marx was not far off in his prediction that capitalist societies would turn socialist. We have only to look at France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, etc. To know that it can happen in any society. Mr. Kerry invoked this in the beginning of his campaign and only later, after it was pointed out to him, discontinued using this exact phrase and began a general bashing of the economy and the "common people's" condition. However, having already let the cat out of the bag, anything he says thereafter, is just a muddied version of what he really believes.

• Two Americas - Socialist concept. This term was originally used by James P. Cannon when speaking at the July 1, 1948 National Convention of the Socialist Worker's Party. In this speech, James P. Cannon, states the following:

(...)On the other hand, American capitalism—the last solvent stronghold of an outlived and doomed world system—is trying to prop up the hated regimes of capitalists and kings and landlords by economic pressure and military force.

These are the two main elements of the present world crisis.

The Wall Street money-sharks, and the brass hats of Prussian mentality, are riding high in Washington these days. The masters of America, drunk with power, are threatening and terrifying the people of the world—seeking to dominate and enslave them—striving to transform the other countries of the world into colonies of the American empire. (...)

One is the America of the imperialists—of the little clique of capitalists, landlords, and militarists who are threatening and terrifying the world. This is the America the people of the world hate and fear.

There is the other America—the America of the workers and farmers and the “little people”. They constitute the great majority of the people. They do the work of the country. They revere its old democratic traditions—its old record of friendship for the people of other lands, in their struggles against kings and despots—its generous asylum once freely granted to the oppressed.

This is the America which must and will solve the world crisis—by taking power out of the hands of the little clique of exploiters and parasites, and establishing a government of workers and farmers. The workers’ and farmers’ government will immediately proceed to change things fundamentally -


Throw out the profit and rent hogs, and increase the living standards of the people who do the useful work.

Assure freedom and democratic rights to all, not forgetting those who are denied any semblance of them now.

Call back the truculent admirals from the seven seas—and ground the airplanes with their dangling bombs.

Hold out the hand of friendship and comradely help to the oppressed and hungry people in the world.(...)


It is well to recall now that America was born of revolution in 1776, and secured its unity as a nation through another revolution—the Civil War—which smashed the abomination of chattel slavery in the process. Our great, rich, wonderful country was once the light and the hope of the world. But our America has fallen into the hands of a small, selfish group, who are trying to dominate the world—and to set up a police state at home.(...)

All this is part and parcel of the development of capitalism—the system which puts profits above all other considerations. The capitalist system has long outlived its usefulness. Capitalism offers no future to the people but depressions, imperialist wars, fascism, universal violence and a final plunge into barbarism.

To avoid such a fate, the workers of the United States must go into politics on their own account, independent of all capitalist politics. They must take power, establish a workers’ and farmers’ government and reorganize the economy of the country on a socialist basis. Socialist economy in the United States, eliminating capitalist wars, profits and waste, will be so productive as to ensure a rich living for all who are willing and able to work, and provide security and ample means for the aged and infirm.

We should also help the hungry people of the world to improve their standard of life. Socialist America will rapidly make that possible by helping them to secure their own freedom and develop their own economy. Eventually, the economy of the entire world will be united and planned on a socialist basis. This will bring universal peace—and undreamed of abundance for all people everywhere. The real upward march of humanity will begin.

The American working class can open up the way to this new world. They are the majority. They have the power in America. All that is necessary is for the working class to understand it—and to use it.

We firmly believe they will do so. We firmly believe the real America—the America of the workers, the people—will help save the world by saving herself.

We, the American Trotskyists—we, the national convention of the Socialist Workers Party, summon our America to her great destiny—not as conqueror but as liberator of the world.

Is it me? Or, did the Democrat Convention in Boston sound like "socialist lite"? How about the name of the Kerry-Edwards campaign tour? The "Believe" tour. Would you believe that two of the richest men ever to run for the President/Vice President positions in America are spouting Socialist rhetoric? Part of me would like to believe that they are too stupid to know that their campaign and speeches are being run by some stealth socialist and these guys are just not up enough on their history to know better.

On the other hand, can anyone be that stupid?

I had this conversation with a friend of mine only a few months ago. I have pointed out in the past that my friends are staunch Liberals and vote Democrat. This particular friend has an MBA with a minor in liberal arts. She also works for a very large finance corporation. My friend became very offended when I pointed this out to her. She said that I was talking nonsense and points out the fact that both Kerry and Edwards are filthy rich and got that way from capitalist adventures. She feels very strongly that they would not endanger our capitalist culture, if only for their own benefit.

My reply to her was a simple reminder of history. Point in fact that the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 was not started by the "poor peasants" and "down trodden workers", but was actually started by wealthy, upper middle class students in the universities. It started out as a grand idea to give the power back to the people and end the continued, practical serfdom of the Russian peasants as well as bring down the "imperialist" ruling class. The year 1917 was three years into WWI. Russia had suffered massive casualties in a war that her people felt was not their responsibility.

WWI was the catalyst for the revolution. But much like the French revolution under Robespiere, it quickly turned into the slaughter of anyone that did not exactly agree with the party line. Once it got underway, like many revolutions, some of the wealthy could see which way the wind was blowing and jumped on the band wagon. In this manner, serving the revolution, many were able to retain their wealth and power.

One of the little known facts of the Bolshevik uprisings is that the Royal Family, after being deposed, was kept prisoners for quite sometime at the behest of Lenin, who did not want his grand revolution to turn to this slaughter. It was party members under him that sent the order for their execution. Just four years later, after having served his purpose in the revolution, Lenin died of a brain infarction. Infarction as in "hole in the brain". Never proven, but I have always wondered if this wasn't a Communist euphemism for "bullet hole." But that's just my conspiracy theory.

My friend, after listening to my comments, told me I was crazy. Am I? I think there is a great fear in this country for naming this movement for what it is for fear of the return of "McCarthyism". As a matter of fact, one day on a chat room, I commented that this seemed like a socialist/Marxist movement and I was called a "McCarthyite" as if this was supposed to make me afraid to say this out loud. The great fear that these people might be "purged". Of course, whenever people are throwing these terms around, along with "Nazi" and a few other choice insults, it makes me believe that we have truly failed our children in education since they obviously don't know anything about McCarthy or the Nazis.

I don't believe these people need to be persecuted. But, I do believe that we should educate ourselves on their agenda and make sure that they get voted down and the true Democrats take the party back. Of course, it may be too late and we will be stuck with the conservative Republic ticket as our only safe haven from the morons that don't have a clue.

I think my Grandfather must be spinning in his grave right now. He fought against the Nazis and hated Communists all his life.

The other tell-tell sign of the party's obvious swing towards socialism and Marxist tenets, is the complete embracing of the propagandist file Farenheit 9/11 which is the closest production to Socialist propaganda I have ever seen in my lifetime. It reeks of the basic by-lines: the country is run by large corporations and a few extremely wealthy, not the common people; wars are started at the behest and for the profit of wealthy corporations; it's the poor and ignorant that suffer and die for the greed of the rich and powerful; the rich and powerful are not liberators, but conquerers bent on imperial colonization; there are no heroes nor righteous reasons for war; and leaves the impression that "you and I" should do something about it. Leave aside all of the judicial editing and lies by omission, Michael Moore brilliantly achieves his goal of creating the most prolific peace of propaganda in 60 years.

If you don't believe me, research pamphlets from the Bolshevik uprising or check out any early era Stalinist films. I think you will be very surprised.

In closing, it seems to me that the National Socialist Party has changed it's name to Democrat. One other reason I have changed my name to "Republican".