Seeing Red: Huffington Post debates Communist influence in U.S.

[Starry Messenger]

Last edited Fri Jan 11, 2013, 03:07 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.peoplesworld.org/seeing-red-huffington-post-debates-communist-influence-in-u-s/

Is communism still relevant to American politics?

This question was debated live online yesterday in 20-minute discussion hosted by the Huffington Post. Debate moderator Alyona Minkovski noted that the words "communism" and "socialism" have become once again commonplace since the 2008 election of President Barack Obama, as right-wing politicians have accused the Democrats of moving the nation toward these types of societies. (video below, or visit Huffington Post here.)

Additionally, polls have shown that Americans are increasingly favorable toward socialism and communism, at least in theory.

"It's very silly and a desperate attempt to try to smear Democrats because of the history of anti-communism in this country," Communist Party USA Vice Chair Libero Della Piana said of the charges against the Democrats. "The right wing in this country has always used anti-communism as a way to shut down progress and to shut down positive legislation and to shut down discussion. It goes back to the McCarthy period and long before that."

Dr. Norman Markowitz, a professor of history at Rutgers University also spoke in defense of the communists. Opposing him and Della Piana was Benjamin Shapiro, a syndicated columnist and author of Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism is Corrupting our Youth and Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America.

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I haven't had a chance to listen to the debate yet, I have to steel myself for the right-wing blowhardisms. Shapiro sounds like a peach! edit: finally got to watch, actually very good, the host didn't let the ultra-right dork drone on and on. Nice job from the socialists, and it is nice to see a news program that looks like it is just barely humoring the capitalist.

[socialist_n_TN]

1. Pretty darn interesting. Thanks Starry.......

This brought home the fact that the neo-liberals will NOT see anything other than their ideology. What he said in a nutshell is that the reason we're in this long depression is because we haven't gone far enough into neo-liberalism. It's not because the ideology itself is bankrupt. He still got too much air time, although the moderator tried to rein him in. He did what they do best, talk over other points of view.

I hope we see more of these types of panel discussions involving Marxism. The people need to hear actual options rather than caricatures put into place by the ruling class.

[Starry Messenger]

2. "The people need to hear actual options rather than caricatures put into place by the ruling class."

Nicely stated!

I was pleased that the moderator didn't red-bait or talk down to the socialists, sometimes these things are hard to watch. I felt a little more hopeful that discussion of left-wing politics can re-enter modern media.

[socialist_n_TN]

3. Yep, I was pleased with the moderation too.....

She took everyone seriously and that's something I have learned not to expect to happen. Agree with your last sentence too. Let's hope this happens more and more.