The Rise And Fall Of American Communism
During the twentieth century, the popularity of the American Communist party was fueled less by its beliefs, than by the Government’s ever-more-antagonistic attitude toward foreign influences in America. After the armistice of World War I, disillusioned by the political and social turmoil abroad, the United States sought to unify its people, and to eliminate foreign influences that might prevent the formation of a single American stream of thought. Since the nation was founded on democratic policies and based upon a democratic tradition, the American government sought to diminish the strength of any political philosophy counter-intuitive to democracy, so as to ensure the survival of ...
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War, however, once again heightened the American government’s desire to control public opinion so as to increase the effectiveness of the American war-machine. This time, the government’s more fervent and, even more relentless, attacks on foreign ideas reduced the membership and the prestige of the American Communist Party to a minimum, diminishing its political presence and influence. Although it would be foolish to maintain that the actions of the Soviet government in no way influenced the popularity of communism in America, it is fair to say that the American government’s attitude was at least as, if not more important a factor. In fact, communism’s prosperity appears to have been an inverse function of the amount of American governmental persecution of communism that was occurring during any particular period or time – the more persecution the party suffered, the smaller its active membership. In fact, its popularity lasted only while persecution was at a minimum – for ...
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to the violent overthrow of the American government by a massive revolt of the working class. During the first few years of the parties, a number of members were tried in New York under its criminal anarchy law. But neither of the two Communist parties was outlawed and it was never declared a crime for an American citizen to be a Communist, although non-citizens could be deported for the same. Due to this early persecution, both of the parties were forced underground, their leaders adopted pseudonyms, and party papers were printed only in secret. This era of underground communism subsided in 1921, when Poland successfully repelled a Soviet invasion and thus turned away fears ...
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The Rise And Fall Of American Communism. (2006, July 6). Retrieved April 24, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Rise-And-Fall-American-Communism/48687
"The Rise And Fall Of American Communism." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 6 Jul. 2006. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Rise-And-Fall-American-Communism/48687>
"The Rise And Fall Of American Communism." Essayworld.com. July 6, 2006. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Rise-And-Fall-American-Communism/48687.
"The Rise And Fall Of American Communism." Essayworld.com. July 6, 2006. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Rise-And-Fall-American-Communism/48687.
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