COMMUNISM doesn't quite have the scary undertone to it today that it did during the Cold War. Socialists and communists, like everyone else, have been busy redefining themselves into kinder, gentler, socially acceptable groups. This being said, there is an alarming trend in the peace protests that were quite the fad in the spring. Most of the major peace protests, including one in mid-October in Washington, are funded by a group called ANSWER, or Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, which is widely accepted to be a front for the Workers World Party.
Disagreeing with the U.S. involvement in Iraq is a very valid position. A portion of very mainstream Americans truly believe that we do not belong in Iraq, and that is their prerogative. However, a large problem arises when these protests are organized by political radicals with a very different agenda on their mind. What is perhaps most disturbing is that the involvement of these radicals is not disclosed in any way to the general public. We are encouraged to think that the organizers represent some sort of large percentage of the American public in regard to political thought.
The indirect cause (and further proof) of the involvement of these highly funded groups is the high cost of a organizing a large-scale demonstration. It is estimated that the sort of demonstration that took place last weekend in Washington costs about $200,000 to pay for the permits, fees, rentals, etc. These days it is no small endeavor to create such a demonstration, and groups such as the Workers World Party are in a perfect position to exploit any sort of anti-U.S. sentiment to their advantage by funding these rallies.
The trail of money that leads to these radicals is not a straight line. Officially most of the demonstrations are funded by the group called ANSWER. Now, one would hope that each and every one of us would make a goal of stopping war and ending racism in our lifetimes; however, this group barely exists in and of itself. According to a number of sources, including FoxNews.com ("The Protests of the Workers World Party," Oct. 29), it is a well known fact that the entirety of the leadership of this group and the funding for this group originate from the same place: The Workers World Party.
Now that it is exceptionally clear that these radical groups are entangled with the peace protests, it has become necessary to show that these links are quite harmful. While their secret nature is alarming, the link alone is not enough to condemn these protests were it not for the underlying messages that these groups bring. One sign held up at the rally read, "The Destruction of the U.S. Is a Necessary Condition of Peace." While one sign is not representative of an entire protest, such ideas are clearly contrary to the ideal of ending war and racism. Most do not associate the destruction of this country with peace.
The Workers World Party strongly supports radical regimes around the globe. They honor Kim Jong-Il as some sort of great leader, claiming that he has provided for the people of North Korea equally (conveniently ignoring the human rights violations.) They even support our Cuban neighbor, Fidel Castro, in his Soviet-era regime. This group's support for the Palestinians would not be so worrisome was it not for their portrayal of the Israelis as illegally occupying the Middle East.The official newspaper of the party reported that General Wesley Clark is a war criminal. One may disagree with Clark's politics, but he certainly is not a war criminal.
Communism is quite dead. The Soviet Union proved it could not work, and mainland China is busy proving that it still doesn't. Our country, for all of its troubles, does a pretty good job of providing an environment where our citizens can succeed. Our government does not provide a daily ration of bread to its citizens (as the W.W.P. web site so proudly stated about North Korea) because our government simply provides the opportunity for citizens to earn that bread for themselves.
It is important to understand where these protests are coming from. Many people simply do not realize that the underwriters of peace protests agenda includes the destruction of our very way of life. Even for those who disagree with our government, the W.W.P. actually reduces the credibility of the cause. It is one thing to oppose our involvement in Iraq and a very different thing to advocate the end of our socioeconomic system.
(Daniel Bagley is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at dbagley@cavalierdaily.com.)
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