>>> Katha Pollitt <kpollitt at thenation.com> 12/09/99 09:05AM >>>
Similarly, Instead of taking the fifth, lying, going on and on about their patriotism, going underground, fleeing the country etc CP members COULD have defended their right to be communists and tried to use the HUAC hearings to explain to people what that meant. They would have gone to jail,sure -- but they arguably would have come out of the McCarthy era less psychologically damaged and in better political shape.
it was the CP itself that orchestrated the "ceremonies of innocence" that so infuriate you now.
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Charles: It is not clear to me that your assessment of the situation and your suggested alternative actions for CPers are better than those of the Communist Party while the Party was in the thick of it, and you recollect in tranquilty, even. But you could be correct. This is counter factual. So , next time, perhaps we will follow your example. Are you with us ?
Most of the Party, from what I understand did not go underground. But it is not clear that everybody staying above ground would have had a better result. The Yankee dictators had it in for 'em, see. So's , there may have been no way out for them. Coleman Young came out a hero in Detroit for the way he fought the HUAC committee herel, and later the people of Detroit elected him Mayor, he explained himself so well. He was psychologically damaged (couldn't get a job) but martyrized for courage.
Maybe your tactics would have been better, but I still blame the Yankee dictators more than the victims of the illiberties.
By the way, the CP plan was not to overthrow the U.S. by force and violence, so what was wrong with the pleas they made ?
CB