Is Communism dead or dying? It seems the world’s countries are becoming less in favor of communistic governments and more in favor of “Free Market Capitalism.” Well, all with the exception of the USA, who seems to be running the opposite direction.

Being branded a Communist still has negative connotations, even in the USA. This lack of popularity is reflected in the inability to find Communist Party USA membership numbers. Even their Convention at Chicago in June is without data as to total attendees or delegates by state. Yes, being branded a communist is still taboo in most popular circles. On the other hand, if you refer to yourself as a Chameleon Democrat you’ll probably vote for Hillary Clinton. Clinton started out as a Republican, and as you probably know, she seems to have spent her entire public life fighting scandals by changing herself to win the occasion. However, since Chameleon Democrat is not yet a recognized branch of the Democrat party, we move on to Democrat Socialist (Bernie Sanders), Progressive (Elizabeth Warren), Liberal (Harry Reid), all political positions are self proclaimed. Any one of these three political groups would be considered by many as new and inventive!

But in spite of the name juggling of these three democratic political branches ever one of them has been following Albert S. Herlong Jr.’s list of Communist goals that was read into the Congressional Record in 1963, (confirmed by “Snopes”) With our country’s recent accelerate march towards Socialism this list is well worth revisiting today. By reading the goals and comparing them to current events we may gain insights into the thinking and strategies of our so-called “Closet Communist.”

Goals dealing with the old Soviet Empire were excluded from list and a few references were inserted by this writer.

No .1 — Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. (Leftist takeover of Democratic Party.)

No. 2 — Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks (Common Core.)

No. 3 — Gain control of key positions in radio, television and motion pictures.

No. 4 — Gain control of all student newspapers.

No. 5 — Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing and policy-making positions.

No. 6 — Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and television.

No. 7 — Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems (Moral Monday.)

No. 8 — Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art” (Crucifix in urine.)

No. 9 — Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce (welfare rules).

No. 10 — Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights (trans-sexual restrooms.)

No. 11 — Infiltrate and gain control of more unions (Unions support Democrats.)

No. 12 — Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities (1938 inception, eliminated1969.)

No. 13 — Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy” (marriage law.)

No. 14 — Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture — education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

No. 15 — Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.”

No. 16 — Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”

No. 17 — Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”

No. 18 — Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

No. 19 — Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders.

No. 20 — Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

No. 21 — Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity.

No. 22 — Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”

No. 23 — Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

No. 24 — Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

No. 25 — Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

No. 26 — Internationalize the Panama Canal.

No. 27 — Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike (Attempted but so far repeal has failed.)

No. 28 — Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.

It’s not at all difficult to associate the list of “Communist Goals” with current political activities. But seriously, Americans, why is the Democratic party working so hard to create this “Socialist Fantasy Land” after the last great Democrat President Challenged all Americans? “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Mark Schenck is chairman of the Scotland County Republican Party.