I just wanted to ask this question as I have heard this talking point mentioned several times here on Lemmygrad, but with little follow up or explanation. I myself am very curious and am actively pursuing joining a local chapter of a party, but I am in a very precarious place in my life, and I would like to inform myself as much as I can before making my final decision.
So what exactly would potential consequences of joining a communist party look like? Do you have any personal experiences with issues or discrimination that arose from your membership to a communist party?
Could these effects be mitigated by joining under an alias? Are the effects permanent? Will being a member prevent a person from traveling internationally and receiving a passport? Will being a member hurt chances of admissions to universities or jobs even if it is not disclosed? Will being a member be discoverable during security clearance checks and prevent the taking of a government job?
I’m sorry for the amount of questions, I’m just very curious, but simultaneously worried about the permanent repercussions that might arise from me seeking to join a party, especially in the heart of the Imperial Core. Thank you for your help and guidance.
If you think you’ll ever become a public figure, even a minor one, it could easily become grounds for discrimination or worse. I think you could not mention it for low-level stuff like university admission or getting a low-level job. On the flipside if you end up doing anything important I doubt you could really hide it.
I’ve been reading a biography of the famous conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. He was that kind of neither Moscow nor Washington “progressive” (aside from maybe participating in some Society for Soviet Friendship kind of organizations during the 30s and 40s when it was relatively acceptable) but seemed to be sincere in the good stuff he did, for example he held many fundraisers, e.g. for the Black Panthers or the Derrigan brothers (anti-Vietnam activists) and some other things. I think he also wrote or scheduled a piece that would make a big anti-war statement at the opening of the Kennedy Center for which Nixon was supposed to be present.
Even this pretty tame stuff though prompted a lot of FBI surveillance and they have a lot of files on him. He was blacklisted for a while due to the actions of HUAC (prompted by the publication of “Red Channels” in Counterattack, which I believe was a newspaper) and put on a the list of the Emergency Detention Act that called for subversive public figures and labor leaders to be rounded up into concentration camps were the president to declar a state of emergency (this was repealed in the 70s). The FBI kept him under surveillance and recommended that Nixon not attend the aforementioned concert to avoid public embarassment. Bernstein lived longer but I haven’t finished the book yet. And despite this hardship, Bernstein still managed to have a very successful career. I can’t speak so much to his personal life since this biography is focused on his public facing side and politics specifically.
I think you should just be aware of the potential hazards. This stuff kept going on after HUAC and McCarthy, and it seems like we may be entering a new McCarthyite era to make things worse. But don’t let this stop you, instead you should never forget that the US Gov is your enemy and you should always be aware of what your enemy can do so that you can be better prepared to defend yourself.
That first part is a large reason of why I am worried to a degree as I at some point wish to become a public figure and maybe one day become big, and don’t want to tank my chances of success before I can at least establish myself to a degree. Which I doubt would be beneficial to myself or a party.
As if I am established even to a minor degree, scrutiny is to be expected no matter what, and I would like to become public with my affiliation as well, so I don’t worry about that as much. Mostly it is the fear I will falter before reaching a point at which I will have a reasonable “safety net” that would catch flak in a career or field.
I also plan to pursue politics heavily, but not as a common American puppet bourgeoisie representative or candidate, and would like to use all my effort to support and further a Communist party and revolution. Despite this I will still need to climb the American political system to further my experience and standing, and while I don’t plan to remain there, I assume I will need to keep my head down for a long while to build experience, a job, and a base.