Thursday, December 21, 2006

Septic Origin

I am for socialism, disarmament, and, ultimately, for abolishing the state itself... I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal.

No, this is not my personal creed, nor is it an impassioned excerpt from George Clooney's diary, though it parallels the latter, no doubt. Guess who said it.

If you assumed Karl Marx--or even Hillary "Clinton" Rodham--you'd be wrong.

Roger Baldwin made this remark in an article titled "Freedom in the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R." Who is this Baldwin character? Why, he's none other than one of the founders of that august civil rights group, the ACLU, serving as its executive director until 1950. Such an auspicious beginning; such a hallowed birth. The question is, why would anyone in his right mind associate himself with an organization dedicated to the propagation of communism or its milder brother, socialism?

The next time you learn that a friend or family member is a loyal drone, fill them in on this little historical tidbit. I expect two possible reactions to the revelation: either they'll clap for joy and screech out a song about the downtrodden workers, or their eyes will grow as large as dinner plates in sheer horror.

Regardless, it'll be a Kodak moment.

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