Has the idea of Humanism Replaced the idea of Communism in America Today?
Reading over everyone's comments, I could not help but notice an interesting question emerging: Has humanism replaced communism in America today? Here is what I mean. During the 1950s, and even afterwards, people who were labeled 'un-American' were concluded to be communists. Remember the McCarthy era, those unsolicited witch-hunts whereby individuals who spoke their minds, and who were against the government were labeled communists?This may have been furthest from the truth, but any thinking, acting or participation against mainstream America, was concluded to be done by a communist thinker. Today, many people are disenchanted with politics, as they currently exist in this country. Consequently, it is concluded that they are un-American, or from what I have read on this blog, humanists at heart. I am not equating the concept of 'humanism' with 'communism' as much as I am asking whether the labels for non-mainstream thinking have attached to these concepts. In other words, if one does not like the political climate today, is it concluded the she/he is a humanist at heart, just like it was concluded someone was a communist and therefore belongs to a culture of anti-Americanism? Or is this an unfair comparison?
Thank you for your minds.
Thank you for your minds.
12 Comments:
Too many of the disenchanted do not vote or even worse, do not even register to vote. If they do not register, they ought to keep quiet.
In my dealings with the masses, I always like to ask the disenfranchised if they vote. When they say proudly "never" I point out that they are part of the problem. The perplexed look on their faces always surprises me.
The McCarthy era was a strange time indeed. The ringleader took advantage of the possibility of a war with the communist USSR and people's fear of nuculer war to smear political opponents. What better way to discredit someone than to accuse them of being a communist?
Today, we have a totally different situation. There is no more USSR, and we are economic bed buddies with the largest communist state left. Without China and their cheap exports, what would Wal-Mart sell?
Now the buzz word is "terror". People who are against bad policies are written off as "people who do not get it" or "people soft on terror" or something else.
Of course this means that the other side has all the answers, and endorses only policy that will make us all "safe" from some dirty bomb. If you think this is true, I have some land here in Florida I would like to sell you. I promise it is not swamp.
Humanism is a code word both by the left and right on the left it is used by some who are afraid to call themselves SOCIALIST and on the right by some who use it to call the liberals socialist.
Clasical liberalism or humanism is not the same thing as political liberalism of today.
There are real different religous and political out looks fear mongering exists at both extremes. How many times have religous conseratives been called the christian taliban which is completly an example of fear mongering.
Humph! Fooey. I'm a Unitarian and most of us are humanists. We're just as American as George Bush. We're MORE American than he is.
Actually humanism is a philosophy that asserts the dignity and worth of humans and their capacity for self-realization through reason. I don't get the connection to communism.
Apparently the current conservative group in power gets to define and re-define any word that they want to.
Tan: Nobody is defining or re-defining anything here. I don't know where that response came from against "the current conservative group in power." They didn't bring up this topic. Barbara did.
Barbara is just posing food for thought.
Is the word "humanism" being used/abused just like the word "communism" was?
I don't think it is being used in the same way at all. I think the label of "communist" was a much more negative label at the time.
Thankfully, I don't see those labeled "humanists" being black listed. It would be despicable.
We're just as American as George Bush. We're MORE American than he is.
DUH!
communism commited mass murder on a level only Hitler could comprehend. Millions died for this worthless ideology.
Thank you all for your comments, and I think you are right: the label humanism is not the same as communism at all.
As you point out so wisely, Jamie Dawn, humanists are not being black-listed, thankfully. And Tan's definition of the philosphy dealing with self-worth and human dignity has nothing whatsoever to do with communist ideology.
The Lazy Iguana talks about no more USSR nor the econonic issues plagued by communist philosphy. And Yochannan reference to the mass murders is quite different in theory and in fact, thankfully.
What I wanted to think through, for myself, actually, was how some of us who feel as American as everyone else, are somehow being told that we are less so or less than simply because we do not agree with mainstream political thinking and belief.
The presence or absence of these labels, I see is not relevant in the least.
You ask if the label "humanist" is being used ways similar as "communist" was in the 50s. I believe the pragmatic marriage between conservative politicos and conservative "Christians" is operating in EXACTLY the same way the fear-mongering McCarthyites did. By creating the illusion of a difference between a "true" American and others, it is far easier to compel action. It is not a new idea; Hitler used the same TACTIC (I'm not saying the GOP are Nazis!) to urge his early supporters to follow his plan to restore then protect Germany from those that were oppressing the people.
I'm offended that my patriotism and my Christianity are questioned if I voice an opinion that suggests the current offensive war in Iraq should not have been started. That is a different question of what to do now.
"Secular Humanism" is used as a label by GOP strategists to rally the "fundamentalist" religous right and ultimately damages both causes (Christians and GOP) long term.
Kurt,
What a brillant way to explain the issues. Thank you for your eloquence and candor.
I think you have hit on something when you talk about creating an illusion to what constitutes a 'true' America. Sadly, this is how many of us, myself included, are feeling today. That somehow, we are not truly American if we see, view or feel differently than the current administration.
Your comments have put a candid and realistic spin on the issue.
I think you and Bridger (check out his comments) would enjoy reading each other's blogs.
Hope you visit again soon.
Humanists are not being black-listed, but you can be sure that "humanism" and "secularism" are both being framed as derogatory terms by the right-wing.
While I have been called "commie" on blogs (how a communist could be an analyst for a Fortune 100 company, I'm not quite sure), more commonly the phrase "secular humanist" is being thrown around as an insult by the right. I'm seeing that more and more.
I think the word that has been trashed is "Liberal". There have been nearly three centuries of liberalism. But, the yuppies have spent 20 years trashing anyone who disagrees with them with the phrase "dirty liberal scum"! I'd guess "humanist" will be next though. Followed by "secular" and finally "non-believer" will be the epithet du jour.
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