Could the hate of J. P. Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller's corporate empires allowed for the CPUSA to gain a major foothold in American Politics?
IIRC the Communists were very active in the CIO, but found American workers were far more interested in bread-and-butter issues like wages than agitating for American recognition of the USSR and "orders from Moscow" issues.
(Source: Making a New Deal, which I read for graduate school.)
IIRC there was some kind of ideological current among Communists that a violent revolution might not be necessary in the United States, something that Stalin condemned. Maybe in reaction the CPUSA declares itself independent of Moscow's control and starts hyping up its 100% Americanism and denouncing the iniquities of the USSR?
Maybe some American Communist visits the USSR and Stalin gratuitously kills him? Or perhaps the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact is received EXTREMELY badly?
Maybe if those American communists kind of play on patriotism, they could get support. Draw parallels between the people's struggle and the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord, paint Lincoln as some sort of early socialist, and just try to Americanize the ideology.
Maybe if those American communists kind of play on patriotism, they could get support. Draw parallels between the people's struggle and the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord, paint Lincoln as some sort of early socialist, and just try to Americanize the ideology.
They actually tried this in OTL; it didn't work.
Details?
There's also the "orders from Moscow" issue that would make patriotic appeals ring somewhat hollow.
http://americancommissar.wordpress.com
This is a memoir by Sandor Voros, a Hungarian immigrant to the U.S who joined the Communist Party. Many of the chapters are about the constantly shifting "party line" and the generally authoritarian nature of the CP. The posters mentioning "orders from Moscow" are correct, if you believe Voros
http://americancommissar.wordpress.com
This is a memoir by Sandor Voros, a Hungarian immigrant to the U.S who joined the Communist Party. Many of the chapters are about the constantly shifting "party line" and the generally authoritarian nature of the CP. The posters mentioning "orders from Moscow" are correct, if you believe Voros
...Maybe in reaction the CPUSA declares itself independent of Moscow's control and starts hyping up its 100% Americanism and denouncing the iniquities of the USSR?
...
Yep and how about adding Christian communism into the mix, make it so that Communism is portrayed as not against religion.
The market system doesn't need to be completely controlled by the state; by allowing private property and private enterprises, just like OTL China.