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Politics

Allen West and His Critics

May. 10, 2012 12:27am
Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College, executive director of The Center for Vision & Values, and author of the book,  […]
Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College, executive director of The Center for Vision & Values, and author of the book, “The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mentor.” His other books include "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism" and "Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century."
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visandvals@gcc.edu
Author's Website

Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) is being heavily criticized for comments alleging that certain Democratic members of Congress are communists, and he is not backing down. West dared to quantify his accusation, claiming there are “78 to 81” Congressional Democrats who are communists.

I want to say three things relating to West’s remarks: First, some criticism of West’s critics. Second, a defense of West’s critics. And, finally, some criticism of West, which I offer constructively. I like Allen West and want him to succeed.

First, on West’s critics:

Their concern about West’s exaggeration and name-calling has little credibility coming from an ideology (liberalism) and political party (Democrats) who constantly engage in exaggeration and name-calling. I could point out a litany of examples. It’s as easy as the latest liberal/Democrat gambit accusing Republicans of a “war on women” merely because they believe the federal government shouldn’t force taxpayers to fund contraception and Planned Parenthood. For that crime, West’s colleague Maxine Waters called Republicans “demons.” Nancy Pelosi said they want women to “die on the floor.” Dianne Feinstein insisted they want “to sock it to women.” Harry Reid claimed Republicans have placed a “bull’s eye on women.” Barbara Boxer described it as a “vendetta” against women. Congresswoman Barbara Lee summed it up as a GOP “war on women.”

I could go on and on. Google the words “George W. Bush” and “Hitler” or “Nazi.” Or recall the obscene statements from Democratic lawmakers regarding the Iraq war. Remember that Senator Dick Durbin compared our troops to “Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot or others.”

But only when a Rush Limbaugh blows his top—or someone like Allen West issues charges like this one—does the New York Times start issuing calls for civility.

Point made. Now, for my second and third points:

Allen West needs to be much more careful. He sloppily overlapped categories and blurred lines of distinction. The reality is that the left side of the political spectrum is very broad. It includes Democrats, liberals, progressives, “social-justice” Christians, socialists, communists, Marxists, Leninists, Stalinists, Maoists, and more. There are distinct differences, even when a liberal Democrat favors something that Marx favored. For instance, point two in Marx’s 10-point plan inThe Communist Manifesto calls for “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax.” Advocates of this include basically the entirety of the Democratic membership of the House of Representatives—but it doesn’t make them Marxists. Consider point three in Marx’s 10-point plan, which calls for “abolition of all rights of inheritance.” Many “liberals” and “progressives” advocate that to some degree (via taxation), but I know of no Congressional Democrat calling for complete abolition of all rights of inheritance.

Likewise, Marx wrote this: “the theory of the communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.” Yes, liberals place all kinds of restrictions on private property, but I know of no Congressional Democrat who would go as far as Lenin and Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot and Castro.

Here’s the reality that often complicates things for conservatives when looking at the political left: Liberals agree with communists on many key sympathies—workers’ rights, spreading and redistributing wealth, a narrow to non-existent income gap, an expansive central government offering a wide array of “free” government services, favoring the public sector over the private sector, class-based rhetoric (often demagoguery) toward the wealthy, progressively high tax rates. The differences are matters of degree, but they are crucial differences.

Sure, Allen West didn’t say that every liberal in Congress is a communist. Yet, he did say that there is a huge portion. Even worse, he initially said that “78 to 81” were actual Communist Party members, or about 40 percent of the Democratic membership. Clearly that’s not accurate. If it is, then West should be chiseled into Mt. Rushmore for exposing the greatest threat to Washington since the War of 1812—and we should commence a national march to the Capitol right now, with torches.

I assume that West misspoke, and meant communists (lower case “c”) in ideology, not actual card-carrying Communist Party members.

Allen West has forgotten the painful lesson of Joe McCarthy: If you’re going to call certain people communists, you better be absolutely, 100 percent certain. There’s nothing that liberals detest more than anti-communism. Their preferred villain is Joe McCarthy, not Joe Stalin. They and their mass media will go ballistic, demanding a level of precision from you that they never demand from their own name-callers. Our side must be more cautious; that’s the deck stacked against us.

Allen West, your courage and boldness is refreshing, but please be more careful.

Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College, executive director ofThe Center for Vision & Values, and author of the book, “The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mentor.” His other books include “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism” and “Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.”

A longer version of this article first appeared at American Spectator.

 

 

 

Comments (13)

  • recoveringneocon
    Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:30pm

    A sample of “Allen West’s” Voting Record.

    2012-2013 Budget (unbalanced) Yea
    Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources Nay
    Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Yea
    National Defense Authorization Act Yea
    Increasing the Debt Ceiling Yea
    2011-2012 Budget (unbalanced) Yea
    Extension Patriot Act Provisions Yea

    Does this look like the voting record or a Freedom Loving Patriot?
    Conservative my @ss!

    Report this comment

    recoveringneocon  
  • Mitchina
    Posted on May 12, 2012 at 12:33pm

    First – Charles, STFU and sit down. Second – I disagree with the author of this article that West or ANY conservative needs to be more careful about splitting hairs of a devil dog when talking about the left. THEY ARE ALL WORTHLESS so what is one lable begets or overlaps another. Tomato, Tamato. And for someone claiming to be a conservative, why are the scales here so unbalanced? Kengor is a frequent contributor to MSNBC, C-SPAN, NPR, PCN-TV, and FoxNewsChannel. One out of 5 sucks for a supposed conservative. I did find out more about his man, tho. Gotta check our EVERYONE for fear it’s the left pulling an ‘Alinsky’ over on us.

    http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/archives.aspx?col=Dr.%20Paul%20Kengor

    Report this comment

    Mitchina  
  • charles116
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 2:51pm

    The author would like West to succeed.
    His OWN VOTING RECORD is the exact opposite of his voting record.
    He’s a silly little rabble rouser looking for attention.

    Report this comment

    charles116  
  • charles116
    Posted on May 11, 2012 at 2:47pm

    Allen West has no critics.
    Just sane, intelligent folk who see him as the arrogant, deluded PSYCHOlogical mess that he is.

    Report this comment

    charles116  
  • Aloha Kaleiohi
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:05pm

    ALLEN WEST is my hero….I just wish there were more men like him in DC…..a true AMERICAN patriot!….not like the commies in congress and especially in the WH administration….obama/ osama is a Marxist, Commie,…and should be tried for treason!

    That’s why I’ voting for Romney at least he is an American that loves his country and his religion has moral values and is family orientated! …..His religion won’t kill you if you disagree with w/their faith …such as obama/osama’s Muslim religion!

    Report this comment

    Aloha Kaleiohi  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:54pm

    West was just plain wrong in his statement. There are many more than 81 Communists in Congress. Count obama, his staff, Czars and their staff and all of G. Soros stealthfully named but transparent agenda orgs. and we go into the 10s of thousands. This is an epidemic of radicals. Please be more forthcoming about the real problem Mr. West. You are in a unique position, which I doubt you sought if not in service of your Country. We need you and we know it. We stand by you 110% X 10..

    Report this comment

    Ghandi was a Republican  
  • Onbendedknee
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 1:58pm

    Congressman West is an American hero. He’s been trained to call it like he sees it. His caution to all of us is to me wary of wolves in dog’s clothing. It may not be politically correct to call it correctly, but that is why I admire the congressman. Liberals, progressives or ‘democrats’ don’t like Congressman West because he is black and happens to be conservative. Personally, I think they must be racist if they don’t like what he is saying. (Isn’t that the same argument they us if anyone criticizes what the president does or says?)

    Report this comment

    Onbendedknee  
  • The Third Archon
    Posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:53am

    “The reality is that the left side of the political spectrum is very broad. It includes Democrats, liberals, progressives, “social-justice” Christians, socialists, communists, Marxists, Leninists, Stalinists, Maoists, and more. There are distinct differences, even when a liberal Democrat favors something that Marx favored. For instance, point two in Marx’s 10-point plan inThe Communist Manifesto calls for “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax.” Advocates of this include basically the entirety of the Democratic membership of the House of Representatives—but it doesn’t make them Marxists.”
    First intelligent thing written on the Blaze in a long time–funny it didn’t come from one of the Blaze’s writers. Also, no mention for the anarchists? Sad.
    “If it is, then West should be chiseled into Mt. Rushmore for exposing the greatest threat to Washington since the War of 1812—and we should commence a national march to the Capitol right now, with torches.”
    Ah, so tolerance for political ideology, speech, and, respect for the legitimacy of democractic elections ends when it comes to Communists then? Oh? Well, if that’s the case, it’s only FAIR if we ban the Fascists too, starting with the Constitution Party.

    Report this comment

    The Third Archon  
    • M24
      Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:33am

      I Agree To A point At Least West Has The Stones To Call These aszHoles Out , In A Fairy Tale World How About EveryBody In Washington Start Being American’s First ,Meaning Read And Understand Our Constitution !! The More Government Hand Out’s The More Government Control

      Report this comment

      M24  

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