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This past Sunday, as people were standing in line to see Bruce Springsteen perform on the Oval, a few people claiming association with the College Republicans were handing out fliers suggesting that Barack Obama is a communist. Another student draped himself in the Soviet flag with "Change we can believe in" sewn into it. It was a depressing sight. Supporting a party bankrupt of ideas, they resorted to making nonsensical claims about Obama's political beliefs and insisted that his supporters were "drinking the kool-aid."
Just as liberals have abused the word "fascist" in idiotic denunciations of authority figures, conservatives are resorting to abusing the word "communist" in similar denunciations of liberals. After angry passions subside, however, nobody has made a substantial point, and the rhetorical abuses employed have done nothing except change the meaning of a word. Communism was a political phenomenon that defined the 20th century for far too many people. It was so destructive that it left a trail of 100 million dead bodies after the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly two decades ago.
Anyone with even the most elementary background in 20th century world history knows what communism is and the murderous atrocities it caused. Originating from the writings of Karl Marx in the 19th century, communism is the belief in the rule of the working class - the proletariat - in a paradoxically classless society. In order to achieve this goal, however, the proletariat is compelled to destroy anyone who resists this new society. Creativity, liberty and justice are disregarded in a society that fails to replicate the privilege afforded by the mass middle class in modern society.
This is obviously not what Sen. Barack Obama wants. He believes every American citizen, be they working class or otherwise, is entitled to equal opportunity in achieving the American dream. By no logic is this communism; it is not even socialism. It is, paraphrasing Bruce Springsteen, an attempt to fulfill the American promise handed down from our country's founders. Perhaps Obama's policies are not the best means to achieve such a lofty goal, but crying havoc and letting slip shallow accusations of communist sympathies is hardly constructive.
Of course, rather than present any thoughtful examinations of Obama's policies, the flier I saw at the concert mentioned the names of alleged associates of the Illinois Senator. The fact is that Obama has condemned the destructive radical activities of William Ayers, that he was 11 when Saul Alinsky, who was not a communist, died, that he was not involved in any wrongdoing regarding Tony Rezko, and that he is no longer a member of Jeremiah Wright's congregation.
Obama has staked his campaign on mass appeal to all citizens, not the frustrations of a disenfranchised proletariat. Contrast that with John McCain, who is relentlessly smearing his opponent in a desperate attempt to acquire power that a man with his poor temperament should not have. All of McCain's ads are negative, suggesting he and his party have run out of new ideas to address our emerging problems.
Matthew Struhar is a senior in history and political science. He can be reached at struhar.1@osu.edu.
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