What are "Fellow Travellers?"

[nanetteclaret]

Sorry for the vanity, folks. I need to know what the official definition for "fellow travellers" is. I am going to have to confront someone soon, and I want to be sure of my facts. My understanding is that it is someone who is sympathetic to the communist goals/agenda, but it seems like it involves more than that, but I'm not sure what. Thanks for your help!

[Bahbah]

I think you pretty much have the idea.

[quidnunc]

fellow traveller n

1: a communist sympathizer (but not a member of the Communist Party) [syn: fellow traveler]
2: a traveler who accompanies you [syn: companion, fellow traveler]

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

[nopardons]

It's an OLD term.Someone who wasn't a card carrying member of the American (or other) Communist Party,but was not only sympathetic to the cause,but also aided and abetted them,was called a " fellow traveler";also a "pinko"...meaning not quite "RED",or Commie.

I hope that helps. :-)

[Belisaurius]

"Useful Idiot" is an alterantive label for such people.

[RightWingAtheist]

The term is referred specifically to people who are not de facto communist party, but nonetheless openly support its goals, and the means they take in fulfilling them. I would strongly suggest that you not use the term against your debating opponent, as ad homneim comments are the lowest form of rhetorical strategy, and they'll just blast you back for being a "McCarthyite".

[mingusthecat]

Where have I been? I never knew this. Where should I look for references such as this? How do "fellow travelers" use this phrase?

[quidnunc]

mingusthecat wrote: Where have I been? I never knew this. Where should I look for references such as this? How do "fellow travelers" use this phrase?

http://dictionary.reference.com/

[Enterprise]

"How do "fellow travelers" use this phrase?"

They say: "Greetings comrade Democrat."

[nopardons]

If you are relatively young,not "into" WW II,and/or the times immediate following it,went to a school that ignore much of history,and never watch old movies/read old books,I guess you could have missed it. LOL

[Duke of Milan]

Just adding my 2 cents...The book Witness by Whitaker Chambers (1952) often uses the phrase in describing subversives in political and other powerful positions who, as others describe, were like minded but didn't openly attend communist functions. The book is a long read, but very revealing of the communist infiltrations of the 20's to the 50's.

[gilliam]

Kerry and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (the veteran's group that protested the Vietnam War in the 70s) are examples of fellow travelers of the communist North Vietnamese. Even though they were not North Vietnamese, they provided political aid and comfort to the communist North. You see, nonmilitary types don't understand, but you don't win wars by massacring the enemy. You win wars my getting the enemy to quit. Anything you can do to undermined their will to fight is to your advantage.

That is what Kerry and the VVAW did (with the help of Walter Cronkite and a some others). They undermined America's will to fight in Vietnam. We didn't loose ANY major battles with the enemy (the Tet Offensive pretty much wiped out the Viet Cong, for example), but you listened to Kerry and his fellow travelers, we didn't do anything right and all we were doing was sending our boys into a meat grinder to die for no good reason (sound familiar?)

Kerry's photo is in an honored place in communist Vietnam because he helped them win the war in Vietnam.

More information is at http://www.wintersoldier.com

[mingusthecat]

Young enough that on a thread I posted earlier, someone posted a reply w/ a photo of a Commodore 386 or some such computer, and I'd never seen one and had to ask what it was....

[nopardons]

Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh....YOUNG! :-)

[walford]

"...I would strongly suggest that you not use the term against your debating opponent, as ad homneim comments are the lowest form of rhetorical strategy..."

Indeed, smear labels and other stop-thought devices are a favorite tool of the Left. That is because their position is not based upon reason and must resort to name-calling, distortion and appeals to emotion because the facts are not on their side.

I would instead try to offer the definition of fellow traveller as a substitute for the term. Defining terms is another big enemy of Leftist ideology. They prefer instead to use catchphrases and buzzwords and will become downright hostile if you are persistent in explaining what they mean.

I got into a big argument with a professor over the meaning of 'unilateralism.' He was not happy with the resulting term paper either.

[nanetteclaret]

Thanks for your reply - but this person is now 80+ years old and does qualify for the description of "fellow traveller." He was the president of the college I graduated from 30 years ago. I would never confront him personally, but I plan to mention it to someone who knows him.

[mingusthecat]

Here's the photo in question:

Still don't know if the cat is that big or the computer is that small.....

[Texas Eagle]

I don't know how soon "soon" is, but if you have time to buy a book called "Radical Son" by David Horowitz, you'll hear from a self-professed fellow traveller exactly what a fellow traveller is.

[wgeorge2001]

["How do "fellow travelers" use this phrase?"
They say: "Greetings comrade Democrat."]


Ha,ha.A very good explanation and charming to boot.

[nanetteclaret]

Thanks for your suggestion. Sounds like it will provide info.