Posted on 02/13/2020 7:21:41 PM PST by karpov
The word crypto-communist has a paranoid, McCarthyite connotation. But during the Cold War, numerous communist intellectuals and politicians deliberately concealed their commitment to Marxism-Leninism. Why? To be more successful intellectuals and politicians. A few crypto-communists even managed to become national leaders. Fidel Castro gained power in 1959, but only announced his communism in 1961. Nelson Mandela presented himself as a reasonable democratic reformer. Yet after his death, the African National Congress openly admittedly that Mandela had been on the politburo of the South African Communist Party for decades. Ho Chi Minh joined the Communist Party in 1920, but in 1945 he loudly posed as a moderate democratic reformer famously quoting the U.S. Declaration of Independence to charm the West. Juan Negrin, last prime minister of Republican Spain, was also very likely a crypto-communist.
Which brings me to my question: What about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders? Is he a crypto-communist? Sanders has sent decades worth of frightening signals praising Soviet bloc regimes, honeymooning in the Soviet Union, and such. Indeed, hes said and done almost exactly what you would expect a sincere Marxist-Leninist who wanted to be a U.S. Senator would say and do. Note, moreover, that Sanders came of political age during the 60s and 70s, when communism made a big comeback in the U.S. radical left.
True, this hardly proves that hes a closeted communist. Alternately, Sanders could be a communist dupe, or a even a true believer in finding the good in the bad. The upshot: We have to settle for a probability that Sanders is a crypto-communist, all things considered.
When constructing such probabilities, Bayes Rule is usually helpful. As you may recall, the Rule states that: P(A|B)=P(B|A)*P(A)/[P(B|A)*P(A) + P(B|~A)*P(~A)].
(Excerpt) Read more at econlib.org ...
Hes just a flat out commie
No. He’s a communist. There’s no “crypto” about it.
The “crypto” prefix refers to Sanders denying being a communist, just as the other communists listed in the post did.
Bernie dreams of working in the hot sun, side by side with his comrades, pulling turnips at Turnip Commune #34.
Nothing crypto about it, he’s a communist.
Nope.
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Maynard G. Sanders is a Soviet Socialist.
Actual communist.
Didn’t he get kicked out of Turnip Commune #34 already due to laziness?
I rather doubt if Bernie has a card saying he is a member of the Communist Party. His political philosophy and statements are 100 percent Marxist communist.
Bernie is a communist. I rather admire him as he does not hide his beliefs. I pray he is the nominee. It will destroy the democrat party if he is.
Theres nothing crypto about his communism.
I believe he does hide his beliefs . Otherwise he would be registered as communist, not an independent.
No, he dreams of sitting in the White House, smoking Cuban cigars while the rest of us are slaving away at the turnip commune.
No, he dreams of sitting in the White House, smoking Cuban cigars while the rest of us are slaving away at the turnip commune.
seriously dude? Hes a pinko.
Why crypto? He is a plain Communist.
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