From Sparrow, poet

Often I have Communist friends. I have what we call in the New Age "Communist karma." When I was in the anti-nuclear movement in the early 80s, I knew the head of the Communist Party USA for New York City. His last name was Moscowitz, which means "from Moscow," which struck me as amusing. "I'm the center of the Communist conspiracy!" he told me once, gaily. I forget his first name -- maybe Mark? Anyway, he was a funny guy, maybe 28.

I knew a man in Fair Lawn, New Jersey who was kicked out of the Communist Party in the 1950s for being a police agent. Later he rejoined, in the 70s, when the Party allowed him back. He hadn't really been a police agent, but a police agent had accused him of being a police agent. Did you follow that? This guy was deeply in love with his wife, even though they were both in their 60s.

The Communists I've known have all been very kind people.

I visited two Communist countries: Yugoslavia (in 1987) and the Soviet Union (in 1990). Both were amiable places, with hospitable, smart citizens. I admired all the statues of Lenin in Russia. I thought they were beautiful -- vaguely religious.

I'm not sure I agree with Communism, actually. I'm very committed to democracy. I might actually be an anti-Communist, in some sense. I just enjoy Marxists.

For many years, I've known members of the Revolutionary Communist Party -- mostly courageous women. One of them showed me two DVDs of Bob Avakian in 2004. I was surprised. Avakian's vision of a future Communist society didn't sound like Mao or Stalin, but more like the kooky "Underground " newspapers of the 1960s I loved so much. There will be neighborhood councils, and lots of political conversation -- even dissent!

Mr. Avakian is like me -- we've both been around the Left since the 1960s, and are sick of the dogmatism and paranoia. He's encouraged all the Revolutionary Communist Party people to read epistemology, the science of knowing. The question is: "What is really happening?" -- not "What did Marx predict would happen?"

Sometimes I read Avakian in the Revolution newspaper. I agree with his assessment of the current American crisis. Cheney and Bush are real fascists, very similar to Mussolini. They have joined with right-wing Christians to create a formidable movement. Even though Bush has a very low "approval rating," he still completely controls the political process in the USA. Don't other people see this? Is the New York Times asleep?

People say to me: "Why sign a petition supporting Avakian? He isn't under any threat." As if they would be perfectly confident being a revolutionary Communist in today's America. Personally, I'm a little frightened just writing this essay.


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