I took down a few books from the shelves of a public library the other day. In the courts, I noted that books like these are on trial for the first time in our nation's history.
A few people representing vested interests are telling the whole populace what to read and what not to read. A whole nation is being insulted and intimidated Scientists and scholars are frightened by bigoted demagogic politicians. Fewer and fewer people read serious books I know of people who purchase five to six dollars worth of comic books at one time.
This era of comic books in the US is a consequence of subtle indirect and direct suppression of books.
Why are books on trial now, books written 20 40 and 100 years ago. Why have they become "dangerous and" subversive now?
This thought control is an admission of weakness in the competition of ideas. Not many years ago we were told in school that freedom of thought was an American virtue. Today, this boast cannot be made.
Subversion of Free Enterprise By Its Guardians
An objective, scientific and thorough examination of books and their contents is desirable.
The American people are capable of doing this, in seeing what thoughts the books contain.
Rather than being permitted to do this, people in this country are being chased away from the free marketplace of ideas.
At the same tune their attention is diverted and their minds debauched by Superman, detective and cowboy comics.
All this weakens the moral and intellectual fiber of a nation. If anyone is subverting "free enterprise" it is no one else but its guardians. Actually, their defense or method of defense is a subversion. The guardians of "free enterprise" ideology do not propound.
Its fundamental virtues to the people at home. Probably this is too difficult a Job at this stage of world development where "free enterprise" is sharply exposed by its operation — benefiting a privileged few at the expense of many. Abroad thinking people regard "free enterprise" as Western imperialism. And by thinking people, I do not mean mere scholars and businessmen, but hundreds of millions of workers and peasants. They do not want was of capitalistic competition for territory, resources and markets. They want sovereignty and not foreign domination. And they are fortifying their thinking in their marketplace of ideas. They are not swamped by comic books. Their thinking is militant.
The Job That's Cut Out for the Smith Act
At home, books are put on trial to impress people that nonconformity is dangerous. Already, books are being burned as in Sapulpa, Oklahoma Books are being taken off library shelves. And who knows but what a dossier is being kept of people reading certain books on public library shelves.
This is not surprising in a political climate where thought control Federal police, the FBI, opens private letters, taps telephones and bugs people's homes — the people's inviolable castles. But it is not in the cards that the American people should, be regimented and pushed around in this manner.
If they allow it to continue it will mean more war spending, more "Koreas" and a world holocaust. An intimidated people cannot protest high profits of a few big industrialists, high prices, frozen wages 85 percent spending for war and a comparatively piddling amount for people's welfare.
The Smith Act is intended to soften up the ideological front in the U.S. so that the people will be a push-over for big business. Believe it or not, it goes hand in hand with the comic books.
Not War or Depression, But Peace and Prosperity
The politicians and the puppet scholars of the tycoons give two choices to the American people -- war spending or depression. Both are fearful. Nationally, in this political election year, the Republicans and Democrats kick these around in their campaign circus.
Only the Progressive Party led by presidential candidate Vincent Halhnan and his running mate, Charlotta Bass, carries the message of peace and prosperity as the desirable alternative to war and depression.
One can get this in the speeches of all the candidates, published in Mainland newspapers. When I was going through the books in the library recently, I recalled how impressed we were as children to hear that Abraham. Lincoln walked miles to borrow books which he read by the light of burning logs.
What Students Are Not Told About Lincoln
Lincoln was not afraid of ideas. He corresponded with workers of London led by Karl Marx himself and personally promoted Joseph Wedemeyer a known Communist, from a colonel to a general in the Union army.
Of course we never read these historical facts in school. Either "but teachers kept this information from us or they themselves did not know about it. I believe the latter is more likely and this being the case, now knowing that communism and Communists were on the American scene a hundred years ago, "they scurry for cover at the least bit of red-baiting and talk of "subversive" foreign ideology.
They should know that about a hundred years ago a US; Congress invited a Utopian Socialist, Robert Owen, to speak to that body.
What's the Situation In a World Where Ideologies Compete?
Today, to numerous students the story of Lincoln's reading habits mean little, unless reading comics about Superman, the FBI or cowboys is considered the modern day substitute for reading classics. Thus, the softening of the American mind on the world scene where ideological competition is going on is brought about by rulers of this country who want world domination. In order to silence the people for a war program, they set the stage for a comic book area.
To keep the minds of the people from anti-war thinking liberal, progressive and Marxist influences, thought control laws are invoked. They are unable, however, to cope with the advancement in thinking in the non-white world where the method of orderly and scientific approach and analysis of world problems is deepening its roots.
People abroad are grappling with ideas, new ideas, just as the founders of this nation did in ending British domination of their lives in the 1770s.
Ideas Develop From Actual Conditions
For more than a year I have written that ideas develop from conditions, from one’s own experiences and observations in given situations — and do not come from thin air. I began thinking long ago whether there is any way of eliminating depression when we experienced hard timed in Kona.
I began opposing and fighting discrimination when I experienced bias toward me and my friends by other people because of color and ancestry I saw the crime of intervention in foreign affairs from my China experiences. All these made strong impacts upon me and helped shape my thinking. The conditions that I experienced developed me. A great many of these situations require improvement. No one disagrees on this point. I have directed my thoughts toward that end and I have tried to find answers to the problems, just as many others likewise must have done and must be doing.
Social Change Cannot Be Stopped
In the eyes of the guardians of the status quo, to do so is a crime. Those who consistently advocate improvements are hauled into the courts under Smith Act indictments. They are charged with conspiring to teach and advocate the overthrow of government by force and violence.
But what are the guardians of "free enterprise" doing to eliminate depression, to foster freedom and economic advancement of colonial and semi-colonial areas, and also at home to bring about higher wages, lower prices, shorter workdays and cultural advancement?
Which is the social and which is the anti-social position? History has demonstrated tune and again that social changes take place, that those who strive for better conditions are sustained in the end.