Do you think Steinbeck was a Communist?

reddragonlord · Post by **reddragonlord** » Sun May 01, 2005 4:04 pm

I think Steinbeck was a communist. He traveled to Russia for a period of time, so he had plenty of time to be exposed to Marxism. In his works, he calls for the subsistence farmers to rise out of their squalor- a revolution of sorts. Although it is not necessarily a call to overthrow government, it is a call to become economically independant. This could be seen as a revolution in itself.

Let ashes rain from the Heavens

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:58 pm

Have you read any of his books? So now anyone calling for social change is a communist?He was writing about what he saw around him why do you have a problem with that.

Hemingway fought in the Spanish Civil war and stayed for a time in Cuba,was he a communist as well.

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Mon May 02, 2005 3:22 am

The Americans are first and foremost to start labeling people.Smells of the McCarthy era. The man in question was a great writer.

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Mon May 02, 2005 3:43 am

I live in the Irish Republic, have many friends in Sinn Fein,Ulster Unionist party and the British labour party. What label would you put on me.

john8pies · Post by **john8pies** » Mon May 02, 2005 4:50 am

The McCarthy era mentioned above labelled some great people (eg, the legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin) as `Communists` when they weren`t at all. In fact, Chaplin was a "suspect" solely because of his excellent film The Great Dictator, parodying Hitler, which McCarthy felt could have been interpreted as a thinly veiled attack on capitalist America. Like Chaplin would criticise a lifestyle which made him millions and gave him a great time, too?!

So, to get back to your point, Steinbeck MAY have been a `commie` but who knows? Who cares that much, either?

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:33 am

john8pies wrote: The McCarthy era mentioned above labelled some great people (eg, the legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin) as `Communists` when they weren`t at all. In fact, Chaplin was a "suspect" solely because of his excellent film The Great Dictator, parodying Hitler, which McCarthy felt could have been interpreted as a thinly veiled attack on capitalist America. Like Chaplin would criticise a lifestyle which made him millions and gave him a great time, too?!

So, to get back to your point, Steinbeck MAY have been a `commie` but who knows? Who cares that much, either?Hey, I'm beginning to like you,but don't hold that against me John8pies

Post by **spot** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:54 am

reddragonlord wrote: I think Steinbeck was a communist.Seems a fair assessment to me. Who wouldn't be, describing that sort of society? How can anyone not get angry enough to want social equity, reading it?reddragonlord wrote: Although it is not necessarily a call to overthrow government,How do you get from there to here, though? You can be communist and democratic, surely? What sort of propaganda tells you otherwise?

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:13 am

posted by spot

How do you get from there to here, though? You can be communist and democratic, surely? What sort of propaganda tells you otherwise?

You still get those who preach revolutionary socialism as against social democracy. Revolutionary socialsts regard social demeocracy as a sell out.

Post by **spot** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:50 am

gmc wrote: Revolutionary socialsts regard social demeocracy as a sell out.So I can take that as a yes, you can be communist and democratic?

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:52 am

I'm really a Tory at heart:D