DRScoundrels

I noticed in the news today that the North Iowa Tea Party took down a billboard which called attention to the links between Hitler’s National Socialism, Lenin’s Marxist Socialism and Obama’s Democrat Socialism. 

Apparently, the local Tea Party leaders got complaints and took down this ad.  This strikes me as a little sad, in part, because I think it is perfectly fair to point out the eerie links between Hitler, Lenin and Obama in terms of their affection for socialism.  Most people do not realize that Hitler’s NAZI party is actually the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.  For my part, I’ve labeled the young Obama – who I met while he was a sophomore at Occidental College – as a Marxist socialist because this was the accurate description for his ideology back during the 1980-1981 school year. 

In fact, when I met young Obama, he was active in an organization I helped start called the Democratic Socialist Alliance.  This organization was one of the top leaders in the anti-apartheid campaign on campus. 

My take on this billboard is that it illustrates one of the weaknesses of a grass-roots, volunteer driven political movement.  It is difficult to produce hard-hitting, effective advertising in the context of a volunteer organization.  The volunteers are usually unfamiliar with political discourse and easily get offended at tough tactics.  As a political scientist, I would point out that the ad is reasonable and historically accurate.  In particular, the ad is useful in reminding people that – at first – Hitler and Lenin were greatly loved by the people in their own countries, people who did not understand the implications of a socialist agenda.