The unprecedented violence perpetrated by Antifa and Black Lives Matter embodies two of the Left's biggest tactics in its quest to fundamentally transform the United States.
One is to force a race war by radicalizing African-Americans to a violent degree. The other involves making mayhem more intimidating by spreading police and firefighters as thinly as possible, thereby limiting their ability to respond quickly.
Manning Johnson, an African-American, spoke about the first tactic from personal experience. Describing himself as a "dedicated 'comrade' " and a "professional revolutionist," Johnson belonged to the Communist Party USA for 10 years. He served as a union organizer, director of agitation propaganda, and a member of the party's national committee. Johnson even ran as the party's candidate for a Congressional seat in New York.
But when the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany concluded their non-aggression pact in 1939 -- nine days before Germany invaded Poland and began World War II -- Johnson left the party. Following the war, Johnson testified about Communist activities to various legislative committees. In 1958, one year before his death, Johnson wrote about his experiences in Color, Communism and Common Sense.
Why did Johnson become a Communist at 21?
"Like other Negroes, I experienced and saw many injustices and inequities around me based upon color, not ability," he wrote. "I was told that 'the decadent capitalist system is responsible,' that 'mass pressure' could force concessions but 'that just prolongs the life of capitalism;' that I must unite and work with all those who more or less agree that capitalism must go.
"To me, the end of capitalism would mark the beginning of an interminable period of plenty, peace, prosperity and universal comradeship. All racial and class differences and conflicts would end forever after the liquidation of the capitalists, their government and their supporters. A world union of Soviet States under the hegemony of Russia would free and lead mankind on to Utopia.
"Being an idealist, I was sold this 'bill of goods' by a Negro graduate of the Lenin Institute in Moscow."
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