Communism and Progressivism
How 1920's-1930s Germany mirrors todays Progressive Cultural, Social, and Political Landscape.
In the smoldering embers of post-World War I Germany, two powerful ideological titans arose: the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD). This thread plunges into the fiery crucible of their founding, revealing how the KPD, driven by revolutionary fervor, embarked on a relentless quest to topple the capitalist regime and birth a communist state and how this mirrors the Progressive landscape we see today.
It was, in part, the KPD's meteoric rise, marred by a thirst for insatiable violence, that inadvertently fueled the furnace of the Nazi Party's ascent, shaping the course of history in ways unimaginable. This thread is an exploration into a turbulent era where ideologies clashed, and a nation teetered on the brink.
In this exploration, we embark on a journey to unearth a history often overlooked in the Western world and deliberately omitted from modern American and Western narratives. We will peel back the layers of a past characterized by violence and peril, revealing striking parallels between contemporary elements of political and cultural Progressivism and a bygone era that bears uncanny resemblance. The rise of the Communist Party in Germany (KDP) was in December of 1918. They held their founding Congress, giving the following Seven (7) Reports:
"Economical Struggles" by Paul Lange: "The working class must not only defend its economic interests, but also strive to overthrow the present social system and establish a new one in its place."
This report discussed the economic conditions in Germany after World War I and the need for socialist revolution. Lange argued that the German working class must overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist state in order to achieve economic liberation.
-The German working class must overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist state in order to achieve economic liberation.
-The KPD should organize and lead the working class in mass strikes and other economic struggles.
-The KPD should also work to build a socialist consciousness among the working class.
"Greeting speech" by Karl Radek: "We welcome the formation of the Communist Party of Germany as a new and powerful link in the international chain of the proletarian dictatorship."
Radek was a Polish communist revolutionary who was active in Russia and Germany. In his greeting speech to the KPD congress, Radek welcomed the formation of the new party and expressed solidarity with the German working class. He also called for the KPD to join the Third International, the communist world organization.
-The KPD is a welcome addition to the international communist movement.
-The KPD should join the Third International, the communist world organization.
-The KPD should work in solidarity with communist parties in other countries to overthrow capitalism and establish socialism worldwide.
"International Conferences" by Hermann Duncker: "The Communist Party of Germany must become a full-fledged member of the Third International, the world party of the proletariat."
Duncker was a German communist journalist and politician. In his report to the KPD congress, Duncker discussed the importance of international cooperation among communist parties. He also reported on the recent international conferences that he had attended, including the founding congress of the Third International.
-The KPD should participate in international conferences and meetings of communist parties.
-The KPD should learn from the experiences of other communist parties and share its own experiences with them.
-The KPD should work to build international solidarity among communist parties.
"Our Organization" by Hugo Eberlein: "The Communist Party of Germany must be organized on a democratic centralist basis, with a strong central leadership and a disciplined membership."
Eberlein was a German communist politician and trade union leader. In his report to the KPD congress, Eberlein discussed the structure and organization of the new party. He also outlined the party's plans for building a mass movement of German workers.
-The KPD should be organized on a democratic centralist basis.
-The KPD should have a strong central leadership and a disciplined membership.
-The KPD should build a mass movement of German workers.
"Our Program" by Rosa Luxemburg: "The program of the Communist Party of Germany must be based on the principles of scientific socialism, which is the only true expression of the interests of the working class."
Luxemburg was a Polish-German communist revolutionary theorist and philosopher. In her report to the KPD congress, Luxemburg presented the party's program. The program called for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of a socialist state. It also called for the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat, a system of government in which the working class holds political power.
-The KPD's program should call for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of a socialist state.
-The KPD's program should also call for the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat.
-The KPD's program should be based on the principles of scientific socialism.
"The Crisis of the USPD" by Karl Liebknecht: "The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany is no longer a party of the working class, but a party of the petty bourgeoisie. The KPD must split from the USPD and form a new communist party."
Liebknecht was a German communist revolutionary theorist and politician. In his report to the KPD congress, Liebknecht discussed the crisis in the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD). The USPD was a centrist socialist party that had split from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1917. Liebknecht argued that the USPD was incapable of leading the German working class to socialism and that the KPD should split from the USPD and form a new communist party.
-The USPD is incapable of leading the German working class to socialism.
-The KPD should split from the USPD and form a new communist party.
-The KPD should be the sole representative of the German working class.
"The National Assembly" by Paul Levi: "The Communist Party of Germany must participate in the upcoming elections to the German National Assembly in order to use the parliamentary platform to promote its revolutionary ideas and win over the working class to its side."
Levi was a German communist politician and lawyer. In his report to the KPD congress, Levi discussed the upcoming elections to the German National Assembly, the parliament of the Weimar Republic. Levi argued that the KPD should participate in the elections in order to win over the working class to its side. He also argued that the KPD should use the National Assembly as a platform to promote its revolutionary ideas.
-The KPD should participate in the upcoming elections to the German National Assembly.
-The KPD should use the National Assembly as a platform to promote its revolutionary ideas.
-The KPD should also use the National Assembly to win over the working class to its side.
The seven reports given at the founding congress of the KPD were highly influential in shaping the party's ideology and program. The reports also helped to unify the party around a common vision for the future of Germany. It is important to note that the KPD was a small party at its founding. However, it quickly grew in popularity, and it played a leading role in the German working-class movement in the 1920s and 1930s. However, the KPD was eventually outlawed after decades of abusing the German working-class and failing entirely in its promise to fulfill its dream of German and International Communism.
The KPD and USPD were involved in a number of attacks in the 1920s and 1930s. According to one estimate, there were approximately 10,000 deaths related to political violence in Germany between 1919 and 1933. Another estimate is that the KPD was responsible for approximately 1,000 acts of sabotage between 1921 and 1933. These acts of infrastructure sabotage and terrorism which included bombing bridges and train tracks, and setting fire to factories and government buildings. The KPD and USPD also carried out a number of assassinations of government officials and members of other political parties.
These attacks included:
STREET VIOLENCE
--The KPD and USPD often clashed with the police and with members of other political parties. This violence sometimes resulted in deaths and injuries.
--The May Day Clashes of 1929: On May 1, 1929, communist protesters clashed with police in Berlin and other German cities. The clashes resulted in the deaths of 31 people and injuries to hundreds more.
--The Murder of Horst Wessel: In January 1930, Horst Wessel, a Nazi Party leader, was murdered by members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Wessel's murder became a rallying cry for the Nazis, who used it to demonize the communists and to justify their own violence.
--The Köpenick Incident: In 1910, a man named Wilhelm Voigt disguised himself as a Prussian officer and marched a group of soldiers into the town of Köpenick. He then took control of the town hall and demanded a ransom payment. The incident was widely publicized, and it became a symbol of communist audacity and lawlessness.
SABOTAGE
--The KPD and USPD sabotaged government property and infrastructure. For example, they would blow up bridges and train tracks.
--The KPD organized strikes and other labor protests in order to disrupt the economy.
ASSASSINATION
--The KPD and USPD carried out a number of assassinations of government officials and members of other political parties. --In 1921, KPD members assassinated Matthias Erzberger, a Catholic politician who had signed the Treaty of Versailles.
--In 1922, KPD members assassinated Walther Rathenau, a Jewish politician who was the Foreign Minister of Germany. The KPD and USPD's violence was motivated by their belief that the capitalist system was corrupt and oppressive. They believed that the only way to achieve a just and equitable society was to violently overthrow the capitalist government and establish a communist state. The KPD advocated for the overthrow of the capitalist government and the establishment of a communist state.
--The November Revolution: In November 1918, a revolution broke out in Germany that led to the overthrow of the kaiser and the establishment of the Weimar Republic. The revolution was supported by many communists, who hoped to use it to establish a communist state. However, the revolution was ultimately unsuccessful in overthrowing the capitalist system. According to historians, the revolution resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,700 people.
--The Ruhr Uprising: In 1920, workers in the Ruhr region of Germany went on strike in protest of the French occupation of the region. The strike was supported by the KPD, which hoped to use it to overthrow the government and establish a communist state. However, the uprising was crushed by the German government. The uprising resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,000 people.
--The German October: In 1923, the KPD attempted to overthrow the government in a coup known as the German October. The Communists wanted to exploit the social, cultural, and political crisis in Germany to help German communists seize power and thereby start a new wave of revolutions in Central Europe as a prelude to the communist world revolution. The KPD began building paramilitary forces for a revolution modelled on the October Revolution and planned for October or November 1923. The German October was prevented by the German government which used the Reichsexekution against Saxony and Thuringia, suspending the authority of the left-wing state governments, and crushed the paramilitaries with the Reichswehr and police. The coup was unsuccessful, and the KPD was banned but only after 10,000 deaths that were attributed to political violence during this short time in Weimar Germany.
Similarly, the US and other Western nations have seen a rise in political violence from Progressive groups and their black-bloc communist cells.
In 2020, the U.S. saw an entire Summer of rioting by Progressives, Leftists and their Urban voting block that resulted in the largest insurance payout in history since Hurricane Katrina, making it the second largest insurance payout in history. In Minneapolis–Saint Paul alone, the immediate aftermath of the murder of George Floyd was second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Over a three night period, the cities experienced two deaths, 617 arrests, and upwards of $500 million in property damage to 1,500 locations, including 150 properties that were set on fire.
HAZ/CHOP was a self-declared autonomous zone established protesting the murder of George Floyd after police abandoned the East Precinct building. Groups like the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club provided security while the protesters themselves provided either resources or assisted the PSJBGC in security. Multiple people were killed in altercations with security, and on July 1 the autonomous zone/occupied protest was officially cleared by the Seattle Police Department.
In Kenosha, Wisconsin riots by Progressives left City property valued at $2 million completely destroyed, including garbage trucks, street lights and traffic signals. Kenosha's mayor requested $30 million in aid from the state to cover the extensive damage. Damage to private property was estimated to be as high as $50 million, according to estimates from the Kenosha Area Business Alliance. This includes the 100-year-old Danish Brotherhood Lodge which was burned down when 40 buildings were destroyed and an additional 100 buildings damaged.
Further riots, arson, looting, and political violence akin to that which happened in Weimar Germany that occured include: Dolal Idd Protests in Minneapolis; The Derek Chauvin Riots; the Atlanta Shooting Protests; the Duante Wright Riots; Looting & Arson actions; the 2021 Uptown Minneapolis Riots and Looting; the Rittenhoue Acquittal Protests, Riots, and Looting in Portland, New York, Chicago, LA, and Minneapolis; the Normandale Park Shooting; Jayland Walker Riots; the Manuel Esteban Paez Teran Riots and Protests in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Tuscon, and Philadelphia; Tyre Nichols Riots which required a National Guard Response to quell; and the Eddie Irazzy Looting. Along with all of this, looting, rioting, and arson as a basic response by Progressives to any perceived injustice or slight towards the progressive party and its narrative has risen at a rate few can comprehend and almost no one has even begun to study.
The American political landscape has also seen the “Swatting” of several members of Congress and various other political offices in an attempt to have them shot by responding police forces. Senator Rand Paul has been attacked several times by mobs of Progressives, not unlike the violence seen in Weimar Germany. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh survived an attempted assassination attempt and months of disorderly conduct outside of his home, and the entire Republican baseball team was targeted in a political terrorist attack by a Progressive gunman, leaving six members injured and the shooter dead. Riots and Looting have been on a meteoric rise in Urban city centers where Urban voters of the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party have caused enough damage and losses that major city centers have begun to shut down and global retailers are either shutting down their operations entirely or relocating to suburban areas. Antifa has been seen in every major city in the US and many minor ones assaulting everyday citizens, firebombing buildings, attacking police forces, and bludgeoning citizen journalists. All of these attacks, and the countless others that go unlisted here mirror the tactics and actions taken by Communists in Germany during the interwar years in Germany.
Amid the political violence and turmoil of the interwar years, the radical social and cultural winds of German and International Communism swept across Weimar Germany, leaving a society in the throes of profound transformation. This tumultuous era, fueled by the meteoric rise of communism, plunged Germany into what many deemed a moral abyss, where traditional norms in sexuality were not just challenged but shockingly shattered. As we delve into this unfortunate chapter of Germanies history, we'll further uncover unsettling and deeply disturbing cultural shifts, including practices that defied the bounds of societal taboos that are mirrored onto the cultural, political, and social landscape of today's progressive America.
The Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, or Institute of Sex Research, gained notoriety for its involvement in a series of scandalous controversies that offended that basic principles of everyday Germans but were supported by the Communist Progressive elite during its existence in Weimar Germany.
These controversies included:
--Provocative Homosexuality Research: The institute conducted highly provocative research on homosexuality, challenging societal norms and drawing vehement condemnation from everyday workers and religious groups who deemed such studies immoral.
--Gender Identity Controversies: The institute's exploration of gender identity and transgender issues stirred considerable controversy in a society staunchly adhering to basic biological principles. Many viewed these studies as a direct challenge to established norms and an affront to basic scientific truth.
--Erotica Publications: In a move widely criticized, the institute published explicit literature and magazines that delved into various aspects of human sexuality, including erotic content. This publication of sexually explicit material was the tip of a nation wide campaign promoting pornography and obscenity, which was meant to damage and destory the formation of families and stable communities. This effort was directly related to enhancing the social turmoil needed for international Communism to continue its meteoric rise.
--LGBTQ+ Advocacy: The institute openly championed LGBTQ+ practices, including the decriminalization of homosexuality, earning the ire of a profound majority of everyday Germans who saw these efforts as a subversion of traditional Western values. Beyond the confines of the institute, Weimar Germany, amidst the tumultuous backdrop of surging Communism seeking to overthrow the established capitalist order in the aftermath of World War One, exhibited increasingly noticeable signs of cultural decay and decline.
--Medical Experimentation: In the context of sexuality, the Weimar period also saw the beginnings of medical experimentation and transitioning. Some medical professionals ventured into uncharted territory, conducting controversial and often dangerous procedures aimed at altering individuals' gender identities. These early medical transitions were fraught with risks and uncertainties. In "Sexology and Translation: Cultural and Scientific Encounters Across the Modern World," Heike Bauer discusses the pioneering work of Magnus Hirschfeld at the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin, which included experimental hormone treatments for individuals seeking gender transitions. The article "Transsexuality in Weimar Berlin" by Laurie Marhoefer explores the early medical interventions for gender transitions, highlighting the case of Dora/Rudolf R., one of the individuals who underwent such medical procedures during the Weimar era.
--Sex Change Surgeries: Sex change surgeries, in their infancy, were occasionally performed during this era. These procedures were met with skepticism and often caused significant harm to those who underwent them. The medical community's limited understanding of gender identity complicated these already fraught interventions. The book "Changing Sex: Transsexualism, Technology, and the Idea of Gender" by Bernice L. Hausman delves into the early sex change surgeries performed by Dr. Felix Abraham in Germany during the 1920s. In his work "The Third Sex: Kathoey: Thailand's Ladyboys," Richard Totman discusses the early history of sex change surgeries and their challenges during the Weimar period.
--Exploitation of Vulnerable Populations: One of the most disturbing aspects of Weimar Germany was the exploitation of vulnerable populations. Childhood prostitution, with its dire consequences for young victims, became a tragic reality. The economic hardships of the time forced many into unimaginable situations, where their innocence was ruthlessly exploited. "Prostitution and Sexuality in Weimar Republic Germany" by Laurie Marhoefer delves into the harrowing experiences of child prostitutes during Weimar Germany, citing historical records and testimonies. In "The Weimar Republic Sourcebook," editors Anton Kaes, Martin Jay, and Edward Dimendberg provide excerpts from primary sources that shed light on the dire circumstances faced by exploited children during this era.
--Cultural Disintegration: As these troubling developments unfolded, they contributed to a sense of cultural disintegration and moral decay. Many conservative voices decried the erosion of societal values and the apparent breakdown of traditional family structures. "Prostitution and Sexuality in Weimar Republic Germany" by Laurie Marhoefer delves into the harrowing experiences of child prostitutes during Weimar Germany, citing historical records and testimonies. In "The Weimar Republic Sourcebook," editors Anton Kaes, Martin Jay, and Edward Dimendberg provide excerpts from primary sources that shed light on the dire circumstances faced by exploited children during this era.
--Political and Social Unrest: The sexual and moral upheaval of Weimar Germany intersected with the broader political and social unrest of the period. Critics of the Weimar Republic often used these unsettling societal changes as ammunition against the government, fueling further instability. The book "The Weimar Republic" by Eberhard Kolb explores the intersection of communist political turmoil and societal changes, examining how these unsettling developments contributed to the Weimar Republic's instability. In his work "Sex and the Weimar Republic: German Homosexual Emancipation and the Rise of the Nazis," Laurie Marhoefer analyzes the communist political exploitation of societal changes, including sexual ones, by extremist factions during the Weimar era led to the rise of Nazi Germany.
In sum, Weimar Germany's sexual landscape during the rise of Communism was indeed a dark and disturbing chapter in history. It witnessed egregious practices such as perilous medical experimentation, the early stages of sex change surgeries, and the heartbreaking exploitation of children. These disturbing aspects of the era underscore the complexities and challenges of understanding a time marked by both cultural innovation and moral decline. Today, as modern European and American Progressive Politics grapple with their own set of complexities and transformations, the haunting echoes of Weimar Germany serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in safeguarding societal values and ethical principles in the face of rapidly devolving norms.
--Medical Experimentation and Sex Change Surgeries: In the context of contemporary America's evolving attitudes toward sexuality and gender identity, there is a disconcerting rise in medical experimentation and transitioning of children who have no idea what these lifelong, and life altering decisions mean. This is fueled by immoral adults who, driven by progressive political motives, tread recklessly into uncharted territories, subjecting innocent children to perilous procedures aimed at fundamentally altering their sexual organs and gender. These modern medical procedures being performed on kids remain fraught with risks, uncertainties, and enormous ethical concerns. Rational thinkers continue to argue that the medical community's “evolving understanding of gender identity” is nothing more than the addition of a political layer of complexity being added to an already contentious LGBTQIAA++MAP set of sexual kinks & deviations, and that physically altering the sex organs of kids and pumping them full of chemical castration drugs results in catastrophic physical and psychological harm to those undergoing them.
--Exploitation of Vulnerable Populations: Disturbingly, contemporary Western politics grapples with the ongoing exploitation of its most vulnerable populations. The haunting specter of childhood prostitution persists, casting a dark shadow over young victims whose lives are marred by unspeakable suffering. Economic hardships, exacerbated by social vulnerabilities, continue to force many into nightmarish circumstances, where their innocence is tragically and mercilessly exploited. Just the other day, a German book was brought to the international stage that targets and teaches 6-12 year old girls about how to be prostitutes.
--Cultural Disintegration: As these disconcerting developments unfold, modern Western nations confront a disquieting sense of cultural disintegration and moral decay. Traditional values face erosion, and the fabric of society appears to fray amidst divisive debates over devolving societal norms and values.
--Political and Social Unrest: The upheaval of sexual and moral norms in contemporary Western nations intersects with a broader landscape of political and social unrest and mass illegal immigration. Critics and advocates alike leverage these transformative shifts as potent fuel for their ideological battles, further deepening societal divisions and stoking the flames of political discord. Whether they be some of the millions who come by the boatload to Europe, or millions who caravan across the American border, the social, cultural, and political landscape is drastically shifting in the West. Once these folks are here, and continue their trends of non-assimilation, their ability to live parallel lives which undermines the stability of Western governments, societies, and cultures will only accelerate.
As modern Western societies grapple with their own transformative journeys, characterized by devolving attitudes toward sexuality, gender identity, and cultural values, they must urgently heed the resonating warnings from this chapter in history.
The legacy of Weimar Germany serves as an urgent and compelling cautionary tale, demanding unwavering vigilance in navigating the disastrous terrain of modern progressivism, while recognizing the high stakes and accelerated pace of shaping the future.
Be Kind To Your Neighbors.