The communist experience in America
Subtitle: a political and social history
By: Harvey Klehr.
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New Brunswick, NJ
Language: eng
Number of pages: 277
ISBN-13: 9781412810562
Subjects: Communist Party of the United States of America -- History -- 20th century; Communism -- United States -- History -- 20th century; United States -- Politics and government -- 1919-1933; United States -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945; United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
Description: "Arguments about whether distinctive features of American society, culture, political structure, economic system, or population account for the relative weakness of American radicalism have engaged historians, sociologists, and political scientists for decades. Influential concepts such as "frontier theory" have been linked with the absence of class conflict in America. Other analysts have attributed the failure of the American Left to fierce repression, giving red scares and the McCarthy era as illustrations. Some have linked the American Left's failure to American immigration, winner-take-all elections, and the cultural values of individualism. The Communist Party, one of America's largest and longest lasting radical groups, offers many lessons about how radical political groups can take advantage of-or squander-their opportunities. Klehr focuses on the theme of American exceptionalism and problems that America's capitalist society raised for Marxism and other radical groups. The Communist Experience in America deals with dissident communist formulations. Such groups included a number of talented men who went on to a variety of political and literary careers. Klehr also deals with fellow travelers, some of whom wrote fascinating essays on American exceptionalism and the decline of political extremism."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Marxist theory in search of America; title: Leninist theory in search of America; title: Leninism and Lovestonism; title: Leninism, Lewis Corey and the failure of American socialism; title: Immigrant leadership in the Communist Party United States of America; title: American communism and the united auto workers; title: Self-determination in the black belt : origins of a communist policy; title: Moscow gold : confirmed at last?; title: Letter to the editor : follow-up on Moscow gold; title: Communists and the CIO : from the Soviet archives; title: The end; title: The CPUSA and the committees of correspondence; title: Comrades in the takeover wars; title: The case of the legless veteran; title: A vigil against totalitarianism; title: Seeing red "seeing red"; title: Fellow traveling is alive and well; title: On the waterfront without a clue; title: Radical history; title: The myth of premature antifascism; title: Historiography of American communism; title: Professors' of denial; title: Reflections of a traditionalist historian; title: Reflections on anti-communism; title: The strange case of Roosevelt's secret agent; title: Spy stories; title: Reflections on espionage.