# My son has joined the Communist party! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843 "2002-11-01T14:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Montezuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Montezuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montezuma)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/1 "2002-11-01T14:26:27Z")
My son has just recently joined the Communist youth league, should I be worried? What do they do? Is he in any danger? Please help. Thanx ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/2 "2002-11-01T14:30:25Z")
Be afraid, be very afraid. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/3 "2002-11-01T14:32:46Z")
They want to overthrow the government we now have, and put their dictators in charge. Also, suppressing everyone they don’t like. You have my sympathy. Capitalism has proven to be the best way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/4 "2002-11-01T14:36:10Z")
No danger. It’s most likely another idealistic group, the majority of whose members will drop out as they get older and more cynical. I knew quite a few people at university like that. Sure, some stay the course - and to be honest I admire their principles, even if I think their activities are generally nothing more positive than naive sloganeering. In my limited experience such groups are enjoyable talking shops for people who still have the energy and passion to address what they see as injustices that only communism could resolve. Be glad your son is taking an interest in the world around him. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/5 "2002-11-01T14:44:54Z")
A Situationist friend of mine once told me the following bastardized version of a Churchill quote: -If you are not an anarchist when you’re fifteen, you’ve got no balls. -If you are not a socialist when you’re twenty five, you’ve got no heart. -If you are not a Democrat when you’re thirty five, you’ve got no brains. I wouldn’t worry. Anarchist, Communist Youth Party – what’s the diff? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/6 "2002-11-01T14:45:05Z")
I shouldn’t worry, he’s probably just working for the FBI. On second thoughts, worry a lot.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/7 "2002-11-01T14:51:59Z")
Well it most likely will mean he’ll read a lot of political stuff and take an active interest in politics. He’ll probably get very passionate about it and be very in your face about his feelings. A “thinking” teenager. Let they kid have his rebellion. The weight of the real world will hit him soon enough. He’ll probably end up a left of center nice guy like me 😉 ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/8 "2002-11-01T14:55:40Z")
I’m sure **Crusoe** and **DanielW** are right and the people telling you to worry are paranoid, perhaps having been brainwashed by years of red-under-the-bed nonsense. How old is he? Chances are he’s doing it either to annoy you or in a vain attempt to exercise some idealism in his life. Communists practically never get beyond the talking (or ranting) stage, especially if they join at university, and he’ll grow out of it by the time he leaves. There are lots of things he could be wrapped up in that would give good cause for concern, but this isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/9 "2002-11-01T15:04:29Z")
I wouldn’t call it a vain attempt. He doesn’t know how the world works yet, and as he studies more, he’ll learn what made communism fail throughout the world. I’d love a kid like that. Thoughtful and concerned. It won’t turn him into a Lenninist. It will help to make him a kind human being, and then he’ll be a left-wing democrat. This is good. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/10 "2002-11-01T15:15:23Z")
Under no circumstances should he be allowed the freedom of thought to pursue such things. ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Henry\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_B)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/11 "2002-11-01T15:18:08Z")
If it gets serious,just ask him to send the most obvious “truths”, and why communism (in reality socialism as it has occured on this planet) and I will cure him. If he is just worried about “how things are going”, and does not find the answer in the news-papers, in the nationalistic TV, realises that free election does not alone make a country democratic, etc., he is just a bright guy. ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/12 "2002-11-01T15:22:37Z")
[Here’s](http://www.ycl.org.uk/~ycl/wwsf.htm) what they say they stand for. Nothing much to worry about - just be glad he’s showing signs of a social conscience. His views will moderate over time. BTW, don’t worry about the defence of the ‘right of the oppressed to resort to armed struggle’. I wouldn’t expect to see guerillas in the Cotswolds any time soon.😉 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/13 "2002-11-01T15:39:40Z")
First of all, don’t panic. I, myself, in callow youth was quite taken with Ayn Rand and Objectivism, which might be the only set of dogma less connected to reality than Communism. I got over it. Communism is appealing to the young in that it offers a pre-packaged and self-referential solutions to problems that, for the most part, they have only just become aware of. The awareness of those problems is to be applauded and committment to thier solution is a sign that you have done your parenting well. Take heart! Now, if parental chicanery is more your style, you might consider an introduction to a cute centrist with big brown eyes and an enormous set of…uh, dialectics. ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/14 "2002-11-01T15:41:53Z")
It could cause trouble if he ever needs to get a security clearance, but otherwise it’s mostly harmless. ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/15 "2002-11-01T16:12:43Z")
The great thing about being a teenager is that while you think you know everything, and have the freedom to put your so-called beliefs into action, you really have no power to do shit. All the while these teenage activists think they do have power. It’s just an idealistic kid blowing off steam. He’ll be over it within a few years of having to work, live, and survive in the real world. For now I’d suggest just ignoring it. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/16 "2002-11-01T16:30:32Z")
Be glad. You have a son who is concerned, motivated and willing to engage with issues. I mean, he could have joined the Young Conservatives. _Then_ you should worry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/17 "2002-11-01T16:38:19Z")
Quite right UDS; I think it was Ben Elton that said that many people start off rabidly left-wing and drift to the right (to varying degree) as they grow up; if you start as a Young Conservative, where is there to go? ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/18 "2002-11-01T16:48:07Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Mangetout_ > …if you start as a Young Conservative, where is there to go? Umm…Hell? Congress? Round the twist? No, I think this kind of personality is the progenitor of the Pat Buchananananans of this world. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/19 "2002-11-01T16:48:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EchoKitty \* > \*\*I wouldn’t call it a vain attempt. He doesn’t know how the world works yet, and as he studies more, he’ll learn what made communism fail throughout the world. I’d love a kid like that. Thoughtful and concerned. It won’t turn him into a Lenninist. It will help to make him a kind human being, and then he’ll be a left-wing democrat. This is good. \*\* Except for the ‘kind human being’ and ‘left-wing Democrat’ bit, I pretty much agree with this. [aside]vanilla, that was priceless. I didn’t realize you were so funny. [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Montezuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Montezuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montezuma)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843/20 "2002-11-01T17:21:04Z")
So what does the organisation do on a daily or regular basis? Is there membership cards and uniforms? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-son-has-joined-the-communist-party/134843.md?page=2)