Communist Party USA Article Condemns PCG's Sympathy for Apartheid South Africa (2008)

Recently I wrote a post condemning an article by PCG's Andrew Müller as ahistorical, fear mongering nonsense. Even though the Iron Curtain has long ago fallen and the Communist Party USA's size and influence is now just a shadow of its height back in the 1930s (which was because of the Great Depression) Andrew Müller continued to fear monger about this in a paranoid and unrealistic manner that fails to address the real state of affairs regarding Communism as an ideology and the Communist Party-USA as a political organization.

In his silly article Andrew Müller fearfully described the Communist Party USA as "an organization that is still alive and well today" but tellingly Müller makes no attempt to assess just how active it is today, he makes no mention of the fact that it is just a shadow of what it was at its height during the 1930s and he makes no attempt to assess how the fall of the Iron Curtain and the end of the Cold War had affected them.

Adding further proof to how divorced from reality Andrew Müller's article is the following fact: Back on June 12, 2008, the Communist Party USA's own magazine, Political Affairs (that has been the name of the publication since 1945), published an article by Calvin Callaghan sarcastically entitled The Miracles of Imperialism condemning PCG's attitude regarding South Africa.

As far as I know PCG made absolutely no attempt to respond to this article. Do PCG's leaders really believe the Communist Party USA is so menacing as Müller insinuated considering that they were criticized in an article of the magazine of the Communist Party USA and saw no need to respond to this criticism? Even a certain LCG apologist (who has now falsely proclaimed himself a prophet) noted this article but PCG has not bothered to respond.

Let us see what Calvin Callaghan had to say in this article. The article begins with the following words:

The article begins with a photograph showing the South African ANC leader, Jacob Zuma, dancing in full Zulu battle garb and animal skins, while beneath him the caption reads “Once the jewel of Africa, this nation is now going the way of the rest of the continent. The new leader of the ruling party won’t help matters.” Another prominent caption on the opposite page reads, sarcastically, “This is the man that the ruling party in South Africa has turned to to address the nation’s crushing internal crises.”

Thus begins a disturbing and racist article entitled “Don’t Expect Jacob Zuma to Fix South Africa” by Joel Hilliker, found in the March 2008 issue of the reactionary protestant periodical, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Published by radical Christian propagandist Gerald Flurry of The Philadelphia Church of God, this magazine, along with its associated television program “The Key of David,” ...

I would not describe PCG as Protestant but how much can one blame Callaghan considering that all the COGs, including HWA's WCG and PCG, have miserably failed to fulfill HWA and his imitators' professed goal of preaching their dogmas to all the world?

Callaghan calls out Hilliker for sympathizing with the racist Apartheid regime.

The pro-colonialist and imperialist nature of the magazine’s critique of Jacob Zuma is firmly on display in the opening caption of Hilliker’s article, which speaks of South Africa as being “once the jewel of Africa” – South Africa’s former “jewel” – like status presumably being when the white racist minority retained authoritarian control under apartheid. ...

Hillier’s [sic] language here is worth examining in detail. For example, while Hilliker writes, “Fierce criticism of the white, apartheid-era rulers from which the ANC took control in 1994 has been widely publicized,” Hilliker here notably refrains from making any criticism of the white apartheid era regime himself; noting only that such “criticism” was widespread. Whether such criticism was justified, however, Hilliker pointedly refrains from saying. ...

Although Hilliker’s criticisms of ANC leader Jacob Zuma include such things as Zuma’s allegedly profligate sexual practices and his alleged ties to corruption, the main objections which he makes against Zuma are his proudly-displayed African Zulu heritage, and Zuma’s ties to the Communist Party – a party which was unilaterally opposed to the totalitarian apartheid regime.

Now being from the Communist Party USA there are some things about this article I cannot agree with, such as Callghan talking about "working-class Soviet power", a description of the Soviet Union I cannot agree with.

However Callghan's main point that Hilliker sympathizes with the racist Apartheid regime is fully justified and accurate.

And yet there is so much more to this topic regarding PCG's attitude towards South Africa. Callaghan focused on this one article by Joel Hilliker from 2008. There is no mention of Ron Fraser's 1997 booklet, South Africa in Prophecy. There PCG's ugly sympathy for the racist Apartheid regime is on full display.

Here Fraser nonsensically fear mongers that the end of Apartheid will herald an economic blockade by South Africa against America and condemns the widespread campaign to end Apartheid. (Highlighted words show the shallow demagoguery Fraser uses to try to make people sympathize with Apartheid and hate the democratically elected ANC government.)

A well-orchestrated campaign of disinformation, propaganda and scurrilous slander has been waged against the South African nation by the combined forces of government officials (both within and without South Africa), the liberal press, leftist church authorities and the United Nations. The catch phrase of all has been apartheid—the policy of separate development pursued by the South African government since 1948. What escapes most commentators’ attention is the reality that the whole world has been hoodwinked by this disinformation campaign. Most have expressed a great, global, emotive, self-righteous outcry against the imputed unfairness of the apartheid system. Many people are gullibly being led by the nose to endorse a power transfer that PORTENDS A FUTURE MINERAL AND METALS BLACKMAIL AGAINST THE COMBINED WESTERN ECONOMIES at least equivalent to that imposed by the OPEC oil cartel in a previous decade! (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 1, p. 4.)

These words by Ron Fraser once again show how he condemned the widespread campaign to end Apartheid.

The liberal press and media, through selective reporting and prejudicial editing of video tape, have seen to it that the images portrayed of South Africa, during the years of apartheid, featured a disproportionate amount of violence resulting from white police interaction with blacks. The plain, historic, documented, undeniable, yet seldom publicised facts on South African violence indicate that violence, bloodshed and political murder within that country has largely been perpetrated by black against black! (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 3, p. 29.)

In this booklet Ron Fraser constantly equated the African National Congress (ANC) with the South African Communist Party (SACP) in order to demonize the democratically elected ANC government. (Highlighted words show how Fraser vilifies the democratically elected government and those who worked to end Apartheid.)

As some astute Western analysts have suggested, if an African National Congress (ANC)-South African Communist Party (SACP)-dominated government in South Africa forges links with the Islamic-Arab crescent in consortium with Russia, only those who bow to radical Islam and a communist-led ANC may get their raw materials! (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 1, p. 5.)

The Russian bosses of the SACP have not succeeded in their long-term aim of gaining control of South Africa’s rich mineral wealth only to have their plans to control the flow of minerals and metals exports frustrated at South African ports! Watch for potential strife that may lead to the seizure of these sea ports by the ANC-SACP. (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 2, p. 9.)

The most astute commentators in South Africa have long suspected that Pik Botha was the prime strategist behind the United States-approved capitulation of the former government of F.W. DeKlerk to the communist dominated ANC-SACP coalition.

That was written ELEVEN YEARS AGO—well in advance of the handover of South Africa by the DeKlerk government to the ANC-SACP. (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 2, p. 13-14.)

In this booklet Ron Fraser also condemned interracial marriage. It is hard to get more racist than that.

Such anti-God themes are a precursor to CONFUSION, division and strife! South Africa will reap the curses of correction imposed by an all-wise, all-loving Father who created mankind and set the racial bounds over which He commanded Israel not to cross! (Ron Fraser, South Africa in Prophecy, 1997, Chapter 3, p. 23.)

 Also note the way Gerald Flurry characterized the fall of the racist Apartheid regime in 1995.

Natural disasters have intensified mightily since Mr. Armstrong died. There have been earthquakes, floods, droughts and fires. There have also been an alarming increase in family break-down, race problems and out-of-control crime. One journalist said 1993 was the "SCARIEST YEAR IN AMERICAN HISTORY" (because of the floods, fire, etc.) That is also true of the British people. Already South Africa has lost control of its country. That catastrophe and a lot more going to happen to America and Britain, if we don't heed God's Word. (Gerald Flurry, The Little Book, 1995 version, p. 6.)

Of course Gerald Flurry is really talking about the white minority no longer controlling the country, a state of affairs that was only maintained by keeping the vast majority of the population in a subservient position and excluded from participating in the public affairs of their country. In fact the fall of Apartheid allowed the people of South Africa to gain gain of their country.

Also note these words of Ron Fraser relating his feelings as he watched a celebration of the establishment of democracy in South Africa and the end of the racist Apartheid regime which had done so many terrible things to keep the vast majority of the population in a subservient position and unable to govern themselves. Ron Fraser's article was discussed in a previous post. Here is what I wrote about that article.

November 6 [2010] ... "South Africa—Clouds Across the Rainbow" by Ron Fraser. Here Fraser bemoans the state of South Africa and insinuates that things were better under apartheid.

One year after the 1994 handover of South Africa by President De Klerk to the African National Congress (ANC)/South African Communist Party (SACP) dominated government, I stood only a few yards away from Nelson Mandela. The occasion was the first anniversary celebration of the handover on the day that has since been annually celebrated as Freedom Day.

We were in the press gallery covering the gala event for the Trumpet magazine. As I looked into the eyes of Mandela, the words of my editor in chief [Gerald Flurry] rang loud in my ears. “South Africa is the first of the Anglo-Saxon nations to give away its God-given birthright.”

During the apartheid era the majority black population were forbidden to vote and were treated as second class citizens just for being black. They were forced to endure all kinds of humiliations just for not being born white. Restoring something dreadfully racist like that would not help anyone, not even the whites Fraser professes to support.

Also note the way how Robert Morley insinuated that things were better under Apartheid while discussing the massacre at the Marikana mine in 2012. Robert Morley's words was discussed in a previous post. Here is what I wrote about that article.

November 25 [2012] ... "South Africa Is a Time Bomb" by Robert Morley. Here Morley exploits the massacre of thirty four striking miners at Marikana mine to say that South Africa has no hope.

As the Guardian reported, had this massacre happened under the old apartheid regime, there would have been sustained furor around the world. As it is, the world just sees this recent violence as typical Africa. It’s just another case of incomprehensible black-on-black lawlessness and vicious violence.

It is very telling of the deteriorating state of the country today. South Africa never used to be that way.  

"South Africa never used to be that way"? What about the Soweto Uprising in 1976? About 176 people died in during attempts by the police to suppress the protest.

What about the Sharpville massacre in 1960? Sixty nine protesters were killed by police. Once again we see how PCG minimizes the horrific problems of apartheid South Africa and view the democratic transfer of power to the majority of the population in the worst possible way.

Morley continues:

Some people blame the trigger-happy police. But it is hard to blame them too much: Just days earlier, mine workers had brutally hacked two police officers to death and burned two security guards alive. Other people blame violence between the unions.  

But the signs that South Africa is a time bomb getting ready to explode are becoming hard to miss.

But as we have just seen there have been even worse incidents of violence during the apartheid era. It is well known that South Africa has a lot of problems but this does not necessarily mean that South Africa is about to collapse.

Also note that after Nelson Mandela died while so many people chose to send condolences and messages of mourning at his passing PCG's leaders chose to denounce him as a Communist as was discussed in a previous post discussing a Trumpet Daily episode hosted by Stephen Flurry.

So we see that Calvin Callaghan is quite correct to note that PCG's leaders sympathize with Apartheid South Africa willfully ignoring the many terrible things that were done to maintain Apartheid.

How dare PCG's leaders disingenuously profess to view the Communist Party USA as menacing when they did not even bother to respond to an article about them in the flagship magazine of the Communist Party USA.