(Although written five years ago, this article is highly relevant in 2025, and helps explain what is going on in the electorate today).
Historical Context & W. Cleon Skousen’s Blueprint
How much has communism subtly infiltrated America and become accepted? What, you ask?? I found a fascinating article by Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh, where she shows us how many goals of communism the United States has implemented in the past 60 years. Dr. Paugh used Dr. W. Cleon Skousen’s book, “The Naked Communist.” [Citations appear at the end of this article]. If you have followed this page for some time, you may recognize Cleon Skousen’s name. We studied his book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap,” in 2018-19. Dr. Paugh explains how far we have reached the 45 communist goals Dr. Skousen writes about in his 1958 work, “The Naked Communist.”Let’s examine the ways we have accepted communist goals by comparing our country today to some of Dr. Skousen’s 45 communist goals, as outlined in Dr. Paugh’s article.
Modern Manifestations of Specific Goals
1. “Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.” is Goal #15, according to Dr. Skousen. Have you seen evidence of this happening in our country?
2. Goal #12, “Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.” Former Iron Curtain countries outlawed the Communist Party, but it regrouped. The Communist Party USA is active in our country today.
3. Is all free trade good trade? Goal #4: “Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.” Think about how the U.S. has done this and how it has served to our detriment.
4. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination is Goal #6. Dr. Paugh mentions “most favored nation” status. I think of the assistance we have sent to many countries around the world to help people, but their government officials took our money for themselves instead of using it to help their own people. Skousen’s Goal #11 is “Promote the U.N. as the only hope for humankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces.” Do you know any young people who have been in the Model U.N. program? Notice their change of attitude toward the USA.
5. “Do away with all loyalty oaths” is Goal #13. How about the Pledge of Allegiance and our National Anthem under fire? Can you think of any others?
6. I’ll just let Goal #17 sit right here…. “Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
7. Goal #22 hits close to the summer of 2020. “Continue discrediting American culture by all forms of artistic impression.” Think: tearing down historical monuments and statues.
8. “Infiltrate the press…” (Goal #20) and “Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.” (Goal #21) How have you seen the press change even in the last ten years? What about the content on radio, TV, and movies?
9. “Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.” That’s what Skousen labels as Goal #25 of Communism. I don’t know about you, but I have certainly seen the breakdown of moral standards with easy access. Also, there is an investment in normalizing immorality at all levels in the name of free speech. (It’s a business).
10. Goal #42 is an eye-opener…” Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political, or social problems.” 2020 seems to be a banner year for this goal.
Counter‑Strategies & Civic Response
Keep in mind that Skousen wrote about Communist Party goals before many of us were born. It’s not a rapid takeover. The groundwork and the foundation are laid over the years to destroy a society. What can we do to halt the spread of communism, which is subtly sold as a “better way”? How will you defend true freedom and the American way?
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship 🇺🇸
Sources:
Ileana Johnson Paugh, D., 2020. The 45 Goals Of Communism W. Cleon Skousen Wrote About In 1958. [online] Canada Free Press. Available at: <https://canadafreepress.com> [Accessed 29 July 2020].
Skousen, W. Cleon, Naked Communist, Salt Lake City, Utah; Ensign Publishing Co., C 1961, 9th edition, July 1961
