NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Over the weekend, I paused in the living room to watch a portion of a movie Mrs. Griz had playing on the television. The movie, “Thirteen Days,” brought back memories of childhood fears of nuclear war, something we think of much less these days even though the threat and danger remain.
I remember asking my father in 1962 about the possible attack by Cubanbased Soviet missiles.
“If they do launch missiles from Cuba, they probably won’t send them here,” was his response.
He was probably right. We lived in the suburbs of a Missouri town of 50 - counting the chickens - and were not likely a prime target for nuclear ballistic missiles, whethermedium- or intermediate-range. Of course, had missiles been launched by either side, no one in the U.S. or the former Soviet Union would have been safe.
The movie reminded me of the fear in the back of everyone’s minds during those Cold War days that some day, somehow, and perhaps by accident, World War III could begin and nuclear annihilation follow.
In those days, the communists were viewed as our arch enemies who were, no doubt, seeking to overthrow our nation and its government and take away our rights and freedoms so they could establish a socialist government with state control over people, property andindustry. And to hold to communist and socialist views in those days was almost treasonous.
How things have changed! The Soviet Union collapsed, in large part because its political and economic ideology just didn’t work and the plan was unsustainable. The United States, on the other hand, seems bent on embracing more and more of socialism’s ideology and policies. How quickly we forget!
By accident, I came across an old song, recorded in the early 1950s by Carson Robison, called “I’m no communist.”
The song is anti-communist but also appears to poke fun at the U.S. government and its House Un-American Activities Committee (1945-1975) which investigated activities (particularly pro-communist)which were deemed to undermine the United States and its constitutional form of government.
Surprisingly, already at the half-way mark of the last century, Robison sawthat the government’s attempts to prevent the advance of communism and socialism were missing the mark. While attempting to weed out anyone who might be sympathetic to communist views, our government was already starting down the path of socialism with its ever-increasing government programs and regulations, higher taxes, inflation and a growing national debt.
The words of Robison’s 1952 song read as follows:
We’re living in a country that’s the finest place on earth,
But some folks don’t appreciate this land that gave them birth.
I hear that up in Washington they’re having an awful fuss
‘Cause Communists and spies are making monkeys out of us.
The bureaus and departments have been busy night and day.
They’re figuring out just how we gave our secrets all away.
And Congress has appointed a committee, so they said,
To find out who’s American and who’s a low-down Red.
They call them up to Washington to speak for Uncle Sam;
But when they ask them what they are, they shut up like a clam.
I wish they’d take and put me on the witness stand today.
I’d shout so loud old Stalin could hear me all the way.
Refrain:
I’m no Communist; I’ll tell you that right now.
I believe a man should own his own house and car and cow.
I like this private ownership, and I want to be left alone.
Let the government run its business, and let me run my own.
Our government is bigger than it ever was today.
The more they hire to work for it, the more they have to pay.
Our public servants should be proud and honest, you would think,
Instead of taking bribes and dressing up their wives in mink.
The taxes keep on going up; of that there is no doubt.
But still they just can’t take it in as fast as they dish it out.
Our national debt is monster size and growin’ every day.
Our children’s children, still unborn, are gonna have to pay.
Our dollar used to be the soundest money on this earth,
But now two bucks won’t even buy one good dollar’s worth.
Unless we stop inflation and take care of what we’ve got,
The Communists may win the fight and never fire a shot.
If he wrote and sung these words 60 years ago, what would Robison sing today? Perhaps the socialism blues!
Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be reached by email at rmoll@nwaonline.com.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 06/27/2012