I don’t like Communists.
Call me old school if you want but I remember the Cold War, the murderous Soviet Union, Mao‘s Cultural Revolution, and Pol Pot. Totalitarian oppression and mass murder are what Communism‘s all about. It’s not cool.
So I was astonished to receive a direct message via Twitter Wednesday from Van Jones, President Obama‘s ousted green jobs czar. Jones is a favorite target of Glenn Beck because he’s a self-described revolutionary communist who managed to land a sweet job in President Obama’s White House.
I had written on Twitter that I thought Jones’s speech at the leftist “America’s Future Now” conference in Washington, D.C., was an example of powerful oratory. Too bad Jones is a Communist, I wrote. Here’s the tweet:
Here’s the direct message Jones sent me:
Intrigued, I wanted to find out more. Maybe I will read his book one of these days, but for now I’d like some kind of proof that Jones is no longer a Communist. All Jones has to do is spend a few seconds at the computer keyboard typing out a few simple words. I might even be willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Hey, people change.
So I sent Jones an email directly at the Center for American Progress where he is a senior fellow. This is what I wrote:
Hi.
Twitter wouldn’t let me reply to you.
Recap: I tweeted: Van Jones gave a great speech –content aside– at lefty confab today. Too bad he’s a Red. Such a waste. #afn10 #tcot #tlot
You replied via direct message: Hi! Glad u liked speech.But I’m no “red.” As top researcher, u should know that was 10+yrs ago. Read my book. U may like my mature views.
Actually, during the Glenn Beck saga I searched far and wide on Nexis and elsewhere for any indication you had distanced yourself from your previous self-declared support for “communism.”
What do you consider yourself to be now ideologically?
MATTHEW VADUM
Senior Editor
Capital Research Center
More than 24 hours later, I haven’t received a reply.
Do you think I will?
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