By James Thompson
HOUSTON – On May 12, 1970 Radio Station KPFT of Houston was bombed off the air by two well-known KKK operatives. They effectively silenced the young, left leaning radio station affiliated with the Pacifica network for three weeks. However, the radio station returned to the air and has been airing progressive voices since then.
On 7/7/2013 the Houston Communist Party website was hacked and taken off the internet without permission. On 7/12/2013 a message appeared when our web address was accessed which read “FAKE COMMUNIST PARTY WEBSITE.†If you clicked on this message it took you to the “official†club of the CPUSA in Houston. It is sad that the reactionaries that hacked us simultaneously left a trail revealing their crime and branded themselves as a “Fake Communist Party Website.â€
The “official†club of the CPUSA is a split off from the original Houston Communist Party club. The split occurred last summer in July, when two CPUSA henchmen arrived in Houston without informing the club’s leadership of their plans. They secretly met with club members individually and attempted to persuade them to join the new club “officially†sanctioned by the powers that be within the CPUSA. Less than half the membership of the club defected to the new club.
So the new club was born in a context of splitting, sectarianism, factionalism, opportunism, and sabotage.
The original club has maintained the position throughout this ordeal that there is enough room in Houston for two Communist Party clubs and has wished the new club every success in supporting the working class in Houston. It should be noted that Houston has the largest number of industrial jobs in the USA, far ahead of the runner up, New York City. It seems appropriate that there would be a struggle between reactionary anti-Communists and Communists in Houston.
However, the new club seems to be taking the position that there can only be one Communist Party club in Houston and they are the club anointed by the reactionary leadership of the CPUSA. They seem to be echoing the line from the wild west “This town ain’t big enough for both of us!â€
When these individuals were in the original club, they constantly raised the issue of democratic centralism in a heavy handed attempt to smother open discussion and criticism of the party leadership and its tailing of the Democratic party and failure to maintain an anti-imperialist stance.
It should be noted that the CPUSA constitution, which the Houston Communist Party supports and upholds, categorically prohibits espionage and sectarianism. It appears pretty obvious that the “official†club of the CPUSA in Houston has violated both these principles.
The “official†club of the CPUSA in Houston has distinguished themselves by employing similar tactics used by the KKK in Houston in 1970 in an attempt to silence KPFT. The KKK was unsuccessful. The CPUSA through their local proxy has attempted to silence us by hacking our website. They have been unsuccessful as well.
The Houston Communist Party has been attacked by Glenn Beck and many other reactionaries. We view these attacks as confirmation that we are on the right track since we have maintained an unwavering support of the working class since our inception. Although the CPUSA has and continues to deviate from this line, we intend to move forward and oppose revisionism and opportunism and anti-Communism within the Communist movement. If you want to fight for the interests of the working class, join us. If you want to maintain a cowardly position of fighting free speech and suppressing working class voices, join the other side. Which side are you on?
The recent blatant act of sabotage by certain members of the so-called Communist Party of Houston against the Houston Communist Party’s website which resulted in temporary bring down the latters site only goes to show you just how low and despicable the leadership of this organization is in trying to silence the voice of the Houston Communist Party.
The unlawful and childish behavior of these revisionists and opportunists reminds me awhile back when the Coca-Cola Company tried to bait and switch the American people into accepting their so-called Real Coke which was nothing but an watered down version of their original formula.
The results of this attempt was a complete disaster and the America people demanded that the Coca-Cola Company bring back their original formula of their soft drink.
The company saw the writing on the wall and quickly brought back their Classic version.
The people of Houston whom are seeking to learn about which Communist Party to join, shall have to decide on either the watered-down party of the revisionists or the real Marxist-Leninist brand of Communism which is what the Houston Communist Party stands for.