April 19, 1974
In the wake of the startling disclosures of government
"counterintelligence" operations against radical groups, the
debate over the attorney general's list of so-called subversive
organizations is being renewed.
Originally established by Democratic president Harry Truman in 1947, the list was one of the initial moves toward the attempts at thought-control that became known as McCarthyism. The stated purpose of the list was to keep "subversives" out of allegedly sensitive government jobs. In reality, the list was rapidly expanded to bar from any federal employment members of listed organizations.
In addition, the list was soon adopted by state governments and may corporations as an official black list.
Inclusion on the "subversive" list has been used by the government to justify its campaign of disruption and illegal harassment, sabotage, and surveillance against organizations like the Socialist Workers Party. The government's credo has become "anything goes against the subversives."
The socialist's Watergate suit against Nixon and other government officials, including the attorney general, is the most far-reaching and serious challenge yet brought against the existence and use of the "subversive" list. If the suit is successful, the list will be relegated to the trash heap, where it belongs.
April 18, 1949
In recent weeks the Kremlin has stepped up to fever pitch
its war of nerves against the Yugoslav government. The answer
to this campaign was given by Tito at the People's Front
Congress in Belgrade April 9 where he declared that "no
intimidation from the West or East can divert" Yugoslavia from
the independent course it has pursued since the split with the
Cominform last year.
The stream of propaganda urging Yugoslavia to revolt against Tito, has been accompanied by physical assaults against Yugoslav militiamen on international trains entering Bulgaria; by secret trials of Yugoslavs in Sofia, on charges of spying"; and by ruthless economic pressure aimed at destroying Tito's 5- year plan.
Apparently the imperialist powers do not intend to apply any immediate political pressure on the Tito regime. For the time being, they are content to help Tito remain in power. They have their eyes on the Cominform's latest maneuver against Tito, the proclamation of a "Macedonian National Liberation Front."
As planned by the Cominform, a "fine Macedonia" pledging allegiance to Stalin would be carved out of Macedonian areas of Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria. Such a development might, as Tito warned and the imperialists hope, lead to war in the Balkans and be the imperialists excuse for intervention against the Soviet Union.