The Naked Communist
 | |
| Author | W. Cleon Skousen |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Arnold Friberg |
| Cover artist | Izzard Ink Publishing |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Communism Socialism |
| Published | 1958, 2014, 2017 (Izzard Ink Publishing) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 398 |
| ISBN | 978-1630720797 |
| 335.4 22 | |
| LC Class | HX44 .S5585 2009 |
The Naked Communist is a 1958 anti-communist book by W. Cleon Skousen, a former FBI employee.[1][2] The book has been reprinted several times and it has sold almost two million copies as of 2017.[3]
Content
The Naked Communist is a 1958 anti-communist book by American faith-based political theorist W. Cleon Skousen, a former FBI employee.[1][2] The main subject of the book is an alleged communist plot to overcome and control all of the world's governments through the implementation of social progressivism and by undermining American foreign policy through the promotion of internationalism and pacifism. The early chapters of the book cover the philosophy of Marxism and Soviet Communism as well as some of the history of communist power in various countries including the Soviet Union, China and Cuba.
According to Skousen, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels declared the six communist principles in 1847: the overthrow of capitalism, the abolition of private property, the elimination of family as a social unit, the abolition of all classes, the overthrow of all governments, and the establishment of a communist order with communal ownership of property in a classless, stateless society.[4]
Skousen argued that the communist plan was first “to take Asia, then Africa, next Europe and finally America.”[5] Skousen also contended that communists had 45 goals “to soften America for the final takeover.”[5]
The 45 goals of communism were added in the 8th edition published in 1961.[6] The 2017 edition of the book includes a new chapter on how 44 of the goals have been achieved in the U.S.[3][6]
Reception
In 1963, a portion of the book including the 45 "Current Communist Goals" was read into the United States Congressional Record.[7][8]
The book was commented favorably by President Ronald Reagan and J. Edgar Hoover, first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[9]
The book has also been highly discussed by American conservatives Glenn Beck and Ben Carson,[10] the latter of whom stated in 2014, "The Naked Communist lays out the whole progressive plan. It is unbelievable how fast it has been achieved."[11][12][13]
The book has been reprinted several times—most recently in a 2017 printing through Izzard Ink Publishing—and it has sold almost two million copies as of 2017.[3]
References
- ^ a b Umbr(a): The Object. The Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Culture. 2014. ISBN 9780979953965. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ a b Vegső, Roland (2012). The Naked Communist: Cold War Modernism and the Politics of Popular Culture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780823245581. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Naked Communist: Exposing Communism and Restoring Freedom". Barnes & Noble. 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ Skousen, Willard Cleon (1958). The Naked Communist (11th ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: The Ensign Publishing Company (published January 1962). p. 17. ISBN 9780910558020.
- ^ a b Skousen, Willard Cleon (1958). The Naked Communist (11th ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: The Ensign Publishing Company (published January 1962). p. 259. ISBN 9780910558020.
- ^ a b Skousen, W. Cleon (2017). The Naked Communist - Exposing Communism and Restoring Freedom. Salt Lake City, Utah: Izzard Ink Publishing. p. 297. ISBN 9781630729226.
- ^ Herlong, A. S. Jr. (1963). "Current Communist Goals". Congressional Record. 109: A34–A35.
- ^ Staff, CT Centinal (July 18, 2023). "The 45 Goals From "The Naked Communist" As Detailed In The 1963 Congressional Record". Connecticut Centinal. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "The Naked Communist". W. Cleon Skousen Library. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ Wilentz, Sean (October 18, 2010). "Confounding Fathers". The New Yorker. Vol. 86, no. 32. p. 32. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ "The Kelly File with Ben Carson". The Kelly File with Ben Carson. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Urban Faith The Naked Communist". Urban Faith The Naked Communist. Urban Faith. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ Mattingly, Phil (October 15, 2014). "Ben Carson's Longshot Presidential Bid Suddenly Looks a Lot More Realistic". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved June 12, 2015.