Is the Communist conspiracy to conquer America an imminent danger at present? (Jun, 1956)
This is bizarre. They just slipped this in at the end of the magazine where they normally just have advertisements.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Is the Communist conspiracy to conquer America an imminent danger at present? Are subversive elements in this country being held in check?
Asked of: J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI.YES, Communism today does represent a great danger to America. Our democratic way of life is threatened by a gigantic tyranny which already has engulfed millions of freedom-loving people.
The Communists seek to establish a dictatorship. They would replace freedom, justice and love with tyranny, terror and hatred.This threat, however, is being met by the determined vigilance of the American people. Using democratic methods, this nation is defending itself against the assaults of the Communist International. As long as law and order reign and citizens have faith in the democratic processes of government, Communism cannot win in this struggle of ideologies.
The FBI, as the governmental agency responsible for the internal security of our country, is keeping close track of Communist machinations. Any person can be of assistance to us in this cause. A citizen having information about subversive activities should contact the closest FBI office immediately.
We can conquer this menace. It is the job of all of us.
I wonder if it actually is an ad placed there by the FBI. I could be wrong but I don’t think advertorials were always clearly marked as such back then.
When I saw that, I was speculating that it might be an unpaid ad, sort of public service announcement, that might have been encouraged or even perhaps coerced by the FBI. Imagine the agent comes to the publisher’s office and says, “You’re not a communist are you? Don’t you like truth, justice, and the American Way? Would you like to publish this important story so that all good Americans can stay informed of the awful subversive menace?”. And the publisher weighs the fact that the story has nothing to do with the magazine’s topic against the fact that the publisher doesn’t want to be investigated by any legislative committees, and decides to run the “story” near the back of the magazine.
Of course this is pure speculation on my part.
@Richard….you’re probably right. But the real menace was organized crime. Bobby Kennedy went after the mob and both he and his brother got caught in the resulting cross fire.
I see that aluminum foil hats never really go out of style.
I’m wondering if some advertiser simply bailed shortly before deadline, forcing an editor to hunt through the press releases for something, anything, that could fill up the empty space.
I swear I read that as “Our democratic way of life is threatened by a gigantic tranny”. In my defense, it was an article by Hoover.
Eamon: Yeah, yeah
Who would have thought that America would turn into an iron-fisted communist dictatorship by 2008?!
headsign: WTF???
John: Should humor be marked with a warning?
headsign: No, but it should be funny.
John: are you irony challenged?
headsign: Being new around here you haven’t read the posts of some of the Great Unwashed who would have wholeheartedly and sincerely taken your attempt at being ironic as fact.
Give it up. Your attempt at ironic humor fell flat.
Ah, come on John. Don’t feel so important.
headsign: Wow, going from humorist to psychologist. Quit while you’re behind.
You’re obviously a troll. Get a life, my friend. There’s a whole world outside your window. If you try to be nice, you can even get friends. Byebye, “John”.
headsign: Now who’s sounding important? Or maybe you’re being ironic “headsign”? (If that is your real name)
Sorry, John. I’m not a psychologist and if you seek one, I honestly doubt you will find one here. You can try though. I wish you the best of luck.
headsign: Now THAT’S irony!
So, regarding comment 16 and “Get a life, my friend”, I remember reading someone calling FB38 “my friend” repeatedly when asked about providing proof about a relative’s chickens. That reminds me of how some people in a face-to-face argument will insult someone while touching/patting them on the back/shoulder. I know it may not have anything to do with bearded men selling fish glue or Communism but I find it fascinating.
@qyooqy……as Shakespeare wrote in Othello……..”In following him I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so for my peculiar end.”
An “advertorial”?
You mean a public service announcement?