United front

From Conservapedia

In Leninist theory, a united front is a coalition of left-wing "working class" forces which put forward a common set of demands and share a common plan of action, but which do not subordinate themselves to the front, retaining their abilities for independent political action and continuing to hold different political programs.

The related concept of a popular front refers to a broader coalition, which can even include so-called "bourgeois" forces, even liberals. Communists created united fronts when they found common ground with other like-minded groups.

United States

On March 18, 1933, the executive committee of the Comintern declared the adoption of a United Front policy. Its initial aim was to discredit support for reformist leadership, but meeting with little success it soon turned to anti-facsism. In 1935, the Comintern called for unity among all anti-fascist forces. In keeping with this policy, the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) openly embraced President Roosevelt and the New Deal, became vocal advocates of religious liberty and sought an alliance with the churches, the strategy being the creation of a network of front organizations which could win popular support and co-operation among the American electorate.

The Reverend Harry F. Ward, a Methodist minister and chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union, who also served on the faculty of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and was a key figure in the Methodist Federation for Social Service, stated publicly,

"The Soviet Union will bring to the world a new concept that is in reality a fulfillment of the ethics of Jesus. Communism will systematically crush the evil profit motive that spurs on the American economy and replace it with incentives of service and sacrifice. The United States should set for itself the same goal." ^[1]