Difference between revisions of "Fellow traveller"
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| − | '''Fellow traveller''' is | + | A '''Fellow traveller''' is a person who sympathizes and supports the philosophy, aims or methods of a political party or movement, but has no official ties to that party or movement, and may openly deny supporting it while secretly doing so. The term is most often used of supporters of [[communist]] parties in democratic nations, though it has also been applied to supporters of ultra-right-wing parties. |
| − | In some cases, maintaining | + | In some cases, maintaining fellow traveller status may be more beneficial to a person than official membership, as the person could secretly provide support to the movement while in their current position. For example, a person who is a United States government employee might also support communist ideals, but supporting such a movement may cause issues with employment (such as loss of a security clearance); therefore, the person officially denies any such support, while secretly providing classified material to the movement. |
[[Category:Political Terms]] | [[Category:Political Terms]] | ||
Revision as of 18:59, January 16, 2021
A Fellow traveller is a person who sympathizes and supports the philosophy, aims or methods of a political party or movement, but has no official ties to that party or movement, and may openly deny supporting it while secretly doing so. The term is most often used of supporters of communist parties in democratic nations, though it has also been applied to supporters of ultra-right-wing parties.
In some cases, maintaining fellow traveller status may be more beneficial to a person than official membership, as the person could secretly provide support to the movement while in their current position. For example, a person who is a United States government employee might also support communist ideals, but supporting such a movement may cause issues with employment (such as loss of a security clearance); therefore, the person officially denies any such support, while secretly providing classified material to the movement.