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    "label": "National Security Council Report 17, A Report to the National Security Council by the Executive Secretary on the Internal Security of the United States",
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    "title": "National Security Council Report 17, A Report to the National Security Council by the Executive Secretary on the Internal Security of the United States",
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    "ocrText": "DENTINS\nThe irreconcilable nature of Communism and American democracy becomes at\nonce apparent on contrasting some of the following basic ideas of democracy with\nthose of Communism. In American democracy (1) \"we hold these truths to be self-\nevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator\nwith certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pur-\nsuit of Happiness, and that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among\nmen, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed\"; (2) private prop-\nerty is not intrinsically harmful -- on the contrary it is the use of private prop-\nerty which determines its moral quality; (3) man is a free responsible moral agent;\n(4) the State is legitimate and must not be destroyed - on the contrary it must be\npreserved in order to serve man; (5) there must be equal individual opportunity for\nall; (6) society must be based on moral law as tried and tested for centuries in\nwestern civilization; (7) progressive changes in society are highly desirable and\nmust be brought about. through peaceful, legal, constitutional means at the instiga-\ntion of the majority of the people; (8) history is not a materialistic process de-\ntermined ultimately by the economic factor; (9) all men are equal before God and\ntherefore have inherent dignity, unalienable rights, personal worth and are sacred\nas individuals apart from society of which they are a part.\nFrom this contrast of Communist and democratic ideas the general outlines\nof the conflict on the ideological level can be seen. And Communists are quick to\nrealize the importance of ideological penetration as a basis for subsequent revolu-\ntionary action. The Communists begin their attack with ideas and intend to finish\nit with guns if necessary. With ideas they spread their poisonous germs in every\nphase of American life either openly or by subtleties and indirection. These ideas\nseep into American politics, American economics, American educational institutions,\nAmerican neighborhoods and American homes. These ideas, as do most ideas, have\npractical consequences. They serve to confuse and divide the American people. They\nserve to engender bitter conflicts between various segments of the American people.\nThey serve to increase social tensions. They all converge on the immediate objec-\ntive, expressly, the weakening of traditional democratic thought. And this has a\nvery direct bearing on our internal securiti system making its problems arduous,\nvaried and many. For these Communist ideas do not remain in the realm of theory.\nThey are adroitly brought to earth and put into daily action -- militant action.\nIt is this militant action which constitutes the attack against our democratic in-\nstitutions, linked as it is to the intrigues of foreign Communists. It is these\ndemocratic institutions that the internal security system of our nation is charged\nwith the grave responsibility of protecting.\nThe Anti-Democratic and Militaristic Form of Organization of the Communist Party,\nUSA\nThe Communist ideological penetration of the United States develops qui te\nlogically into a militant, practical, day to day campaign against all of our demo-\ncratic institutions. First the idea and then the act. The former \"softens up\" the\npeople for the latter. And the Communist Party is the vehicle of application in\nthis country along with other Communist Parties scattered throughout the world. The\nCommunist writer A. B. Magil points out: \"This Party calls itself Communist because\ncommunism is its final aim.\" This should be carefully noted for it reflects quite\nclearly that democracy is not the desired end of the Communist Party, as it so\nNSC 17\n- 9 -\nCONTIDENTIAL"
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