William Z. Foster Quotes


I am for the Comintern from start to finish ... and if the Comintern finds itself criss-cross with my opinions, there is only one thing to do and that is to change my opinions to fit the policy of the Comintern.


Citations

William Z. Foster, 1881-1961, Chairman, American Communist Party, Communist Candidate for President of the United States, Quoted in Howe, The American Communist Party: A Critical History, 1957

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Related Quotes

In 1927 the Russian Communist Party changed its position regarding the world union movement. Prior to that the Communists would not organize unions competing with already existing trade unions. Foster was one of the communist leaders who was the strongest advocate of this solidarity of the working class. However, after years of preaching one thing, he reversed himself. This type of adherence to party discipline led to him getting a derogatory nickname. See {592421}.


This blind defense of all Soviet policies and actions by non-Soviet communist parties was typical of the day. Politics became so polarized that throughout the world, political groups took sides and defended or tolerated whatever acts their “allies” engaged in.


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William Z. Foster
William Z. Foster
  • Born: February 25, 1881
  • Died: September 1, 1961
  • Nationality:
  • Profession: Trade Union Leader

William Z. Foster was a radical American labor organizer and Communist politician, whose career included serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party USA from 1945 to 1957. He was previously a member of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, leading the drive to organize the packinghouse industry during World War I and the steel strike of 1919.