By Eskor Toyo The following piece is an extract from a longer essay written by Professor Eskor Toyo a couple of years

ago in answer to a question from a compatriot. The Editorial Collective has decided to share Eskor Toyos clarification with readers.
My Dear Abdullahi: I have read your letter. via, and he was also a communist. Who are these comYou want to know who the communists are. You say munists? you often hear about them on radio. In this reply I Then in 1950 in Readers Digest I read that shall do my best to answer your question. You are the communists had taken over China. Communists not alone, Abdulahi. From time to time the ordinary again? Later in 1951 or 1952, I read in Readers Digest person hears on radio or reads in a newspaper about that China had been all along a very backward country communists. Some radio stations make communists educationally and that only the children of a highly privilook like non-human beings but monsters. Who are leged microscopic few hitherto had even traditional Chithe communists? nese education. Yet in two years the Communist GovernDuring the Second World War, I was a small ment had built a multitude of boy in school in Lagos. I read a lot about Winston schools which were flooded with children. The CommuChurchill, Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Marnist Government had printed so many text- books shall Petain, General de Gaule, and M.V. Molotov. that the school children used text-books as football in They were on one side against Adolf Hitler. Hitler was class. In Nigeria we had very few schools and text-books said to be a very greedy, ambitious and rabid racist for the lucky few. Who are these Communist? I began to and warmonger who wanted to conquer the world search. I want to tell you what I have found over the and make every country a German colony. I must conyears. fess that I did not like Hitler. This is not because he My enquiry took me to the Communists in Oliver waged war but because he was a racist and an antiCromwells revolution in England in the 1640s, the Comfreedom crusader. Even though I could not yet undermunists in the French revolution (1789-93), and the Comstand advanced English, I read Hitlers book, Mein munists in early nineteenth century Europe who made Kempf, in English translation in my uncles little liplans to found Communist Settlements in America and brary. One strong impression I had was that the man were later called Utopian Communists. I learnt about the was surely a racist, a great power chauvinist, a reCommunists who led the common people of the big city venge seeker and an ambitious imperialist. of Paris in France in 1871 to establish the first communist During the state, called the Paris Comwar we heard with As I compared all that I found, I noticed that the story mune. This state was imadmiration of the mediately destroyed by the wonderful exploits of of Ananaias in the Christian Bible is the simplest way selfish who governed to say who the Communists are. The earliest Christhe Soviet Red Army. I France and were better heard of the incrediarmed with weapons of tians were not rich, and they were supposed to be ble exploits of Marwar, unlike the commune imbued with love, honesty, truth, justice, shals Zhukov, which was armed with alunselfishness and ungreediness Voroshilov, Malimost nothing except a novski and Tideep love for freedom, moshenko and equality and justice. The government of greed in France General Koniev, etc. No one could be as stubborn as slaughtered thousands of the common people as they these men. I learnt that their country was a commudefended the commune. I came to know, Abdulllahi, that nist country. Then I learnt of Marshal Tito of Yugoslathese common people were called Communards.
For Editorial Collective: Edwin Madunagu E-mail:ciinstrid@yahoo.com Mobile No: 08053108045

SPN Bulletin N0s. 3 & 4. February & March, 2013 Page 2 community. A community organized with an emphaMy enquiry also led me to the Christian Commusis on the good of the community and all in it, so that nists who constituted the first Christian fellowship to selfishness is rejected and greed put in chains. The which Ananias belonged. I also found that humans have community may be very small or very large, it does lived on earth for about one million years, according to not matter for the communists and all adults. This is scientists who investigate the humans past. They say what they call justice. that during nearly all that time humans Scientific students of human society have given various Absence of exploitation love of justice and descriptions to those selfish, greedy, unjust, unequal and is also justice. What is The equality, the need for unfree societies where the strong plunder the weak and exploitation? Chambers Twentieth community unity against hostile nature, a parasitic few dominate the working majority. They call Century Dictionary deand the difficulties of them chiefdoms, states, civilizations, stratified societies fines it fully, simply and life led them to live or class societies. That is up to the scientists. For you, .. clearly. It is making gain out of, or at the expense everywhere in Com- they are unjust societies. Simple. of, someone else, or it is munistic Communiusing for selfish purpose. ties. They lived a type of life called communal life. The Of course, the someone else includes the whole commeaning of communal is that the life rejects selfishness, munity. rejects greed and emphasizes the interests or the good The early Christians were communists; but of the whole community. I continued to ask: Who are Ananaias belonged to the type of people who broke the Communists? As I compared all that I found, I nodown the long-enduring ancient communism or comticed that the story of Ananaias in the Christian Bible is munalism which anthropologists and prehistorians the simplest way to say who the Communists are. The say prevailed everywhere till about six thousand earliest Christians were not rich, and they were supyears ago. These people are selfish, greedy, exploitaposed to be imbued with love, honesty, truth, justice, tive and oppressive. They do not hesitate to practice unselfishness and ungreediness. They decided that whatinjustices. They love to have and retain advantages ever each one had he or she would share with the rest. over others. This means that they want inequality and However, Ananaias was selfish and greedy and not loyal they enjoy it . They ignore, trample on or destroy the to this community or common agreement. He did not interests or good of the community. In fact, they share all he had or all that he had above his actual cherish their plundering of the community to the needs. The other Christians rejected his behavior and glory of their selfishness, greed and bloated ego. condemned him. I found from prehistorianns and anthropologists that This story gives us the simplest explanation of ancient communistic societies perished when human communism. Communists are people who reject five communities could produce more essential goods things, namely, selfishness, greed, exploitation, injustice than they need for survival. If the community reand unfreedom, and place first and foremost the interest mained communistic, or good of the community. If you look at the Some detractors ... claim that the communists do not be- the surplus products matter carefully, Ab- lieve in any God ... this is not true. After all, the earliest could be shared to improve the lot of the dullahi, you will see Christians were communists ... . Through all ages the community and of that it is selfishness and greed that beget exploiters have used misinformation or the inflammation each and all. Instead unfreedom. It is those of blind faith to deceive informed masses of people. The of this happening, who are very selfish communist attitude to religion, I find, is summarized by the some greedy people worse than Ananaias and greedy that seek common saying: God helps those who help themselves perfected weapons of to control the lives of war and led war parothers in their own ties to conquer communities that could produce a interest. Unselfishness and greed also bring about injussurplus over their barest survival needs. They even tices and unjust inequalities. This is why, as I noted, comenslave these communities. This is how, from about munists emphasize ending the foundations that give six thousand years ago only, unequal and unjust sopower to selfishness and greed rather than talk of freecieties started. This is how in Africa, Asia, Europe, the dom in abstraction (from the conditions of society). As Americas and Japan, people in some societies come for freedom, the communists define it generally as the to be divided into rich and poor, master and servant, opportunity to shape ones own destiny. Their struggle conqueror and subject, high and low, privileged and to end societies grounded in selfishness and greed is underprivileged, powerful and powerless, free and thus a liberation struggle. unfree. The evidence from history and various social Communism is derived from the word

SPN Bulletin N0s. 3 & 4. February & March, 2013 Page 3 scifrom my knowledge that this is not true. After all, the ences, leave no doubt whatsoever, of the fact that earliest Christians were communists. The communists in once a society has become of the type where commuCromwells movement, in the French revolution and in nalism is gone and selfishness and greed are kings, the Paris commune were not unbelievers. Through all various kinds of exploitation, inequality and inhumanages the exploiters have ity will also come to ... that the definition of freedom should include the right to used misinformation or prevail. The good of the community will own ones own private enterprise is different from the capi- the inflammation of become the good of talist statement that freedom does not just include but is blind faith to deceive informed masses of the exploiters, the the right to own private enterprise. ... what capitalists people. The communist rich, and the militarily powerful. mean by the right to private enterprise is actually the right attitude to religion, I find, is summarized by Scientific students to become millionaires and multimillionaires through of human society exploitative private enterprise ... while millions of people the common saying: God helps those who have given various are unemployed or starve help themselves. They descriptions to want the people to help themselves out of selfish, those selfish, greedy, unjust, unequal and unfree sogreedy exploitation, unequal, unjust and uninformed cieties where the strong plunder the weak and a societies which are the roots of their miseries. parasitic few dominate the working majority. They Some detractors claim that the communists are call them chiefdoms, states, civilizations, stratified violent. This, I find, is also not true. The truth can be simsocieties or class societies. That is up to the scientists. ply told from the story of the African National Congress For you, Abdullahi, they are unjust societies. Simple. (ANC). The Congress was founded in 1912. All along, it Historical and social scientific evidence is also pursued non-violent agitation for a South Africa devoid conclusive on things achieved where selfishness, of racism and white minority domination and exploitagreed, exploitation and injustice were abolished. The tion of the Black majority. As the campaign of the ANC people will be liberated from the inability to shape was winning over masses of people, it was increasingly their own destiny, which they suffer in all forms of visited with white minority private and government viopredatory society. lence. The Congress got banned in 1960. It was forced to The Communists do not think that commugo underground. As it became clear that it was not dead, nism can come all at once even when they are in racist violence against it escalated. The Congress was power. It will take a very long time in years, they say, eventually forced to defend itself. but historically that will be a short period. They inSomewhere along the line, the communists are tend to proceed step by step. The first step is to abolforced to use armed struggle because the selfish are ish the economic, political and cultural foundations of powerfully armed and inevitably use their arms to renpredatory society. This will facilitate the abolition of der impossible, any peaceful change towards commuselfishness, greed, exploitation and injustice as the nism. Events like the Paris Commune, have become comdriving forces in society and end the The communists reject both the reduction of freedom to the mon. They have happened in Russia, Gerpursuit of interests right to own a private enterprise and the extension of the many, Italy, Hungary, inimical to the comright to private enterprise to the right to exploit other peo- Spain, China, Greece, munity as a whole. I notice that ple. ... the selfish and greedy who still rule most of the Korea, Vietnam, Guatethe communists countries of the world have a venomous hatred of the com- mala, Nicaragua, Chile etc. Patrice Lumumba have many detracmunists ... (and) are prepared to do everything in their and Salvador Alende tors. Some of the died, only because the detractors are de- power to prevent communist rule where they can selfish at home and featists or self-styled abroad, feared that they would lead their countries to realists, practical people or pragmatists. These communism. The Regimes of Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou people say that the communist dream is too good to Toure and Modibo Keita were violently overthrown, for be realizable in a world that was made from the bethe same reason. When communists are in power, there ginning selfish, greedy and wicked or that has beis always an armed conspiracy of the selfish and greedy, come too far sunk in these vices to be saved. The to overthrow them. communists do not believe that this is so. Some persons oppose the Communists who may or Some detractors hate the communists purmay not be detractors. These are those who say that portedly on the ground of religion. They claim that freedom should include an opportunity to establish and the communists do not believe in any God. I can say

SPN Bulletin N0s. 3 & 4. February & March, 2013 Page 4 run ones own enterprise if one feels like doing so. This is by the inspiration to fight for a world of freedom, supposed to give one a certain feeling of independence. truth, righteousness, equality and benevolence. ComA person should be free to opt out of working in a communists seek to ameliorate the consequences of a munally-owned or collective owned enterprise. Howsociety whose very foundation is the mother of negaever, opposition to communism on this ground is grossly tions of humanism. They seek to change this foundauninformed. No communist doctrine forbids all forms of tion itself to begin with to permit human communiprivate income earning ties to build honest activity. Communism ... the society called capitalism ... is a new kind of and thoroughly hupermits professionals like slavery ... hiring ... powerless people as full time servants mane societies. They lawyers, doctors, etc. to to produce wealth for oneself, paying them as little as want a mother that establish their own enhas justice in her possible, and working them as hard as possible ... to terprises either singly or womb. in partnerships. Such increase ones profit and wealth accumulation ... . If the As for the people are actually pro- God of the Christians and the Muslims is, as they proclaim society called fessional workers, not with their lips, a God of truth, justice, honesty, light, love capitalism, that exploitation businessreally is a new kind of and benevolence, He is an anti-capitalist God men. Besides, others who slavery. Infinite greed may be manufacturers, traders and farmers may estabis devoting oneself to the pursuit of limitless material lish small enterprises where they may make some profit. wealth. The new kind of slavery is the hiring of powAll privately owned enterprises operate under social erless people as full time servants to produce wealth rules which prevent their being used for the exploitation for oneself, paying them as little as possible, and of other people. What the communists are against really working them as hard as possible, so as to increase is not private enterprise, but the use of private enterones profit and wealth accumulation in the greatest prise for exploitation. We must note that the statement possible measure. If the God of the Christians and the that the definition of freedom should include the right to Muslims is, as they proclaim with their lips, a God of own ones own private enterprise is different from the truth, justice, honesty, light, love and benevolence, capitalist statement that freedom does not just include He is an anti-capitalist God. No wonder the bishops in but is the right to own private enterprise. Besides, what Europe opposed capitalism when it started embryonicapitalists mean by the right to private enterprise is actucally there before 1700 A.D. and many good Muslims ally the right to become millionaires and multimillionreject capitalism. According to the teaching of Islamic aires through exploitative private enterprise. It is the economics, God has given enough to humanity on right for anyone to have land, money or other forms of earth for it to use its intelligence so that all can live wealth while millions of people are unemployed or comfortably. Scarcity is artificially created by the selfstarve. The communists reject both the reduction of ishness, greed and the exploitative propensity of freedom to the right to own a private enterprise and the some. These economists, like the Christian bishops extension of the right to private enterprise to the right to earlier mentioned, also reject the charging of soexploit other people. It must be said that the selfish and called commercial interest rate on monetary loans. greedy who still rule most of the countries of the world Like the bishops mentioned, they say it is taking adhave a venomous hatred of the communists. They are vantage of a needy neighbour. This is a violation of prepared to do everything in their power to prevent the fundamental injunction of the religions against communist rule where they can, or destroy the building selfishness, greed, exploitation, injustice and unkindof anything towards communism, when they cannot preness towards other human beings. vent the communists from coming to power. They use I have reported what I see in the communists. every weapon, lies, misinformation, religious bigotry, Everyone can decide for himself or herself whether or victimization, prohibition, intimidation, corruption, varinot they deserve to lose while the selfish, the greedy, ous kinds of violence and war, or destroy the building of the exploiters and the enemies of love, justice and anything towards communism, when they cannot presocial equality rule the world. vent the communists from coming to power. Abdullahi, I leave that to you. I also notice that the communists go on undeYours sincerely. terred. The best of them are incredibly brave and stubEskor Toyo born. They behave like people possessed. The sufferings which they undergo are comparable only with the tribuReaders may send articles of between 250 and 400 words for lations of the communistic early Christians before Chrispublication. The address is as indicated: tianity of a type came into the cantankerous embrace of Editorial Collective, SPN Collective, the state of the selfish and greedy and became corc/o Edwin Madunagu, ciinstrid@yahoo.com rupted. They are like all men and women in history fired