Have you ever been a communist on App?

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MedRower

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I just got a secondary from my top choice school and there is a question asking whether or not I have been a communist, and if so, explain. In my personal opinion, this question gets a little personal, and I wonder if there is an ulterior motive to their asking, like an honesty check. I also shudder to think that a school would deny a former communist acceptance or hold it against them on their application.
Personally I have been a communist. I read Marx throughout college, and I feel that it has not affected me or my performance academically. The fact that I am getting secondary applications from medical school can be a testament to that. ALso, I had a brief battle with consumerism, and being a communist was my only relief. Communism helped me cope with the nausea, lack of appetite, and boredom caused by commodity fetishism. It was truly a saving grace, and it worked better than any of the meds my doctor prescribed (and cheaper too).
So, my dilemma is that I do not want to lie to the ad coms, and I want to voice my opinion on communism, but I do not want to compromise an acceptance. I should probably keep my mouth shut until I get in, but, as doctors, we need to keep open minds, and that may be what this school is looking for in the first place.
What would, or did, most of you guys do in this situation? Should I swallow my tongue and keep quiet or tell the truth, voice my opinion, and risk throwing away a shot at my dreams.
 
:laugh: hmmm, I would go so far as to classify myself as mildly socialist, what should I say?
 
Write all that in the 'please explain' section.
However, I think that being a communist (or a socialist) will get a chuckle out of most adcomms (exception) as they probably knew one when they were in college (you know, the pseudo-intellectual with dreadlocks and whose favorite book is the communist manifesto, but has never read it).

I wonder if there is an ulterior motive to their asking, like an honesty check.
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No. For something to be an honesty check, it has to be true for the majority (or at least a small minority) of people (eg, "have you ever drank alcohol underage?")
 
what school is this???

weird question...
I say answer it honestly and if they dont like it then its probably not the right fit for you anyway.

But if the issue doesn't come up anywhere else on your app, and you think you can get away with it then just click no and move on... 🙄
 
Decicco said:
Write all that in the 'please explain' section.
However, I think that being a communist (or a socialist) is something to be ashamed of, and if I were an adcomm, I would not look on it favorably. However, I am not in an adcomm, so you may have nothing to worry about.
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seriously?

i'm neither, but people are entitled to their beliefs.
 
I fully intend to make my views known on my application. That's one of the few things that makes me "diverse".

By the way, Anarchism > Marxism.

Marx is trash (outside of the ideas on dialectical materialism usually attributed to him).
 
In the words of grandfather that served honorably in World War II...commy bast$#@! No just kidding, but seriously...communism is trash. If you want to be communist in America, then you should probably think about moving.
 
Concubine said:
In the words of grandfather that served honorably in World War II...commy bast$#@! No just kidding, but seriously...communism is trash. If you want to be communist in America, then you should probably think about moving.
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When you speak of Communism, of what are you referring to?
 
Revenant said:
When you speak of Communism, of what are you referring to?
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In other words, if you put that your communist on your application its an automatic reject.
 
Concubine said:
In other words, if you put that your communist on your application its an automatic reject.
Click to expand...

I'm asking what your definition of communism is.

And I disagree. My view on anything political is that if one can defend their beliefs they are fine.
 
Concubine said:
In other words, if you put that your communist on your application its an automatic reject.
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I like how you quoted a question and then answered a completely different one.
 
Now you've got me worried. Though it's still a few years before I apply, I'm worried whether my own first choice will ask if I'm a misogynist, or have ever contemplated misogyny in my past. You see, I greatly enjoyed the time I spent reading Nietzsche as a teenager, and I'm sure that the school will have tracked my library borrowing and internet browsing, just as your own has evidently done.

Ah well, there's no use worrying about it now. What's done is done. If it comes down to that, I'll just have to have a good explanation about how it enriched my self-perceptions.

At least they didn't ask you whether you had voted for Bush, and, if so, how many times.😉
 
HumidBeing said:
Now you've got me worried. Though it's still a few years before I apply, I'm worried whether my own first choice will ask if I'm a misogynist, or have ever contemplated misogyny in my past. You see, I greatly enjoyed the time I spent reading Nietzsche as a teenager, and I'm sure that the school will have tracked my library borrowing and internet browsing, just as your own has evidently done.

Ah well, there's no use worrying about it now. What's done is done. If it comes down to that, I'll just have to have a good explanation about how it enriched my self-perceptions.

At least they didn't ask you whether you had voted for Bush, and, if so, how many times.😉
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I have sympathy for those who voted for him. It's a one-party system. Pick your poison, and don't make a fuss. When government is in bed with media the hellchild created is what we call the current American political system.

Not to mention his stated platform in 2000 is way far off what he turned out to be. Granted politicians never do what they state they will...but still....
 
What do you want? The wikipedia definition? Communism is the political ideal of.....blah blah blah. When I refer to communism as trash, I refer to the evolution of what all communist countries ever established have and will ultimately end up as: a dictatorship. Sure in definition it's fine: a wonderful utopia where everyone is equal. When you think of admissions, think middle-age to older American people whos parents, aunts, uncles, etc. served in World War II. If you think you can defend being a communist to them, by all means, do.
 
Concubine said:
What do you want? The wikipedia definition? Communism is the political ideal of.....blah blah blah. When I refer to communism as trash, I refer to the evolution of what all communist countries ever established have and will ultimately end up as: a dictatorship. Sure in definition it's fine: a wonderful utopia where everyone is equal. When you think of admissions, think middle-age to older American people whos parents, aunts, uncles, etc. served in World War II. If you think you can defend being a communist to them, by all means, do.
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I assume your critique is pertaining to state capitalism then? If so I agree, state capitalism is trash.
 
Revenant said:
I assume your critique is pertaining to state capitalism then? If so I agree, state capitalism is trash.
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No, communism in general. I am not distinguishing between different branches of communism, just the overall idea.
 
DON'T DO IT!!! LIE! LIE! LIE! If you admit to having had any communist tendencies in the past, your app will go straight in the shredder! I know that you have a good reason because of your struggle with consumerism (but haven't we all struggled a little with consumerism??) I have a close personal friend with a 4.0/40, who had only the tiniest interest in communism, and she was blacklisted from all med schools. The depression that resulted from losing sight of her life-long dream has started an insane interest in facism. I'm afraid I'm losing her...

Oh, of course there will be people on this thread who will tell you to list it, and that adcomms "will find it FASCINATING." Beware, if they find it fascinating enough, you might find yourself in Guantanamo Bay.
 
Concubine said:
No, communism in general. I am not distinguishing between different branches of communism, just the overall idea.
Click to expand...

And what, in your mind, is the overall idea of communism?
 
Picklesali said:
DON'T DO IT!!! LIE! LIE! LIE! If you admit to having had any communist tendencies in the past, your app will go straight in the shredder! I know that you have a good reason because of your struggle with consumerism (but haven't we all struggled a little with consumerism??) I have a close personal friend with a 4.0/40, who had only the tiniest interest in communism, and she was blacklisted from all med schools. The depression that resulted from losing sight of her life-long dream has started an insane interest in facism. I'm afraid I'm losing her...

Oh, of course there will be people on this thread who will tell you to list it, and that adcomms "will find it FASCINATING." Beware, if they find it fascinating enough, you might find yourself in Guantanamo Bay.
Click to expand...

:laugh:
 
Again, admissions will also NOT be distinguishing between different branches of communism. When they see communism, they think about the general idea of communism, which includes "state capitalism" and the negative history that comes along with it. Think about it, would you really say that you were communist on an application? Why do you think they ask? Do you think they would approve if you were?
 
Picklesali said:
DON'T DO IT!!! LIE! LIE! LIE! If you admit to having had any communist tendencies in the past, your app will go straight in the shredder! I know that you have a good reason because of your struggle with consumerism (but haven't we all struggled a little with consumerism??) I have a close personal friend with a 4.0/40, who had only the tiniest interest in communism, and she was blacklisted from all med schools. The depression that resulted from losing sight of her life-long dream has started an insane interest in facism. I'm afraid I'm losing her...

Oh, of course there will be people on this thread who will tell you to list it, and that adcomms "will find it FASCINATING." Beware, if they find it fascinating enough, you might find yourself in Guantanamo Bay.
Click to expand...
😆😆😆
 
Concubine said:
Again, admissions will also NOT be distinguishing between different branches of communism. When they see communism, they think about the general idea of communism, which includes "state capitalism" and the negative history that comes along with it. Think about it, would you really say that you were communist on an application? Why do you think they ask? Do you think they would approve if you were?
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I notice you dodged my question.

If I were a communist I would defend my views, probably stating something about the misconceptions about communism to begin. I have no idea why they would ask, although if one could defend their beliefs I think it would show a presence of critical thinking skills and lack of prejudice towards different modes of thinking.

Then again, I despise Marx, therefore I wouldn't be defending him. I'd probably write something about how Marxism lends itself to authoritarianism and goes from there, and that if communism were to occur as intended, it would need to happen without the presence of a state.
 
So...at least a few folks in here know that the OP was spoofing the illegal drugs thread made recently...right?
 
FurmanJon said:
So...at least a few folks in here know that the OP was spoofing the illegal drugs thread made recently...right?
Click to expand...

Don't care. To me political science is a hobby. Nerdy I know...but outside of the interweb no one ever discusses it with me. So here I am.
 
Revenant said:
I notice you dodged my question.

If I were a communist I would defend my views, probably stating something about the misconceptions about communism to begin. I have no idea why they would ask, although if one could defend their beliefs I think it would show a presence of critical thinking skills and lack of prejudice towards different modes of thinking.

Then again, I despise Marx, therefore I wouldn't be defending him. I'd probably write something about how Marxism lends itself to authoritarianism and goes from there, and that if communism were to occur as intended, it would need to happen without the presence of a state.
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Nope, didn't dodge, I just have no interest in debating something that goes beyond the scope of this thread.
 
Concubine, think about this. Would an application ask if you were a member of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Green Party, or the......Communist Party? The OP was using Communism to overcome the nausea, boredom, etc. to withdraw from 'consumerism', even though he had prescription meds for that. Um, just replace 'marijuana' for 'communism', and any appropriate illness for 'consumerism'. It puts a different light on the post.

Maybe schools should start asking if the applicant has ever submitted a joke post on SDN in an effort to relieve stress.
 
Concubine said:
Nope, didn't dodge, I just have no interest in debating something that goes beyond the scope of this thread.
Click to expand...

Or for that matter something that will give you a chance to stroke your ego.
 
Concubine said:
Or for that matter something that will give you a chance to stroke your ego.
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I correct false statements. You opened the door by making a considerable amount within a single post.
 
...wow. I guess I should just admit defeat.
 
Concubine said:
...wow. I guess I should just admit defeat.
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Not really, you probably should have just answered "yes" to the question on state capitalism, because you were right on the money up until that point.
 
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=hf8L9v18LPc[/youtube]
 
And since Homer got into med school, I think we are all safe. Of course, he only got into Caribbean Schools. If he HAD been a porn star I think he could have managed top 20 easy.
 
Revenant said:
I'm asking what your definition of communism is.

And I disagree. My view on anything political is that if one can defend their beliefs they are fine.
Click to expand...

I agree. Thats why communism is trash.

OP, if you want to be a communist and practice medicine, move to Cuba. I'll give you a week before the allure of appearing as a pseud-intellectual by calling yourself a Marxist wears off, and you will be crying for you Nike shoes, your Starbucks Coffee, and the Che Guevara poster you bought from Hot Topic (ticker symbol HOTT).

viva la revolucion
 
Decicco said:
I agree. Thats why communism is trash.

OP, if you want to be a communist and practice medicine, move to Cuba. I'll give you a week before the allure of appearing as a pseud-intellectual by calling yourself a Marxist wears off, and you will be crying for you Nike shoes, your Starbucks Coffee, and the Che Guevara poster you bought from Hot Topic (ticker symbol HOTT).

viva la revolucion
Click to expand...


rofl, I love those Che shirts so much

Dumb teenagers idolizing executioners, tyrants, and demagogues all in the name of "fighting the man". It is priceless.
 
Revenant said:
rofl, I love those Che shirts so much

Dumb teenagers idolizing executioners, tyrants, and demagogues all in the name of "fighting the man". It is priceless.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to open a can of worms here, since I'm sure there's a couple of people on SDN who are misguided and/or stupid enough to believe he's a good president, but many would argue Bush is one of those tyrants. So really, it doesn't matter what party the politician belongs to; the absence of communism doesn't mean the leader isn't a tyrant.

Or in this case, an idiot who can't read a children's book.
 
emttim said:
I don't mean to open a can of worms here, since I'm sure there's a couple of people on SDN who are misguided and/or stupid enough to believe he's a good president, but many would argue Bush is one of those tyrants. So really, it doesn't matter what party the politician belongs to; the absence of communism doesn't mean the leader isn't a tyrant.

Or in this case, an idiot who can't read a children's book.
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Straw man. I never stated that dictatorship exists solely in a state capitalist structure.

My post was merely laughing at "communists" who wear the Che shirts, not realizing that the man was a tyrant, demagogue, and executioner. He fits the mold of most "Marxist" revolutionaries.

As for George Bush being a good president, his approval rating has sunk to about 30%. It's probably much worse with the younger people on these boards. The GOP is dumping him. His nation-building policies have failed in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He has failed to catch Osama bin Laden. Terrorism is on the rise worldwide. Assessments by intelligence agencies believe the U.S. is less safe than when the War on Terror began. He failed to reform social security, and no-child-left-behind is abysmal. The national debt has skyrocketed, as has the size of government (bureaucracy). He is a failure of massive proportions. However in this context I don't think one could compare him to Che. First of all rebellious teenagers aren't wearing W shirts. Second of all Bush hasn't murdered dissidents within his own nation, especially not personally as Che had.

He may have increased the power of the presidency....but calling him a "tyrant" is a bit melodramatic, especially considering the nature of his predecessors.
 
Bush is an awful president. However, I would not put a Communist (or a socialist, fascist, or other statist) in his place.
 
Is this a secondary from HUAC...from 1950? Haha, I hope people get that....
 
Picklesali said:
DON'T DO IT!!! LIE! LIE! LIE! If you admit to having had any communist tendencies in the past, your app will go straight in the shredder! I know that you have a good reason because of your struggle with consumerism (but haven't we all struggled a little with consumerism??) I have a close personal friend with a 4.0/40, who had only the tiniest interest in communism, and she was blacklisted from all med schools. The depression that resulted from losing sight of her life-long dream has started an insane interest in facism. I'm afraid I'm losing her...

Oh, of course there will be people on this thread who will tell you to list it, and that adcomms "will find it FASCINATING." Beware, if they find it fascinating enough, you might find yourself in Guantanamo Bay.
Click to expand...

Don't be absurd. Most undergraduates have experimented with communism (or at least mild socialism) at some point. ADCOMS KNOW THAT. If you say that you are not now, and never have been a member of the Communist Party of America, then they'll know you're lying. I know tons of people who listed living in a commune as one of their EC's who got accepted to their top choice.
 
I plan on writing about the need for the Fifth International.

L5I_RED.PNG


*** BTW I'm just kidding l0lz... I actually support the idea of juche.
 
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