The strength of this inner circle, the real backbone of communist striking power, lies not in numbers but in organized deception. Following Lenin’s teachings, the Party is a small, compact, and highly mobile group that can strike quickly with great fury, often achieving objectives unwarranted by its numbers. Today’s membership is hard, well trained, and disciplined. The weak, fainthearted, and skeptical have been purged. Those who remain faithful to the Party are dedicated to the communist revolution. They are willing to sacrifice everything for it. Here is an actual case: A Party member was given a special assignment. The first step was to drop everything and go into hiding. That was all he was told. He obeyed. He took another name, moved away. Time passed. The children began to ask, “Where is Daddy?” The mother’s answer: “He is dead. You don’t have a daddy!” This is the fanaticism of the trained member. To be obedient, however, is not enough. This select group of Party members must be made superobedient, meaning subservient beyond the hope of return. They must be constantly whipped into a state of frenzied enthusiasm and never allowed to relax. The moment a member “lets up” he is endangered; a noncommunist thought might slip in. He must be made to think exclusively in Party terms and nothing else. Some Party members are old-timers; others are new recruits. All of them grew up in capitalist society. Many still show the effects of their “enemy upbringing,” especially the younger ones. That is why they slacken once in a while. They think for themselves; they put self before Party. These instincts must be pounded out and communist thoughts instilled. Communists are not born; they are made. For example: A Party leader in the Deep South was angry. He was talking to a member who had “slipped” a little. This individual was not giving his best effort to the Party, although he had been in the Party for twelve years and had fought in Spain with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. “Work harder for the Party,” was the leader’s theme. “You’ve got to give more time to the Party than you’re doing now.” “And starve,” answered the other man. “I’ve got to keep my job. I can’t make a living just doing Party work.” “Let your wife work,” retorted the official. “That’ll hold you for a while, or borrow money if need be.” “But she can’t make enough. Besides, she wants to keep house.” “She’s a drawback,” flashed the leader, “a definite hindrance. What are you going to do, stand up for the Party or your wife?” The question was direct. The individual answered, “What do you want me to do? Divorce my wife?” “If your marriage is such that you can’t work for the Party,” came the reply, “I’d seriously consider divorce. Your wife is selfish, simply self-centered. She wants all your time. She doesn’t understand the movement. She’s interested in her own happiness and security.”