Determining which club a member should join is simple: where can he do the most good for the Party? If he is employed in the aluminum industry, for instance, he would probably be instructed to join an aluminum club (made up of members employed in the aluminum industry). If he is a union officer, he might join a shop or industrial club. Or, again, if his membership should be carefully concealed, he would be a member-at-large. The organizational structure is always in a state of flux, members being frequently shifted from club to club, while headquarters organizes and reorganizes sections and clubs, tearing down one, establishing another, always hoping to gain greater efficiency. Each club is required to have a chairman, a financial secretary, and an educational director. A well-run club has many more officers: literature director, press chairman, dues secretary, membership chairman, and so on. The same is true of county, city, and section groups; the communists have plenty of officers. Moreover, a definite chain of command is always in effect. Everybody knows his relative position: who are his Party “inferior” and Party “boss.” Instructions are quickly carried out, and in the event of an emergency a commanding officer is always available. Communist clubs are often named after famous American historical figures such as Tom Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman. Other clubs bear the names of communist “heroes” such as John Reed. The Principle of “Democratic Centralism” This is a complicated structure, you might say. How does it work? The point is: _it does work_, efficiently, effectively, and all too often to the detriment of this nation. The whole Party organization, regardless of its structural shape, is based on strict discipline, a rigid hierarchy, and a unified structure. The cement that holds it together is a principle called _democratic centralism_. That sounds like a contradiction in terms; it is. But communists like fancy words to fool their opponents and, perhaps, to satisfy themselves. Democratic centralism is the basic principle of communist organizational structure—a term meaning, in actual practice, simple, naked, and unadulterated dictatorship. According to communists, Party members have a right to participate in formulating policy and electing officers. That is, to them, democracy in action. An issue has arisen. The city is planning to close a play-ground. What stand will the Party take? All members are encouraged to express opinions. There may be different points of view. Then a decision is made—the communists say by an “election,” but actually it is by the leader clique. The city’s action will be opposed. From that moment, “centralism” takes over and “democratic” falls away. All members, regardless of their previous opinions, are required to support the Party’s stand. No minority can exist.