The Task of Other Useful Innocents

Other useful innocents developed distinctive tactics.

These others were likewise not supposed to praise communism openly. Their essential task was to fan the leftist sympathies of all those who were not yet communists, consequently leading them to collaborate, even if only in part, with the Communist party of their country. In Latin America, for example, among a group of ranchers who only weakly opposed land reform, this type of useful innocent would merely bemoan the low productivity of some latifundium, leading those who agree with him to actively oppose its existence. In other words, he engages them in pro‑land reform activities that at least partially implement the plan of total land reform envisioned by communism.

Thus, the communists and useful innocents would begin form­ing a united front for a moderate land reform.

            But this was only the first stage.

In this "moderate" group, the same useful innocent would stimulate some to favor a confiscatory division of medium‑size properties, not just those of the latifundia. This was an implicit invitation‑once the desired result was achieved‑for all the leftists to advance with him in a united front to the next stage: the confiscatory reform of all rural land holdings, whether large or small.