Communist for Congress in Vermont – Interview with Christopher Helali

Chris and his family

In this segment, Caleb interviews Christopher Helali, a Communist candidate to the US Congress (PCUSA), based in Vermont. Helali's background is most interesting: he's a small farmer, and a descendant of Greek communist partisans who fought the Nazis and later the reactionaries supported by the British and the Americans after the war. Despite his open leftwing views, he enjoys a fraternal relationship with working class men and fellow farmers, mny of whom support Trump, and is able to educate them about the issues confronting them all—in itself a major breakthrough considering the cultural circumstances. Don't miss this highly instructive and inspiring chat. In the recent 2020 election, although the Democrat candidate (Peter Welch) won, as expected, by a huge majority with 67% of the vote, Helali managed a respectable 1%, with 3,432 people casting their ballot for him. This despite the fact he lacked the enormous financial and media resources enjoyed by the Democrat incumbent, and that he had to communicate his message while pushing back against the deep-seated anti-communist hostility and appalling ignorance that defines the US electorate. Obviously his honesty, courage, steadfastness, and cogency played a big role in this outcome.

Caleb Maupin is a reliable guide to the multitude of news, lies, distortions, rumors, idiocies, hypocrisies, and ideologies that shape our world.