The Left's Good Warriors

The American Spectator ^ | 4/4/2008 | Daniel J. Flynn

[KeyLargo]

The Left's Good Warriors

Who says San Francisco doesn't honor veterans?

Last weekend, the city, which voted in 2005 to ban military recruiters from public high schools and colleges, unveiled a memorial to fighting men and women in uniform. The uniforms they donned, however, were not those familiar to American soldiers, sailors, airmen, or Marines.

The city honored American Communists and their fellow travelers who fought in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. The $400,000 monument, donated from private funds but hosted on public land, extends 40-feet long and eight feet high.

Media accounts of the tribute uniformly noted that members of what has become known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade fought against Francisco Franco. But those reports were conspicuously silent about the man they fought for: Joseph Stalin. Similarly absent was the word "Communist," a party with which roughly eighty percent of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade were officially affiliated.

The few surviving veterans are quick to point out that they fought fascists, but "fascist" in the Communist lexicon of the 1930s was applied to everyone from Franklin Roosevelt to Leon Trotsky to Francisco Franco. Stalin saw enemies everywhere, so many American members of the International Brigades in Spain partook in, and others fell victim to, purges of suspected deviationists among the "republican" armies.

ONE ORGANIZER called San Francisco's monument "an antidote to amnesia," but a more apt description would be "a product of amnesia." Communists who shamed themselves by serving Stalin have time on their side. Short memories, particularly on a subject as seemingly distant as Communism, enable the servants of an evil cause to reinvent themselves as history's heroes rather than its villains.

[Argus]

Stalin lied, people died.

[buwaya]

I’ve seen this thing, I came across it purely by accident while taking an out of the way shortcut.

The interesting bit is that they stuck it behind the Vaillancourt fountain (huge modern art, looks like a cubic spaghetti explosion), right by the maintenance stairs to the fountain. I.e., if you don’t know its there in the first place, its very unlikely that you will find it.

Its almost as if the City doesn’t want people to see it, certainly not tourists.

[YOUGOTIT]

Typical of the anti-American left-wing pig faced Nazi and Communist who control San Francisco or is it called Joe or Adolph Francisco. Those that are still Americans should emigrate from this shameful Communist and Nazi Al-Qaeda location.

[alloysteel]

Back in the 1950’s, anyone who had been a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, in the Spanish “civil” war, was excluded from being allowed to serve in the US Armed Forces.

I know, because that was one of the questions asked on the enlistment forms then. Later on, I think during either the Kennedy-Johnson era, or possibly the early Nixon era, these “loyalty oaths” were deleted.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Wow.

Stalin's Communist Brigade, hailed as heroes by San Francisco .... On public land, placed and maintained by public money.

But these are the people who fight our recruiters.

Maybe they really know WY they are hiding Stalin's monument, concealing his links to their “heroes” because they really are shamed.

But they are so brainwashed that they really can't tell why they are ashamed.

[freema]

Ping

[Para-Ord.45]

If nobody can see it well then maybe some juveniles some

night might find it and just happen to have 5 pound hammers

in their jackets and decide to wreak havoc ;-)

[rockrr]

It’s funny...Our lefty lunatics are proud of their statue of Lenin (in Seattle)...

[Lancey Howard]

Communists who shamed themselves by serving Stalin have time on their side. Short memories, particularly on a subject as seemingly distant as Communism, enable the servants of an evil cause to reinvent themselves as history's heroes rather than its villains.

Strange. The author makes communism seem so.... retro. In fact, communism thrives today more than ever and is strongly represented by one of the two major political parties in the United States. Changing the word "communism" to "socialism" doesn't make it less insidious any more than changing "liberal" to "progressive" makes liberalism less insidious.

[norton]

"...communism thrives today more than ever and is strongly represented by one of the two major political parties in the United States"

I think that was the author's point - while it is fading elsewhere, it is being rejuvenated in the USA.
While those who have actually lived under 'socialism' don't want it ... those who only understand it via their biased professors and left over 'sixties hippies dream of obtaining it.

Oh, and it was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion - I highly recommend "Comrades and Commissars" as alternative reading.

[VR-21]

I agree with you. It was pure folly to think the collapse of the Soviet Union was also the collapse of communism. The statist, collectivist mindset mutates like a virus and reappears in other forms, called by other names.

[VR-21]

Interestingly, it was the Spanish Civil War in which George Orwell seemed to become disenchanted with the communists. His book “Homage to Catalonia” illustrates that.

[Lancey Howard]

it was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion - I highly recommend "Comrades and Commissars" as alternative reading.

Thanks for your reply and the recommendation.

FRegards,
LH

[DaveTesla]

Here it is:


http://picasaweb.google.com/jmsfrnndz/JamesDFernNdezSanFranciscoALBAMonument

Here is one in in Seattle. It reads: "11 students from the
University of Washington joined that historic` struggle"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_Brigade


Here is my own personal monument to the crime against Humanity of Communism:



120 Million Dead.

Murdered by their fantasy (not from war):
COMMUNISUM