Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'

Subject: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 11:20 AM

Perhaps some with an interest in the historic relations between the Old Left/New Left's influence on the American folk movement, might like to read this review of Ronald Radhosh's conservative's revisionist history titled: "Commies: A Journey Through the Old Left, the New Left and the Leftover Left" available here:

http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/sept01silber.htm

I know the review is a year old, but it is somewhat germane to the conversations we've been having in the anti-war threads. The War Times newspaper I linked to in the "Join the Anti-War Movement" thread has a front page article by Irwin too, for those of you who are still interested in what the folk legend is up to these days--fighting the good fight, like always!

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 11:29 AM

Oops--sorry! I meant to include above the link to a website titled: FOLKSONGS OF AMERICANS IN THE VIETNAM WAR BIBLIOGRAPHY found here:

http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/fishlm/folksongs/vietsongs.htm

People may want to start doing a bit of anti-war music research and dusting a few of the old songs off. Of course, it was Irwin and Barbara Dane who edited "The Vietnam Songbook", which is one of the best known songbooks of the era by musician activists. I don't know if it is still available or not. The Unofficial Barbara Dane website has a contact for Irwin for ordering it directly from them, but as the site hasn't been updated sinc 1999, I don't know how current it is:

http://www.zipcon.net/~highroad/dane.htm

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: GUEST,Lori
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 11:52 AM

Prof. Ron wasn't the only one who subscribed to the maxim "the reason so many of us went to demonstrations was that it was a good way to get laid." He was a pretty good f@#* back then, and from what Irwin tells us, he's an even bigger f@#* these days!

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 12:16 PM

Thanks for the link, GUEST--it is good to see the lies and mistatements of pseudo-historians of the Radosh/Horowitz ilk exposed--Their conversion to the right was as opportunistic as their original conversion to the left--

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 01:07 PM

And particularly as the post-9/11 climate here in Mudcat (not to mention recent anti-war threads) have shown, a lot of rank and file "Old Lefties" followed suit as well.

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 01:25 PM

This makes me remember Phil Ochs definition of a Liberal,"Ten degrees left of center in good times, ten degrees right of center in bad times"--A good number of folkies have written "Patriotic" songs that connect with the 9/11 events, some with the sole effect of proving him right--

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: Gareth
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 04:18 PM

Vicar of Bray

Gareth

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 06:15 PM

Still, the book's title has a nice turn of phrase - though I could imagine there's a lot more of the left left over than would warrant the 'leftover left' tag!

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 07:27 PM

Gareth---Apparently, this sort of thing has been going on for a while, then--

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 08:32 PM

Hey, Lori, young men will go to anything, including an antiwar demonstration, if they think it's a good place to "get laid". This is less a reflection on the antiwar movement than it is on the weaknesses and proclivities of young males.

After all, it's the same reason they go to discos, raves, and bars, isn't it? Some might say that the lack of it is one of the things that helps drive them to war and other antisocial acts. Therefore, I propose that to reduce war and violence around the globe we ease up the restrictions on sex by providing these poor lads with well regulated, safe sex bordellos at a rate they can easily afford. :-)

- LH

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 06:32 AM

I believe Guest Lori was being both specific and literal in the first part of her sentence. Take it from the many of us who know. RR was a great lay, but you couldn't take anything he said too seriously. I suspect the same is true today.

Subject: RE: Irwin Silber's review of book 'Commies'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 10:41 AM

Well, yes, but the passage of time may have reduced his potency to some extent...

- LH