The Ludlow Massacre: A Classic Case of Class Warfare

[Peter Lemkin]

Thanks, Peter. I figured you would be one of those who would have known about this. Isn't it interesting that so many historic events in history, US and elsewhere, have been denied to the American people? No wonder that history is so badly understood because only ad hoc and coincidental explanations are provided, along with dates to be memorized, without much in the way of developing the significant causal mechanisms, for young students in most of American classrooms.

By the way, I first learned of this, and of the 1933-34 plot against FDR, from my father years ago. My school textbooks never mentioned either of these events. Howard Zinn's book is marvelous; everyone should read it.

Adele

Interesting Adele. It too was from my parents [I mentioned my mother was also named Adele] that I learned my real history. They were also political activists and regularly had democratic socialists and even some communists and political radicals and international rights people over to our house in Hempstead, Long Island, NY, outside of NYC. My uncle, who coined the word genocide and wrote the Genocide Convention at the UN was often over, as were UN delegates from many smaller nations. Our house was alive with international politics and people of all political views - from my Stalinist uncle [not the Genocide one] to right-winger neighbors. My mother went to the USSR with a women's peace delegation when Nixon was President - which got the FBI to question the neighborhood drunken lady next door as to why. My father was a Marshal on MLK's March on Washington and I went along. In their later years they both retired into activism - Iran-Contra, Haiti [where they volunteered at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital], Brazil for two years, and many other US 'battles' [of course they had FBI files when they died, I was able to obtain]. Growing up in that environment, there was no way not to learn both the true history of America and the World, as well as to 'grow up strange' - compared to many. Even the name Joe Hill was not a strange one in our home. Mother Jones. Sacco and Venzetti. The Shirtwaist Fire. You name it! They loved Zinn, as do you and I.

All of my grandparents had come to America in the late 1880-1890s to Ellis Island from Europe and Russia, Austrio-Hungary as refugees and we were very aware that the land had once held 20.000.000 Native Peoples who were mostly slaughtered for their land and the riches upon them - and that all the Europeans and others were not Native, but invaders, slaves of invaders or refugees of one kind or another.

Yes, Our True History has been whitewashed and snake oil history sold in its place. This is why I gravitated to the JFK case long ago. I felt even the 'thickest' of politically uninformed would easily see that the few who held the 'special election' on 11/22/63 were not acting in a democratic fashion - but as hidden tyrants; and that they tyranny ran deep before and after, but that the JFK case could be used to pry open the all-too-often closed minds of Americans who had been propagandized, brainwashed or just so comsumerized they couldn't think past the products, the lawn and the TV. Perhaps I was naive to think that the JFK case could unlock the genie of Truth for Americans. Perhaps not. We shall see. 911 could perhaps offer a more recent and further example to use as a 'lever'. I am a cynic, but I don't loose all hope and I don't stop trying! Personally, I have suffered for the 'work' on this. We all here know how it touched your life, Adele. It touched us all in some way. My family was glued to the TV that weekend when our 'World' changed by the 'secret election' and the deep political machinations of a few. We cried and grieved at JFKs death and when we watched Oswald murdered I remember the chill that filled our glances at one another - for we all sensed at that moment that the Truth was being buried deep - and that something was 'rotten in Denmark'.

Zinn is one of the best ways I know into the hidden and People's History of the USA. He has several books and there is a Voices of the People's History that is very good and there are movies and ebooks of it all available on the internet or in bookstores. He is, of course, not the only one who speaks well about the true hidden history, but is perhaps the best first stop for those who want an overview. I was saddened when he died not long ago. He was many times interviewed on Democracy Now and other documentaries.

I've blathered on long enough here. I'd just end with the mention that in my family and in my own mind class-warfare has been a constant theme. the Uber-rich have long thought they were ersatz kings and emperors and acted accordingly. They still do and they need to be knocked down to size and imprisoned for their crimes, IMHO.

Democracy is a nice idea, it is sad we don't have one - but we could - if we fight for one!