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| Fifth Column |
| Not an April FoolÂ’s joke: Stalinists are speaking at NYU |
| 2011-04-01 |
| On April Fool’s Day, Stalinist supporters will be speaking at NYU. Seriously, I’m not joking. The six-hour conference “Academic Freedom in the 1960s” is set to take place at 1 Washington Mews from 12 to 6 p.m. The theme of the event will focus on education, yet a quick background check on the venue’s stars is quite revealing. For starters, Ellen Schrecker, a Yeshiva University Professor and author of “The Lost Souls of Higher Education,” will deliver the keynote address. Ms. Schrecker has written that guilty Soviet spies in the 1950s should have been excused for their crimes because they “did not subscribe to traditional forms of patriotism.” In addition, Paul Robeson biographer Martin Duberman will be speaking on a panel. Through his retelling of Robeson’s life, Duberman has a strange fascination with the actor’s support of the “Beloved Comrade,” a.k.a. Joseph Stalin. But perhaps the most radical of the participatory “academics” is Rutgers University-Newark Professor and author H. Bruce Franklin, who will be serving on the Vietnam War panel. Franklin has called Stalin “one of the greatest heroes of modern history.” In addition, Franklin wrote in an introductory essay for the book “The Essential Stalin,” “I used to think of Joseph Stalin as a tyrant and a butcher … but, to about a billion people today, Stalin is the opposite of what we in the capitalist world have been programmed to believe.” And NYU is giving this guy a podium? Wow. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #23 "Hebiru", JosephM. "The dusty ones", the Egyptian term for the various nomadic tribes, of which Abrahams lot were only one. That's the theory as I understand it, anyway. The last I read, which isn't all that up to date, there are contemporaneous Egyptian references to the "House of David" during the reign of one of the unimportant kings of Judah. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-04-01 22:50 |
| #22 Some University Scolars had argued that an alternate name{s] for the HYSKOS whom invaded + occupied ancient Egypt was "HEBRAU/HEBU", i.e. "HEBREWS" in the modern spelling - does that count??? The theory is that these abovesame later devol from Conquerors of Egypt to becom Partners + Allies of Egypt once the locals were able to successfully regain power in their own land , in sociopolitical alliance including intermarriage + power-sharing, etc. which ultimately broke down oer time due to the Hebrau's adoption of religious monotheism vee the Egyptian-perceived heretic PHAROAH AKHENATEN, + also great regional natural disasters??? [CHARLESTON HESTON + "TEN COMMANDMENTS" here]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-04-01 20:28 |
| #21 heh. I don't think you get it. Your 2 seconds just passed. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-04-01 20:14 |
| #20 A people aren't "tarred." And I said "elements" which refers to a part not a whole. Soros very well might be tarred though. Throw in Bernanke. Its whatever. Christianity has the likes of Westboro. So you have some jackasses amongst you. Its not worth getting all bent out of shape and trying to come at me over. Im a high performance woman, I can go from zero to bitch in about 2 seconds. Please don't tempt me. |
| Posted by: Fi 2011-04-01 20:07 |
| #19 Point of information: the correct terminology is the Jewish community, not Judaic, Hebraic, or Israelite. Elements of the Jewish community gravitate toward capitalism and democracy, too -- the same idealism expressed in a different way. This has been complained about extensively, and at several points in history Jews have been hung for it... or immortalized in Shakespearean plays. *shrug* That's what happens to minorities which refuse to disappear. Or maybe its a systematic perverse mindset Way to tar an entire people for the sins of a few, my dear. I've been polite to you, thinking you were just expressing childhood hurts out of ignorance, because I'm idealistic. But really, you stride gleefully beyond the pale. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-04-01 19:22 |
| #18 Rutgers Class of 85 here - it is absolutely coming out of student fees. I'm so proud /sarc |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2011-04-01 17:38 |
| #17 Professor H. Bruce Franklin of Rutgers has called Stalin “one of the greatest heroes of modern history Rutgers University also paid Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of the reality TV show "Jersey Shore" $32,000 for showing up. Rutger's standards for an educational experience for students aren't too high. Hope this doesn't come out of the student activity fee. Students got hosed. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-04-01 17:18 |
| #16 Grom, I did read you correct. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2011-04-01 17:07 |
| #15 Funny = ironic. Funny as in fun it ain't. What's the culprit? Pride (as in arrogance). Having an IQ one or two standard deviation above he rest does not buy one a smidget of wisdom. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2011-04-01 17:05 |
| #14 I didn't mean mad = angry. But mad = insane. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-04-01 16:49 |
| #13 Grom, with the stipulation that some brothers are more brothers than others. I mean in other sense than in regards to law. It is funny that it usaully comes to bite them. In 1953, after the show trials in Czechoslovakia, the newspaper listed the names and sentences. It went like this: Name, Jew, Death by hanging Name, Jew, Death by hanging ... Just like during nazi occupation not even a decade decade ago. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2011-04-01 16:42 |
| #12 Why DO certain elements in the Judaic community gravitate towards Communism and Ponzi schemes? Because 3000 years of victimization has driven them mad enough to believe that a just society---where "all men are brothers" is possible. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-04-01 16:10 |
| #11 Can't wait for the academic forum on the benefits and glory of Southern Plantation Slavery. /sarc off |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-04-01 15:46 |
| #10 why that rabbi wasn't interested in converting you, but you never did. At heart, Im Christian. Got right with God, family left Judaism before I was born. Had my doubts awhile ago, though of exploring returning to Judaism, but ultimately wasn't compelled enough. Wanted to feel good about the Judaic end of things, but it just hasn't materialized. Why DO certain elements in the Judaic community gravitate towards Communism and Ponzi schemes? Those two aforementioned things seem to be pinnacles of "anti" intellectualism. Something in the Judaic religion has been hijacked and tainted. Not sure what. Or maybe its a systematic perverse mindset wherein ponzi schemes and communism is what the Jews may view as giving praise to their own birthright of "intellectual superiority" and those are mere vehicles to suppress nonbeliever. Either way, no bueno. |
| Posted by: Fi 2011-04-01 14:59 |
| #9 There are a lot of Stalinists/Trotskyites with tenure in US higher education, why was this news? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-04-01 14:27 |
| #8 The only thing surprising here is that these history illiterate semi-morons know who Stalin was. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-04-01 14:13 |
| #7 Face it, folks, Stalin is a fascinating historical figure and without his help most of Europe would most likely be speaking German today. Er...that is NOT to say that I endorse his politics. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2011-04-01 13:56 |
| #6 Where's the hammer? I can't get the Surprise Meter to budge. We got a bunch of Stalinists and Maoists in OB's administration. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-04-01 13:31 |
| #5 Jews tend to take leading roles in most philosophical movements, Fi. We're a philosophical people, so we're trained in the skillz. I've been waiting for you to follow up about why that rabbi wasn't interested in converting you, but you never did. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-04-01 13:17 |
| #4 Leon Trotsky was born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein on 7 November 1879, a small village 15 miles (24 km) from the nearest post office. He was the fifth child of a well-to-do farmer, David Leontyevich Bronshtein (1847–1922) and Anna Bronshtein (1850–1910). The family was Jewish but reportedly not religious.... - Wikipedia as of April 1 2011. Jews (particularly Russian Jews) and Communism, now theres a fun group! Hey kids er Komrade, lets plays us some dreidel. Anyone with a Judaic studies grounding care to take a crack at why the J and the big C seem to J Date with high frequency? |
| Posted by: Fi 2011-04-01 12:04 |
| #3 Stalinist supporters will be speaking at NYU Barack Obama is speaking at NYU? |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2011-04-01 12:03 |
| #2 Traditionally, in the Lower East Side, Stalinists were seen as moderate to liberal. Trotskyites as moderate to conservative. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-04-01 11:42 |
| #1 Heh. You seem surprised, hon. Wanna buy a bridge? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2011-04-01 09:53 |