Miami's Book "Ban"

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | July 17, 2006 | Humberto Fontova

[E-Mat]

A children's school book titled Let's Go to Cuba depicts Castro's fiefdom as a combination Emerald City and Willi Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Some American parents of Cuban heritage noticed it and filed a complaint with the Miami-Dade school board, who voted to remove the book from the public school library. The ACLU claims to be scandalized and filed suit to retain the book.

[...]

"The Soviet Union has already created liberties far greater than exist elsewhere in the world." rhapsodized the ACLU's founder, Roger Baldwin about the Soviet Union. "Today I saw fresh, vigorous expressions of free living by workers and peasants all over the land."

But that was early in the game, you say. Nobody knew how Bolshevism would play out. It was an honest mistake. Come on, cut the guy some slack.

Actually Baldwin wrote this in 1934. He greatly admired Stalin's Russia. And not because of blinders or a Potemkin tour. He seemed to recognize the repression--and excuse it. "No champion of a socialist society could fail to see that some suppression was necessary to achieve it. It could not all be done by persuasion. When that power of the working class is once achieved, as it has been only in the Soviet Union, I am for maintaining it by any means whatever. Dictatorship is the obvious means in a world of enemies at home and abroad."

Small wonder the book Let's Go To Cuba has such sentimental value for the ACLU. It gushes about Stalinist Cuba exactly like Roger Baldwin gushed about Stalinist Russia. The ACLU seems to recognize who picked up the torch from their founder's hero.

[...]

[E-Mat]

I used to think depicting the ACLU as communists was humorous hyperbole.

The rest of the article was good, too.

[E-Mat]

ping

[Publius6961]

I used to think depicting the ACLU as communists was humorous hyperbole.

Continuing education is not just a cute catchy phrase...
Unfortunately, we forget that each new generation constantly produce highly educated, but woefully ignorant adults in certain critical areas. Politics, geography, history, science. And each new batch, constantly appearing has no clue about facts old timers have known for decades.

This is one of them:

Roger Baldwin, the co-founder of the ACLU said: “I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately, for abolishing the state itself. … I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the properties class, and sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal. I don’t regret being part of the communist tactic. I knew what I was doing. I was not an innocent liberal. I wanted what the communists wanted and I traveled the United Front road to get it.”
In spite of Baldwin’s Communist leanings, President Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 16, 1981.

Baldwin didn’t create the ACLU in a vacuum, he had plenty of help. A group of Communist Party officials, fellow travelers, anarchists and radicals joined Baldwin to found the ACLU in 1920.

[squarebarb]

So did I. Ditto the NYT.

But they are ---Communist front organizations.

Sounds so old-fashioned, but what the heck.

[Huntress]

Before I can take the Castrophiles even remotely seriously, they need to answer this question: If Castro Cuba is such a paradise, why are its own citizens risking their lives to escape it? Conversely, why aren't droves of Americans building makeshift rafts and boats to get there?

[A_perfect_lady]

In fact, why is Cuba a place you must escape from? Why can't you just leave freely?

[NaughtiusMaximus]

If Hillary gets elected in '08, this slim volume will be mandatory reading for every schoolchild in the country.

The adult mandatory reading list will be somewhat more weighty and baleful.

[Puppage]

I used to think depicting the ACLU as communists was humorous hyperbole

It was founded by a self admited communist.

[Valin]

The ACLU claims to be scandalized

When are they not?

[weegee]

Just as there is a shared bloodline between the antiwar movement in the 1930s, 1960s, and 2000 and the same Communist groups.

Woodie Guthrie was a part of the anti-war Communists who were okay with Hitler until he double crossed Stalin.

He didn't put his famous "This Machine Kills Fascists" slogan on his guitar until 12-7-1941.

Some "anti-fascist".

Communism has never been good for America. Our govenrment used to know this. This House Committee On Un-American Activities got started in the 1930s, not in 1946. Groups continue to openly preach sedition.

Sedition laws come and go but the threat such groups pose remains.

[VOA]

For any younguns lurking that want an alternative viewpoint to what they've
heard about Uncle Fidel in public school...here's a link.
(just click on the pretty pictures for a biography):
http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/Leftwingmonsters.asp

[VOA]

here's the profile on Roger Baldwin at discoverthenetwork.org
(run by Front Page Magazine, if I understand correctly):
http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1579

[Snickersnee]

He didn't put his famous "This Machine Kills Fascists" slogan on his guitar until 12-7-1941.

You sure that wasn't 6-22-41? I don't know myself, but if he was like all the rest of those Popular Front pukes, WW2 started for them with the initiation of "Operation Barbarossa."

[loboinok]

Good post!