In Memory of Howard Zinn

[nogodsnomasters85]

Howard Zinn, renowned and beloved university professor, scholar, and activist, has just passed away from a heart attack at the age of 87.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/27/howard-zinn-dead-author-o_n_439350.html
He was a tireless activist defending civil rights, human rights, and fighting against war, imperialism, and class oppression. Also, a prolific scholar and beloved university professor, and author, most famously, of the celebrated "People's History of the United States." I wish we had a lot more like him, we lost a great one, tonight. Rest in peace.

Here's brief bio for anyone who is unfamiliar;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn

If you haven't read "People's History", do yourself a favor. He has also written several other excellent books.

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

Howard Zinn = hero :straightface:

[JoyDiv007]

I've read People's History, great book. He'll be missed.

[bagface]

i read people's history my freshman year in high school...it had a huge impact on me and i owe a lot of who i am to that book. really sad news. i always dreamed of seeing him lecture. that'll never happen now :tears:

[Anaesthesine]

Very sad news indeed.

He was an invaluable thinker, and will be missed.

RIP.

[MunchyBrain]

What a legend. RIP.

[dothewatusi]

RIP. His voice will be missed.

[Morning Star]

Zinn was a very important figure in modern labour (or labor) history. His death comes so soon after a number of influential left-wing figures who have died quite recently - Chris Harman, Nina Fishman, Daniel Bensaid, Jyoti Basu.

[Happy Maudlin]

Nooo! I have such respect for him. His memory will endure. He is one of my heroes and I state that in all sincerity.

[MunchyBrain]

Zinn was a very important figure in modern labour (or labor) history. His death comes so soon after a number of influential left-wing figures who have died quite recently - Chris Harman, Nina Fishman, Daniel Bensaid, Jyoti Basu.

I hope Chomsky is getting his 5 a day!

[nogodsnomasters85]

I hope Chomsky is getting his 5 a day!

No shit. I'll be devastated when that happens. I don't even want to think about it. He's only six years younger than Zinn was.:(

A fantastic lecture; "Three Holy Wars"
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[nogodsnomasters85]

Another excellent lecture; "On Human Nature & Aggression."


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[MunchyBrain]

I just found out that Colin Ward (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/jul/10/guardiansocietysupplement9) and John Rety (http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2010/feb/tributes-pour-after-john-rety-radical-torriano-poet-dies-heart-attack) died recently as well. All the wrong people are dying...

[nogodsnomasters85]

I just found out that Colin Ward (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/jul/10/guardiansocietysupplement9) and John Rety (http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2010/feb/tributes-pour-after-john-rety-radical-torriano-poet-dies-heart-attack) died recently as well. All the wrong people are dying...

Colin Ward is news to me. What bothers me most is not just the idea of losing someone so great like Zinn, or, god forbid, Chomsky, but that I don't see anyone filling the void. I see people who are impressive in certain regards, or crusaders devoted to peticular issues, but there really isn't any equivalent. Somebody needs to be able to pick up the torch.

[JoyDiv007]

Read this in my paper this morning. What an idiot, I never read anything by Zinn in high school or college even.

http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2010/02/howard_zinns_a_peoples_history.html

[nogodsnomasters85]

Read this in my paper this morning. What an idiot, I never read anything by Zinn in high school or college even.

http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2010/02/howard_zinns_a_peoples_history.html

That guy sounds like an asshole, not to mention that he's totally misrepresenting Zinn's book and taking quotes out of context. I read "People's History" near the end of High School, but on my own, not as part of the curriculum. I considered him, Chomsky, William Blum, and others to be the antidote to the bullshit I was being taught. Oh, and if you haven't read James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me", it's also a very good palliative for a public education.

[MunchyBrain]

Colin Ward is news to me. What bothers me most is not just the idea of losing someone so great like Zinn, or, god forbid, Chomsky, but that I don't see anyone filling the void. I see people who are impressive in certain regards, or crusaders devoted to peticular issues, but there really isn't any equivalent. Somebody needs to be able to pick up the torch.

Yeah, Ward is genuinely a massive loss to anarchists in the UK, his book Anarchy In Action was the first anarchist book that lots of my friends read. It was the first one I finished, haha. To be honest, I'd say he's just as important as Chomsky over here.

[nogodsnomasters85]

Yeah, Ward is genuinely a massive loss to anarchists in the UK, his book Anarchy In Action was the first anarchist book that lots of my friends read. It was the first one I finished, haha. To be honest, I'd say he's just as important as Chomsky over here.

I must admit I'm only peripherally aware of the British radical scene.

I'm aware of Colin Ward, I think I've read some pamphlets, "Anarchy in Action" was on my list of books I haven't gotten around to reading yet, which is about a mile long. I'm presently neglecting Kurzweil's "The Singularity is Near", which I don't think you'd like very much.

For me, it started with Emma Goldman's "Anarchism & Other Essays." I was curious what Anarchism was about, and it sort of confirmed, or defined, rather, a lot of ideas and observations that I'd had for a long time. From then I went on to Bakunin, Kropotkin, lesser lights like Rocker, Malatesta, and Bookchin, and, eventually, to Chomsky.

[Anaesthesine]

For me, it started with Emma Goldman's "Anarchism & Other Essays." I was curious what Anarchism was about, and it sort of confirmed, or defined, rather, a lot of ideas and observations that I'd had for a long time.

Wow, you started with Emma Goldman - there's a name you don't hear much anymore.

Every single time I find myself in Union Square (and I find myself there quite often) I think of her.

[Morning Star]

To be honest, I'd say he's just as important as Chomsky over here.

Really? Not to diminish Ward's contribution to anarchism in Britain, but I think a comparison to Chomsky is over-reaching a bit.

[MunchyBrain]

Really? Not to diminish Ward's contribution to anarchism in Britain, but I think a comparison to Chomsky is over-reaching a bit.

I know far, far more people influenced by Ward than Chomsky. Chomsky obviously has more influence outside of anarchist circles, but in terms of seriously influencing people who are active in anarchism now, definitely Ward.

In some ways they're not comparable, as Chomsky is more theoretical and intellectual. I just think that in terms of describing a possible future society, Anarchy In Action is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read and one of the few classic anarchist texts I'd recommend as a starting point to non-anarchos.

[JoyDiv007]

I have read Zinns work, that guy so pissed me off. I hate stupid people.

[nogodsnomasters85]

I know far, far more people influenced by Ward than Chomsky. Chomsky obviously has more influence outside of anarchist circles, but in terms of seriously influencing people who are active in anarchism now, definitely Ward.

No offense, but I sort of thought the comparison was a bit overreaching, myself. Who is a greater influence on activists who identify as Anarchists and who has made a greater contribution to Anarchism, intellectually, or otherwise, are different questions. Again, I suspect this might also have to do with geography, as Chomsky, being American, devotes a lot of his time and energy to American politics.


In some ways they're not comparable, as Chomsky is more theoretical and intellectual. I just think that in terms of describing a possible future society, Anarchy In Action is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read and one of the few classic anarchist texts I'd recommend as a starting point to non-anarchos.

I'm not sure Chomsky would be the best starting point, or at least, only for certain people. If I was talking to someone who was highly educated but wasn't familiar with his work, I'd recommend it, but for a layman it might be too dry and daunting.

Of course you'd also have to draw a line here as to what is or is not explicitly Anarchist. I should think Chomsky's assessment of the Israeli/Palestine conflict is, essentially, the appropriate position that any Anarchist should have. It also happens to be factually correct. You could apply that to almost any issue. It's almost like "Jewish physics." I don't think you can draw a line between his scientific accomplishments and his philosophical work. Science is merely applied logic, and that should be the approach to anything. I might be an Anarchist but I don't really seek to attain some status or exemplify a group or culture. It's simply that Anarchism seems to me to be the most logical, rational approach.

Chomsky tends to avoid making overly specific sketches of a fully realized Anarchist society. He believes it's unrealistic to make overly detailed plans, that it has to be organic and that it's shape and structure must respond to the unique needs and circumstances of any given place or time. This is what I think seperates Anarchism from other philosophies, it's kind of like Taoism; less of a static form and more of a state of being. Dynamic, as opposed to static. That said, he's offered his opinion, although he talked about it more in his younger days, about a society based on free association and murtual aid, stratified layers of democratically elected representatives, democratic control of the means of production, etc. AK press put together a pretty fantastic compilation of writing on the subject, simply titled "Anarchism." It's quite good.

I'll have to read "Anarchy In Action", once I finish "Singularity" and work through a couple other books on my list that I've been meaning to get around to, god willing.

That said... I just figured I'd be wild and crazy and get back to Howard Zinn. So, here's a video on taxes and class warfare:
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[McLovin]

A People's History of the United States is easily one of the most influential books I've ever read.

RIP Mr. Zinn

[nogodsnomasters85]

A recent piece from Chomsky's website;


Howard Zinn
By Noam Chomsky
Forthcoming in the Resist Newsletter, February 2010

It is not easy for me to write a few words about Howard Zinn, the great American activist and historian who passed away a few days ago. He was a very close friend for 45 years. The families were very close too. His wife Roz, who died of cancer not long before, was also a marvelous person and close friend. Also somber is the realization that a whole generation seems to be disappearing, including several other old friends: Edward Said, Eqbal Ahmed, and others, who were not only astute and productive scholars but also dedicated and courageous militants, always on call when needed -- which was constant. A combination that is essential if there is to be hope of decent survival.
Howard's remarkable life and work are summarized best in his own words. His primary concern, he explained, was "the countless small actions of unknown people" that lie at the roots of "those great moments" that enter the historical record -- a record that will be profoundly misleading, and seriously disempowering, if it is torn from these roots as it passes through the filters of doctrine and dogma. His life was always closely intertwined with his writings and innumerable talks and interviews. It was devoted, selflessly, to empowerment of the unknown people who brought about great moments. That was true when he was an industrial worker and labor activist, and from the days, 50 years ago, when he was teaching at Spellman college in Atlanta Georgia, a black college that was open mostly to the small black elite.

While teaching at Spellman, Howard supported the students who were at the cutting edge of the civil rights movement in its early and most dangerous days, many of whom became quite well-known in later years -- Alice Walker, Julian Bond, and others -- and who loved and revered him, as did everyone who knew him well. And as always, he did not just support them, which was rare enough, but also participated directly with them in their most hazardous efforts -- no easy undertaking at that time, before there was any organized popular movement and in the face of government hostility that lasted for some years. Finally, popular support was ignited, in large part by the courageous actions of the young people who were sitting in at lunch counters, riding freedom buses, organizing demonstrations, facing bitter racism and brutality, sometimes death. By the early 1960s a mass popular movement was taking shape, by then with Martin Luther King in a leadership role, and the government had to respond. As a reward for his courage and honesty, Howard was soon expelled from the college where he taught. A few years later he wrote the standard work on SNCC (the Student non-violent Coordinating Committee), the major organization of those "unknown people" whose "countless small actions" played such an important part in creating the groundswell that enabled King to gain significant influence, as I am sure he would have been the first to say, and to bring the country to honor the constitutional amendments of a century earlier that had theoretically granted elementary civil rights to former slaves -- at least to do so partially; no need to stress that there remains a long way to go.

On a personal note, I came to know Howard well when we went together to a civil rights demonstration in Jackson Mississippi in (I think) 1964, even at that late date a scene of violent public antagonism, police brutality, and indifference or even cooperation with state security forces on the part of federal authorities, sometimes in ways that were quite shocking.

After being expelled from the Atlanta college where he taught, Howard came to Boston, and spent the rest of his academic career at Boston University, where he was, I am sure, the most admired and loved faculty member on campus, and the target of bitter antagonism and petty cruelty on the part of the administration -- though in later years, after his retirement, he gained the public honor and respect that was always overwhelming among students, staff, much of the faculty, and the general community. While there, Howard wrote the books that brought him well-deserved fame. His book Logic of Withdrawal, in 1967, was the first to express clearly and powerfully what many were then beginning barely to contemplate: that the US had no right even to call for a negotiated settlement in Vietnam, leaving Washington with power and substantial control in the country it had invaded and by then already largely destroyed. Rather, the US should do what any aggressor should: withdraw, allow the population to somehow reconstruct as they could from the wreckage, and if minimal honesty could be attained, pay massive reparations for the crimes that the invading armies had committed, vast crimes in this case. The book had wide influence among the public, although to this day its message can barely even be comprehended in elite educated circles, an indication of how much necessary work lies ahead.

Significantly, among the general public by the war's end, 70% regarded the war as "fundamentally wrong and immoral," not "a mistake," a remarkable figure considering the fact that scarcely a hint of such a thought was expressible in mainstream opinion. Howard's writings -- and, as always, his prominent presence in protest and direct resistance -- were a major factor in civilizing much of the country.

In those same years, Howard also became one of the most prominent supporters of the resistance movement that was then developing. He was one of the early signers of the Call to Resist Illegitimate Authority and was so close to the activities of Resist that he was practically one of the organizers. He also took part at once in the sanctuary actions that had a remarkable impact in galvanizing antiwar protest. Whatever was needed -- talks, participation in civil disobedience, support for resisters, testimony at trials -- Howard was always there.

Even more influential in the long run than Howard's anti-war writings and actions was his enduring masterpiece, A People's History of the United States, a book that literally changed the consciousness of a generation. Here he developed with care, lucidity, and comprehensive sweep his fundamental message about the crucial role of the people who remain unknown in carrying forward the endless struggle for peace and justice, and about the victims of the systems of power that create their own versions of history and seek to impose it. Later, his "Voices" from the People's History, now an acclaimed theatrical and television production, has brought to many the actual words of those forgotten or ignored people who have played such a valuable role in creating a better world.

Howard's unique success in drawing the actions and voices of unknown people from the depths to which they had largely been consigned has spawned extensive historical research following a similar path, focusing on critical periods of American history, and turning to the record in other countries as well, a very welcome development. It is not entirely novel -- there had been scholarly inquiries of particular topics before -- but nothing to compare with Howard's broad and incisive evocation of "history from below," compensating for critical omissions in how American history had been interpreted and conveyed.

Howard's dedicated activism continued, literally without a break, until the very end, even in his last years, when he was suffering from severe infirmity and personal loss, though one would hardly know it when meeting him or watching him speaking tirelessly to captivated audiences all over the country. Whenever there was a struggle for peace and justice, Howard was there, on the front lines, unflagging in his enthusiasm, and inspiring in his integrity, engagement, eloquence and insight, light touch of humor in the face of adversity, dedication to non-violence, and sheer decency. It is hard even to imagine how many young people's lives were touched, and how deeply, by his achievements, both in his work and his life.

There are places where Howard's life and work should have particular resonance. One, which should be much better known, is Turkey. I know of no other country where leading writers, artists, journalists, academics and other intellectuals have compiled such an impressive record of bravery and integrity in condemning crimes of state, and going beyond to engage in civil disobedience to try to bring oppression and violence to an end, facing and sometimes enduring severe repression, and then returning to the task. It is an honorable record, unique to my knowledge, a record of which the country should be proud. And one that should be a model for others, just as Howard Zinn's life and work are an unforgettable model, sure to leave a permanent stamp on how history is understood and how a decent and honorable life should be lived.