Wisdom of an old Revolutionary

I find the speech/rant of this old man so inspiring that I thought it deserves a spot here on ATS.
I did a search which didn't show any results, so here it is:



The clip is an excerpt from a documentary called:

"A Relentless Vision" (aka "The Suitcase") - Pacific Street films
The Legacy of Emma Goldman, Federico Arcos and the Spanish Revolution

Apparently this was shot at the Waldheim cemetery in Chicago, near the Haymarket monument.

About the old man himself:

"Irving S. Abrams (1891–1980) was a Wobbly, Jewish anarchist, and savior of the Haymarket monument at Waldheim Cemetery from 1960–1971. "In these pages Abrams provides penetrating insights into the perceptions of later generations of the Haymarket confrontation. Those insights developed out of Abrams' experiences in the bitter labor struggles in which he participated in his earlier years. As one who challenged the vicious anti-labor forces which he encountered on so many picket lines, Abrams writes authoritatively about the 'cry for justice' which has ever been the battle cry of organized labor. As we read these memoirs of his participation in the Industrial Workers Of the World strikes in the State of New York and elsewhere, in the giant garment-workers' strike in Chicago, and later in the activities of the Jewish Labor Committee, we recognize that Abrams has earned his credentials as an authentic labor pioneer."

Source - Autobiography

His autobiography is titled: "Haymarket Heritage: The Memoirs Of Irving S Abrams"

In my opinion, the whole Haymarket affair is glossed over, even though it's a part of American revolutionairy spirit every American can be proud of.

Sadly, in today's world we seem to celebrate Valentine's Day more than Labour Day, and the execution of 4 revolutionaries in their struggle against harsh labour laws in Chicage has been wiped from the collective memory.

Here's to Irving Abrahms and his spirit of revolt!

Hello,
I like him! They way his mouth moves when he speaks reminds me of "Rocky's" trainer. And the way he describes anarchy is really quite pleasant to the ear, IMHO.

Awesome speech

Interesting that he is speaking from a cemetary.

This has to be an old film, the cars passing in the background are from the 70's.



[edit on 27-2-2010 by In nothing we trust]

I am all for justice, and the man seems very passionate about that ideal. However, how does one obtain justice? I am unclear on his platform, would he advocate justice from the hands of a lynch mob, or justice being obtained through peaceful maneuvers akin to the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King or Ghandi, perhaps? Some of those labor protests were quite violent and people were killed in the melee that ensued.

A guy I came across while in college during a break between classes had told me in a conversation that he used to be a truck driver and there was a picket line outside this distribution site, and all the trucks had stopped and were idling. It was some form of labor dispute. A trucker decided to cross the picket line and a mob of labor protesters jumped onto the truck and brought the semi to a halt. Then they pulled the driver from the truck and beat the man to within an inch of his life. He may have been an out of state trucker and had no hand in the labor dispute. Is that how mister Abrams would attain justice for the masses? At the end of a barrel or a fist?

The labor movements were corrupted with the same egoists and greedy individuals with whom they fought against for so many years to attain fair and reasonable working standards. One needs to look no further than Jimmy Hoffa and what was done with the Teamsters and his alleged link to the Mob to see what I am getting at. Here is another view on the labor movement by a well known public figure, whose platform and methods were clearly defined.



Personally, I believe that violence only leads to more violence. However, who is to determine when it is necessary and warranted to make a statement? I suppose it is in the eye of the beholder? I am against mob justice or the law of the jungle. In other words, I want true justice unfettered by violence or intimidation. A justice derived from basic respect and understanding for one another. Justice will never be attained through violence and why resort to the weakness of the oppressors? Violence is used to shield weakness. Still, I am unclear on how this old man would attain justice? Here is an interesting tidbit from the past and it involves some of what Mr. Abrams is saying by one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, in the HBO show John Adams.



Thanks for sharing this man's views with us, and his story is as important as any, given his history as a pioneer for labor rights in America. He gives us something to think about, and to me, that is most satisfying thing we can attain in our lives. To exercise that piece of gray matter behind our eyes is quite a wonderful endeavor.


[edit on 27-2-2010 by Jakes51]

reply to post by Jakes51

I think the gist of his rant is that the intellectualization and diversification of ideals makes the ideals themselves foggy and harder to attain. He's talking about how there are all these different strains of anarchism and how he feels they all share the same basic message: "human justice for everyone."

By those guidelines, in my opinion, violence is a tool of last resort, something we use in self defense or extreme danger. The mob of protesters who beat up the trucker haven't gotten the memo, I'm afraid, but don't mistake the current state of mind of labour mobs with this old man's heart and ideas...

Thanks for sharing this man's views with us, and his is story is as important as any, given his history as a pioneer for labor rights in America.

Couldn't agree more, thanks for posting!

Just another old Marxist that hasn't kicked the bucket yet.Probably eventually got a job teaching at the University of Chicago.

He was not a revolutionary he was a protester.Revolutionaries are willing to die for their cause and he sure don't look dead yet.

He was most likely just some 2 bit spectator that has embellished his role as the years have gone by and there is nobody alive today to fact check him.

reply to post by Oneolddude

Just another old Marxist that hasn't kicked the bucket yet.

Double wrong; he wasn't a Marxist and he died a long time ago.
Nice to meet you too btw, great intro!

Probably eventually got a job teaching at the University of Chicago.

And what would be wrong with that?
If I were in a University, I'd love to hear from this guy... and just because he critiques the system doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed a part in the community.

He was not a revolutionary he was a protester.

Oh, ok.... and you are? His son? His sidekick?
Lemme guess... you don't know jack about this man but your ideologies stand in the way of friendly conduct here?

Revolutionaries are willing to die for their cause and he sure don't look dead yet.

How come you think you should write that condescending and hypocritical BS when obviously you yourself are still alive and breathing?

Actually, you now have me wondering whether I'm feeding a troll or not here. Not saying that you are, just giving you some feedback. If you are interested in debates with people who don't necessarily share your views you may want to go over your modus operandi.
For the record, this man preserved the Haymarket Monument, which was erected after four US anarchists were executed for being inspirational people within the labour movement back in the day. Your education on revolutionaries is flawed, I suppose...

He was most likely just some 2 bit spectator that has embellished his role as the years have gone by and there is nobody alive today to fact check him.

And who the heck are you? It's so easy to talk sjiht about someone from behind an anonymous internet connection... oh, and on top of that pretty darn pathetic.

What have you accomplished that makes you feel you should tarnish or downplay this man's dedication and legacy in the way you did?


[edit on 2-3-2010 by Conspiracy Pianist]