The same day we got that evil letter, a wonderful write-up followed, by someone who came to the Santa Fe festival. Someone obviously more educated than "Howard Roarke"
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/yates211206.html
Rightly or wrongly these folks seem to miss the point that they never have been, are not now, and are unlikely to ever be on the winning side!
How ironic the opening quote of Vanzetti -
Now we are not a failure. This is our career and our triumph. Never in our full life can we hope to do such work for tolerance, justice, for man's understanding of man, as now we do by accident. Our words -- our lives -- our pains -- nothing! The taking of our lives -- lives of a good shoemaker and a poor fish peddler -- all! That last moment belong to us -- that agony is our triumph."
Truth be told - he is barely remembered at all. His name would be familiar only to a few college grads. Soulful sacrifice may be satisfying, but it is often
not triumphant.
Much of the footage of the Internationale ends up looking less like courageous crusaders and more like lemmings marching to the sea. This is not a value judgment, it is a reflection on the historical realities of the struggle.
Nonetheless, it is the tale of S&V is worth telling, and one I will no doubt enjoy watching.
der Brucer