The pervasiveness of socialist thought among scholars is nothing new.
By Michael P. Tremoglie, The Bulletin
Michael Bellesiles was a history professor at Emory University and the director of Emory’s Center for the Study of Violence. He was also a senior fellow at the Stanford Humanities Institute and visiting fellow at Chicago’s Newberry Library. Several years ago, he published a book called Arming America, which claimed Americans did not own many guns in the early years of the republic and, therefore, the Second Amendment is bogus. The book was well received by gun control zealots. He received Columbia University’s distinguished Bancroft Prize for history books. He was the darling of the media.
However, there was one problem: Mr. Bellesiles’ claims were fraudulent. Eventually, his prize was rescinded and he resigned from Emory.
Why would a fraudulent book promoting abolition of gun ownership be lauded, while scientific studies and books such as John Lott’s More Guns, Less Crime are immediately demeaned?For about 20 years, left-wing academicians met at the Socialists Scholars Conference in New York City. The 2002 conference brought in New York City Councilman and former Black Panther Charles Barron; Michael Cohen, editor of the Green Party USA newspaper; http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4637 attorney Leonard Weinglass; and pro-Palestinian activist Edward Said.
Michael Moore, Al Sharpton, Noam Chomsky, Cornel West and New York Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Major Owens have all attended past conferences.
Yet, this is America and all ideas are welcome – although one must wonder what would happen if a congressman, famous filmmaker, or distinguished college professor attended, say, a Fascist or Nazi Scholars Conference.
The pervasiveness of socialist thought among scholars is nothing new. The Intercollegiate Socialist Society (ISS) was established in New York in 1905 by some very famous scholars. Among them were Jack London, Upton Sinclair and Clarence Darrow – each of these men very influential in American society then and now.
Indeed, socialist ideas and propaganda from a hundred years ago is still disseminated today…
An example is that of blacks in the military during war.
Gen. John J. Pershing wrote in his book about World War I that African-Americans were being told that black troops were always given the most dangerous assignments, were sacrificed to save white troops and were often left to die without medical attention when in fact at that point, black troops had not been in combat. Ironically, Gen. Pershing wrote, “It was not difficult to guess the origin of this sort of propaganda.”
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991, it was said African-Americans would be represented disproportionately among frontline units and casualties. However, Rep. Les Aspin, a Colorado Democrat and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee stated, “The … committee spent some considerable time on this [issue and came to a rather surprising conclusion about it. It’s not true.”
From a Rand study of military enlistees, “when compared to college graduates in the civilian workforce 21-49 years old (9 percent African American), African Americans are equitably represented in the officer ranks.”
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