Howard Zinn on Communism

Historian and scholar Howard Zinn participated in an international conference on anti-communism at Harvard University in 1989. This is part of his speech from that conference.
Learn more here: www.howardzinn.org/collection...

[@jameskulevich8907]

A phrase from Cuba: if socialism was put in place in the Sahara Desert, in a short period of time there would be no sand.

[@emendoz1]

As a Cuban born American citizen I approve this message.

[@lv4077]

Actually that phrase was used many years ago by Milton Friedman while torching the US government and their proclivity to screw up everything they touch.

[@MyLateralThawts]

Communism thrives when fools accept their lies. “Peace, Land, Bread!”

[@analoguedragon7438]

What is communism? Ask the Himalaya of corpses for a detailed answer.

[@aaronblain6377]

The propaganda you're uncritically repeating is called "The Black Book of Communism", which includes in its list of "victims" all the Nazis who died in WW2, and all of the theoretical people who might have been born during times when the USSR or PRC had a low birth rate. Even some of the book's authors have distanced themselves from it. Queen Victoria killed far more people than Stalin and Mao put together.

[@miketracy9256]

Has Communism ever worked?

[@billmitchell2080]

On planet earth? It's never been attempted. However it may have worked in the Bible, except that the book is full of fables.

[@newadam573]

@@billmitchell2080 Communism has been attempted. It resulted in the murder of an estimated 100 million people in the 20th century.

[@aaronblain6377]

The USSR destroyed 75% of the German army in WW2. Janet Yellen just went to China to scold the CCP because their economy is too powerful and Elon Musk can't compete with them.

[@lv4077]

@@billmitchell2080Only a fool actually believes “it’s never been tried “.

[@billmitchell2080]

@@lv4077 where?

[@sarahdeshay1394]

“I keep files on them, it’s only fair” what a humorous clip, Howard was an American treasure, and my hero.

[@fondrees]

Zinn is right up there with Chomski as the Premier anti-histirian in modern history. I tried to read his book but I only made it about a third of the way. So full of easily debunks false narratives, lies and half truths it disgusted me and raised my blood pressure. It was also very time consuming as every time I came across what I thought one of his false narratives or outright lies, I double checked the facts and his sources. Time after time I proved myself correct, with little or know evidence of his assertions. A masterful peice of anti American propaganda.

[@amellirizarry9503]

What a legend ✊🏾

[@Truename586]

He’s a traitor

[@amellirizarry9503]

@@Truename586 seethe 😜

[@ComradeZBunch]

​@@Truename586 how so?

[@thisleftylefty]

@@Truename586 cope

[@McGather]

Howard Zinn the fake historian can rot in hell. the only thing he got right was black panther party . they want protect their community

[@rogeralsop3479]

A brave man but a fool.

[@shawnpatrick4703]

Comic genius

[@miltonkeynes3090]

How about that! A commie can be funny!

[@scottragland9899]

just not this one... ;-)

[@rogeralsop3479]

Didn't make me laugh.

[@gusmc2220]

This was funny?

[@afewsnakes]

Communism is the perfect ideology & form of governance. Nobody has ever once tried to refute or disprove that. On paper, it is the logical and honestly the only path forward if the species is to adapt & evolve & overcome the challenges ahead. But the truth is we’re simply not ready. As long as human beings have an innate nature & proclivity to power and greed, communism can never truly exist. Period. So with that in mind, you have to concede. There is no logical path for the human race in communism because it conflicts with our latent natures. Until human beings can evolve past these vices, communism will forever be out of reach and thusly; a concept that we cannot afford to spend time on. It’s really that simple. We are incompatible with communism. The fact that these intellectuals either a) can’t seem to grasp that simple concept, or b) are in fact loving the attention & fame brought on by college students & people with no children - is telling. It’s truly laughable. These people can’t escape their humanity, the one that prevails over communism *every time* and yet, argue that it’s humanity that will be reigned in by communism. It’s completely backwards and illogical; and so I’m left with one answer: these people are weak, ignorant, and are exactly the types who would first seize power in a communist world.

[@1495978707]

You talk as if we can just undo evolution. The only way that communism could work is if you genetically engineered people to be shells of themselves. Even if that were possible, is that not a horrifying dystopian scenario to you? Communism is only perfect in that things in abstract can be perfect. Real is diametrically opposed to perfect, because perfect means lacking imperfections that real things have

[@johnhitz1185]

Where people are equal there is no freedom, to paraphrase Alexander S. There is no such thing as a "perfect ideology & form of governance". Socialism and Communism stifle art and free speech, and are an open door to despotism and totalitarian insanity.

[@JG-es5dj]

You seem to be using the human nature argument. That's a fairly tired one and ignores how co - operative and harmonious humans are, something inherent in us which has allowed us to evolve as far as we have. Material conditions shape human nature, not the other way around. Plus capitalism is a system which exaggerates our greed and selfishness, why would we organise society to encourage negative behaviour? It must be fought against and it has throughout history many times. We've lived in primitive communist societies for most of our existence, greed is something that has only really taken over the world for a short period of humanity's time here.

[@hospitalsgivingpatientsdan8894]

A system that ends with mass murder death ☠️ hunger

[@ordavis]

Yes, it never *ever* occurred to a 'communist' intellectual once that humans have an inherent nature. Pity. You'd think of all of them, one might have at least thought of that. It's clearly very obvious. How stupid they must have been! I tried reading that Marks guy, but it was too hard, he was too stupid to comprehend.... Funny that I could've shut down that whole communism thing and saved over 100 million lives if I were alive at the time to educate Carl on how to be smart. I think if I told him about human nature he would've had a break down and ceased living.