Author Topic: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street  (Read 4327 times)

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Offline sneakypete

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The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« on: February 18, 2018, 08:35:07 pm »
American Experience : The Bombing of Wall Street 

Pretty interesting historical report of the attempts by the Soviets to use American communists as agents in the US as insurgents to attempt the overthrow of the US government like the Bolsheviks did the Russian government. I knew about Emma Goldman,but none of the other names rang a bell. She was deported back to her beloved Communist state,only to have to flee it a few years later after Beria declared her to be an enemy of the state. IIRC,she had to flee to Canada because she would have been arrested if she had returned to America. She lived in NYC before being deported.  BTW,this detail wasn't mentioned in the PBS broacast. It is mentioned in the historically accurate Warren Beatty movie "Reds",though.

President Wilson's Attorney General was a man named Palmer,and it was noted that he was a liberal Dim who was oppossed to spying on or arresting Soviet agents in the US. He is the same man that later ordered the "Red Scare" raids,and created a special investigation branch in the Justice Department and appointed a man named Hoover to head it up.

There were a number of interesting things I learned from watching this show. For example,I had no idea the Justice Dept arrested and deported thousands of Communist sympathizers/agents thanks in part to the very thorough records kept by a clerkish Hoover who started doing this while they were still open and public about their identities while taking over labor unions and calling for strikes. I knew about Emma Goldman and that doctor from the wealthy family on the left coast whose name I can't remember right now. He was to become Stalin's personal physician,and IIRC,it was his family that had the statue of Lenin set in the public park (Portland or Seattle,can't remember which) that still stands today. He was at Stalin's side as they were fighting the Czar for control of Russia,during the Red Army (communists) and the White Army (Czarists) War.

All in all,an interesting way to spend an hour and learn a few things. It also reminded me to watch Reds again. LONG movie that is a cross between the typical Hollywood spectacular of the 70's or 80's,and a documentary,where the producer actually interviews elderly American Communists on camera about their roles in overthrowing Stalin,and trying to overthrow America to create a "Workers Paradise" here. I was honestly surprised that Hollywood didn't try to glamorize and sugar coat the American communists to make them historic heroes,but they didn't. It seems to have been pretty accurate depictions of them in the movie,as well as explanations by them for what they said and did. I highly recommend that movie to anyone with an interest in modern history and politics.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2018, 08:48:49 pm by sneakypete »
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Offline Sanguine

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Re: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2018, 09:15:29 pm »
Thanks, Pete.  I have always avoided Reds because I assumed it was a romanticization of American communists.

Offline Neverdul

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Re: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2018, 10:56:22 pm »
I caught it about halfway through but hope to catch it in full the next time it is on.

I did think it was interesting that there were mass deportations of Italian immigrants who were or were suspected of being Anarchists and or Communist

The bombing killed 38 people and seriously injured many others, and that the case was never solved.
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Offline endicom

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Re: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2018, 11:39:49 pm »


http://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/feb/12/american-experience-bombing-wall-street/


That spot doesn't look much different today. The furthest structure in view is Trinity Church, at the end of Wall Street and across Broadway.


Offline sneakypete

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Re: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2018, 02:28:20 am »
Thanks, Pete.  I have always avoided Reds because I assumed it was a romanticization of American communists.

@Sanguine

I just got through watching it again tonight. All 3+ hours of it. It wasn't quite as good as my memory said it was,but they didn't cut the commies ANY slack,Russian OR  American. Which is really shocking for a movie produced in America in the early 80's. Incompetence,petty jealousies relating to power grabs,and absolute dictatorial powers abused by everyone that sits on any sort of committee,as they lord it over the people they control.

Come to think of it,I'm not sure Warren Beatty ever got another movie role after producing and acting in this one.  Nicholson wasn't harmed by it because he's Jack,and the others were secondary characters. The focus was on Jack Reed,played by Beatty.
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Offline sneakypete

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Re: The American Experience-The Bombing of Wall Street
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2018, 02:29:56 am »
I caught it about halfway through but hope to catch it in full the next time it is on.

I did think it was interesting that there were mass deportations of Italian immigrants who were or were suspected of being Anarchists and or Communist

The bombing killed 38 people and seriously injured many others, and that the case was never solved.

@Nvurdul

It's playing for free on Starz anytime you want to watch it. I just got through watching it there. If  you don't have any account there,you can sign up for a 14 day free test membership and then cancel on day 14.
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