Ideology and "Psychology", was Re: identifying with the enemy

[Michael Pugliese]

> But in the following two months, the United States committed its
> first act of warfare against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. At
> least 8 and possibly 12 U.S. troopships were diverted from their task
> of bringing American troops home from World War II and instead began
> transporting U.S.-armed French troops and Foreign Legionnaires from
> France to recolonize Vietnam. The enlisted crewmen of these ships,
> all members of the U.S. Merchant Marine, immediately began organized
> protests. On arriving in Vietnam, for example, the entire crews of
> four troopships met together in Saigon and drew up a resolution
> condemning the U.S. government for using American ships to transport
> troops "to subjugate the native population" of Vietnam.
>
> The full-scale invasion of Vietnam by French forces, once again
> equipped and ferried by the United States, began in 1946. An American
> movement against the war started to coalesce as soon as significant
> numbers of Americans realized that Washington was supporting France's
> war against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam....   *****
>
> A fascinating story.  Maybe the crews who protested against using
> American ships to transport U.S.-armed French troops & Foreign
> Legionnaires "to subjugate the native population" of Vietnam were led
> by those who were members of the CP or deeply immersed in the Popular
> Front culture?
>
> Yoshie

  Yes, no, maybe, in addition too.. What I mean to say is, in my scattered
memory, I think I've read about this Merchant Marine mutiny before, in
places other than H. Bruce Franklin's books and articles. And the main
organizers names and affiliations that seem to stick, in my mind (Emil Mazey
of the UAW, Fred Halstead of the SWP who wrote, "Out Now!, " Manny Geltman
from the Shactmanite Workers Party, Frank Emspak from UE[?, if so> towards
the CPUSA]) are more from "Trotskyist" than CPUSA cadre or fellow travelers,
though given the much larger #'ers of CP'ers, as well as the unambiguous
line on the war, after the fSU was invaded by the Nazis, by the CPUSA, as
compared to the revolutionary abstentionism of the more orthodox Trots, I'd
be more than willing to say that the CP'ers engaged in this joint action. At
least that is what John at Bolerium Books seems to say too.

  Trying to find more on this mutiny, just looked through a bunch of the
standard histories, left, right and center, from Marilyn B. Young, McKahin,
Buttinger, Hammer, Gardner, Karnow and Fitzgerald. No mention of it. Also
looked at the Clark Clifford autobio and several bios of Truman. More
details, please...
Michael Pugliese
P.S. No mention in, "Highlights of a Fighting History, " International
Publishers. CPUSA official compilation from "Party Affairs"