[lbo-talk] Defend Herbert Aptheker - reject his politics!

joanna 123hop at comcast.net
Fri Oct 20 17:09:18 PDT 2006


I see no reason why Bettina's accusations should obscure other controversies about Mr. Apth. After all, if we were to judge male historical figures based on their treatment of women or children, not too many would be left standing.

One of the reasons why it's so difficult for women to protect themselves from rape is because 99% of the time, it is their word against their accuser. Even material evidence of entry, intercourse, and violence is no evidence inasmuch as the argument will always be made that the woman liked it "rough." A few years ago, a friend of mine who was raped and had her arm broken during the event, ran into just this kind of accusation.

Of course, the recovered memory aspect, makes the case more difficult. But I doubt that anyone will argue that recovered memories are always wrong.

We have made some progress in fighting violence against women, but we have a far way to go. Perhaps some of you noted the buzz about Putin's casual remarks about the Israeli PM's predicament. It was reported as a "didn't know he had it in him" kind of comment. A real disappointement; but not a surprise.

Joanna

James Heartfield wrote:


> It is quite monstrous that Herbert Aptheker's memory should be
> subjected to these unsupported allegations.
>
> Bettina Aptheker makes these charges knowing that he cannot defend
> himself from beyond the grave.
>
> Just because she says it is true, does not mean that it is - no more
> than any allegations of molestation or rape are true. Of course we
> cannot exclude the possibility that it did happen. But possibility
> alone is not reason to destroy his reputation.
>
> His death puts the issue beyond the law. But the morality that lies
> behind the legal rule, innocent until proved guilty, stands. Things
> would be otherwise if corroborating evidence were produced - as for
> example was the case with Fiona MacCarthy's discovery of Eric Gill's
> journals recording his abuse of his daughters, but until such is
> produced, it is wrong to endorse the judgement against Aptheker Sr..
>
> Aptheker Sr. was quite wrong on many things - mostly because of his
> adherence to the political line of the CPUSA, which committed him to
> grotesque positions on Stalin and Hungary; the social chauvinism that
> informed the CPUSA's commitment to the US war effort manifested itself
> in ugly xenophobic slurs against Gunnar Myrdal, for example.
>
> Aptheker disguised the underlying reformism he was committed to in the
> present with a rhetorical leftism in the history of slavery.
> Unfortunately that leftism meant that he projected an unrealistic
> proto-revolutionary consciousness onto slaves that was in truth only
> very intermittently present. That was why it was Eugene Fox-Genovese
> who was more often correct than Aptheker in their long-running debates
> over history of slavery (however unfortunate the later development of
> Genovese's thinking).
>
> Sadly, any clarification of Aptheker's political errors is dinned into
> silence by Bettina's miraculously recovered memories, and any value
> that might be got from her life on the left overwhelmed by this one
> grotesque allegation. The personal, to state a lesson the CPUSA
> forgot, is not political.
>
>
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