SMITH@SLACVM.BITNET (10/30/86)
In poli-sci V6 #95 Will Doherty suggests that we get our views on Mandela from amoung other works: >"Mandela, Nelson. The Struggle is My Life." London: International >Aid and Defence Fund for South Africa. 1978. I bought my copy of this book from the same place that I bought Alex La Guma's "Apartheid": from the Communist Party in San Francisco I don't know of any group more interested in Mandela in the area than the CPUSA, their bookstores are overflowing with information and I suggest to everyone fortunate enough to live near an active CP (like we are in SF--Check your phone book!) to stop by and browse. I am fascinated so see the CPUSA so-o-o involved in distributing these international materials. They even still have information about how great things are in Ethiopia now after the revolution. It is a real learning experience to see all the things they are active in. You can see the issues before they hit our News which always seems to be so surprised by the spontaneity of the people's outpourings of concern over people and places they never saw and don't have to live with (especially the outpourings of our widely traveled, experienced, and financially astute college students--we all consult them when we are planning our personal portfolios). It was also very fascinating to see that many of the pictures that are used in Anti-S.Africa posters at campus demonstrations are right out of Doherty's suggested reading. Doesn't anyone else besides the CP care enough about Mandela to take his picture for their demonstration posters? I have seen others, but they just don't seem to make the posters very well. I think it would be great to get some new posters, perhaps a picture of a burning necklace and the words: "ANC--Greater Individual Freedom". John Smith [I had to edit this message (with permission) to remove the address/phone of the CP of SF due to arpanet advertising guildlines. For more information on the CP of SF, please contact John directly. -CWM] -------
wild@SUN.COM (11/11/86)
I don't know whether to assume the response to my reading
recommendations was red-baiting satire or the earnest pleas of a
neo-communist revolutionary. I would like to point out that the books
I recommended were not written or published by communist party
members, to my knowledge. No matter how much some may want us to
think so, the belief that the South African white afrikaan minority
oppresses the black and Indian majority in that country is not
foremost a communist belief. In addition, many non-communists support
the position of the ANC that violent response to the violence of the
current regime is justified. I myself am not sure what I think of the
violent portions of ANC, but would condemn their violence less
stringently than the violence promulgated by the Botha regime, which
results in far greater suffering and loss of human life, and exhibits
not a shred of regard for basic human rights.
Thanx,
Will Doherty
UUCP: ...sun!oscar!wild
ARPA: "oscar!wild"@sun.com
From: SMITH%SLACVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Mandela
In poli-sci V6 #95 Will Doherty suggests that we get our
views on Mandela from amoung other works:
>Mandela, Nelson. "The Struggle is My Life." London:
>International Aid and Defence Fund for South Africa. 1978.
I bought my copy of this book from the same place that I
bought Alex La Guma's "Apartheid": from the Communist Party in
San Francisco I don't know of any group more interested in
Mandela in the area than the CPUSA, their bookstores are
overflowing with information and I suggest to everyone
fortunate enough to live near an active CP (like we are in
SF--Check your phone book!) to stop by and browse. I am
fascinated so see the CPUSA so-o-o involved in distributing
these international materials. They even still have
information about how great things are in Ethiopia now after
the revolution. [...]
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