Sunday, August 25, 2019

In Honor Of The 100th Anniversary Of The Founding of The Communist International-From The Archives- *In Defense Of The Abraham Lincoln Battalion Memorial

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Pete Seeger Performing, Appropriately in Barcelona, "Viva La Quince Brigada".

Commentary

I recently came across a commentary at the Boston Indy Media site posted from a member of The Workers Memory Project. The gist of this pro-anarchist comment was to highlight some ‘guerrilla’ action in defacing a memorial in the Embarcadero section of San Francisco honoring the heroic fighters of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the 15th International Brigade for their actions in the fight against General Franco in the Spanish Civil War. The idea behind this 'heroic' action, I assume, was that we must be rather selective about our 'memories' and that political opponents within the international working class movement, or at least some of them, are beyond the pale.

This is wrong, all wrong. This writer has spent a great portion of his political life fighting from an orthodox Marxist, anti-Stalinist perspective. His political forbears, including the great Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky have shed their lives in the fight against Stalinism. We have no illusions in that tendency nor do we make any apologies for it. This writer has, however, also often expressed his admiration for the fighters of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion from a very early age, well before he was aware of the differences in the various tendencies within the international working class movement. Nothing that he has learned since those early days has taken away from their heroic fight. Except maybe that they could have fought under a revolutionary leadership. All this to say that the comment and actions by The Workers Memory Project members are indicative of anarchist moral befuddlement.

Yes, the members of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion were, for the most part, recruited from the hard Stalinist milieu of the American Communist Party. Yes, the Soviet role in Spain was to act as a counter-revolutionary force against all those who wanted to fight, including at least some of the anarchists, for a social revolution in Spain. No, the Stalinists in the International Brigades, when acting as military defenders of the Republican side against Franco were not acting as counterrevolutionaries. Those were our military comrades, my friends. That is what any memorial to the fighters of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion represents. You know, their valor in little hot spots like the Jarama and the Ebro when it counted. Failure to understand those simple acts of heroism, courage and fortitude by these ‘premature’ anti-fascists is part of the muddle of international working class politics today.

Viva La Quince Brigada
(Christy Moore)


Ten years before I saw lhe light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid.
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifteenth Inlernational Brigade.

They came to stand beside the Spanish people.
To try and stem the rising Fascist tide
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy,
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side.

Even the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on.
Truth and love against the force af evil,
Brotherhood against the Fascist clan.

Vive La Quince Brigada!
"No Paseran" the pledge that made them fight.
"Adelante" was the cry around the hillside.
Let us all remember them tonight.

Bob Hillard was a Church of Ireland pastor;
From Killarney across the Pyrenees ho came.
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother.
Side by side they fought and died in Spain.

Tommy Woods, aged seventeen, died in Cordoba.
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun.
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he fought and died beneath the Spanish sun.

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco.
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too.
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew.

The word came from Maynooth: 'Support the Fascists.'
The men of cloth failed yet again
When the bishops blessed the blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain.

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan.
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too.
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar.
Though many died I can but name a few.

Danny Doyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly.
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls.
Jack Nally, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy,
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill.

Written in 1983
Copyright Christy Moore
apr97


LA QUINCE BRIGADA

Viva la Quince Brigada,
Rhumbala, rhumbala, rhumbala.
(Repeat)

Que se ha cubierta de gloria,
Ay Manuela, Ay Manuela
(Repeat)

Luchamos contra los Morros,
Rhumbala, rhumbala, rhumbala.
(Repeat)

Mercenarios y fascistas
Ay Manuela, Ay Manuela
(Repeat)

Solo es nuestro deseo
Rhumbala, rhumbala, rhumbala
(Repeat)

Acabar con el fascismo
Ay Manuela, ay Manuela!
(Repeat)

En el frentes de Jarama,
Rhumbala, rhumbala rhumbala
(Repeat)

No tenemos ni aviones,
Ni tankes, ni canones, ay Manuela!
(Repeat)

Ya salimos de Espana
Rhumbala, rhumbala, rhumbala
(Repeat)

Por luchar en otras frentes
Ay Manuela, ay Manuela!
(Repeat)

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:42 AM

    The myth of "premature antifascism" by Harvey Klehr - The New ...
    - 9:40am
    Re-evaluating the treatment of the volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
    http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=80D1D48A-4AAE-4254-ADCC-FDC6A7911294

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  2. Here are a couple of songs of the 15th International Brigade in Spanish and English:

    VIVA LA QUINCE BRIGADA (Spanish Lyrics)

    Viva la quince brigada,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Viva la quince brigada,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Que se ha cubierto de gloria.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Que se ha cubierto de gloria.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    Luchamos contra los moros,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Luchamos contra los moros,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Mercenarios y fascistas.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Mercenarios y fascistas.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    Solo es nuestro deseo,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Solo es nuestro deseo,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Acabar con el fascismo.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Acabar con el fascismo.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    En los frentes de Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    En los frentes de Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    No tenemos ni aviones,
    Ni tanques, ti cañones.
    No tenemos ni aviones,
    Ni tanques, ti cañones.

    Ya salimos de España,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Ya salimos de España,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    A luchar en otros frentes,
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    A luchar en otros frentes,
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    EL PASO DEL EBRO (Spanish Lyrics)

    El ejército del Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    El ejército del Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Una noche el río paso.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Una noche el río paso.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Y a las tropas invasoras,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Y a las tropas invasoras,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Buena paliza les dio,
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Buena paliza les dio,
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    El furor de los traidores,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    El furor de los traidores,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Lo descarga su aviación.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Lo descarga su aviación.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Pero nada pueden bombas,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Pero nada pueden bombas,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Donde sobra corazón.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Donde sobra corazón.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Contraataques muy rabiosos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Contraataques muy rabiosos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Deberemos resistir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Deberemos resistir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Pero igual que combatimos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Pero igual que combatimos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Prometemos combatir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Prometemos combatir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    VIVA LA QUINCE BRIGADA (English Translation)
    Long live the fifteenth brigade,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Long live the fifteenth brigade,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Which has covered itself with glory.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Which has covered itself with glory.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    We are fighting against the Moors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We are fighting against the Moors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Mercenaries and fascists.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Mercenaries and fascists.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    It’s our sole desire,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    It’s our sole desire,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    To be done with fascism.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    To be done with fascism.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    On the front lines of the Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    On the front lines of the Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We have neither airplanes,
    Tanks nor cannon.
    We have neither airplanes,
    Tanks nor cannon.

    We’re already leaving Spain,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We’re already leaving Spain,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    To fight on other fronts.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    To fight on other fronts.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    EL PASO DEL EBRO (English Lyrics)

    The army of the Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    The army of the Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Crossed the river one night.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Crossed the river one night.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    And to the invading troops.
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    And to the invading troops.
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    It gave a sound beating.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    It gave a sound beating.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    The fury of the traitors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    The fury of the traitors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    They discharge with their airplanes.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    They discharge with their airplanes.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    But bombs can do nothing,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    But bombs can do nothing,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Where there’s a lot of heart.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Where there’s a lot of heart.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Very rabid counterattacks,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Very rabid counterattacks,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We will owe it to resist.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    We will owe it to resist.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    But as we have fought,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    But as we have fought,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We promise to fight.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    We promise to fight.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    ------------

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  3. Lyrics to Jarama Valley :

    by Woody Guthrie


    There’s a valley in Spain called Jarama
    It’s a place that we all know so well
    It was there that we fought against the Fascists
    We saw a peacful valley turn to hell

    From this valley they say we are going
    But don’t hasten to bid us adieu
    Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
    We’ll set this valley free 'fore we’re through

    We were men of the Lincoln Battalion
    We’re proud of the fight that we made
    We know that you people of the valley
    Will remember our Lincoln Brigade

    From this valley they say we are going
    But don’t hasten to bid us adieu
    Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
    We’ll set this valley free 'fore we’re through

    You will never find peace with these Fascists
    You’ll never find friends such as we
    So remember that valley of Jarama
    And the people that’ll set that valley free

    From this valley they say we are going
    Don’t hasten to bid us adieu
    Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
    We’ll set this valley free 'fore we’re through

    All this world is like this valley called Jarama
    So green and so bright and so fair
    No fascists can dwell in our valley
    Nor breathe in our new freedom’s air

    From this valley they say we are going
    Do not hasten to bid us adieu
    Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
    We’ll set this valley free 'fore we’re through
    [ Jarama Valley Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

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