Salon Paints Avowed Left Wing Communist Lee Harvey Oswald as Right Wing

Salon posts a ton of articles that imply that those who believe in conspiracies are nuts. It's especially irritating because they also post articles about various right wing conspiracies thus contradicting themselves.

Don,

   While Oswald was an "avowed" Left Wing extremist the evidence does not in my view support that. He did say he was a Marxist repeatedly, however if he was a true Marxist why did he never actually join a Communist or Marxist group? While in Russia he never joins the Communist party, he never joins a Communist group while in the US, just claims he is a member and his alias is the President of the club. The only groups he attempted to join were right wing groups (Cuban Revolutionary Council). The groups he actually was a member of were diametrically opposing. 

As a youth he joins the Socialist Youth League but also the Civil Air Patrol. As a young adult he joins the the Marines, and subsequently he claims membership but never joins the FPCC. He calls himself a Marxist but never joins any Marxist group. He receives Communist literature but never attends regular meetings. I would not conclusively state that Oswald was left or right wing, but I would contend the evidence remains contradictory.

Additionally, the official version of the Walker attempt are based upon Commission opinion, not conclusively upon the evidence. The HSCA pointed out many flaws in the assertion that Oswald fired those shots. If Oswald could not hit a near stationary target with all the time in the world, I would contend he feasibly would not have better luck on a moving target at greater distance without practice.

Carmine Savastano wrote:Don,

   While Oswald was an "avowed" Left Wing extremist the evidence does not in my view support that. He did say he was a Marxist repeatedly, however if he was a true Marxist why did he never actually join a Communist or Marxist group? While in Russia he never joins the Communist party, he never joins a Communist group while in the US, just claims he is a member and his alias is the President of the club. The only groups he attempted to join were right wing groups (Cuban Revolutionary Council). The groups he actually was a member of were diametrically opposing. 

As a youth he joins the Socialist Youth League but also the Civil Air Patrol. As a young adult he joins the the Marines, and subsequently he claims membership but never joins the FPCC. He calls himself a Marxist but never joins any Marxist group. He receives Communist literature but never attends regular meetings. I would not conclusively state that Oswald was left or right wing, but I would contend the evidence remains contradictory.

Additionally, the official version of the Walker attempt are based upon Commission opinion, not conclusively upon the evidence. The HSCA pointed out many flaws in the assertion that Oswald fired those shots. If Oswald could not hit a near stationary target with all the time in the world, I would contend he feasibly would not have better luck on a moving target at greater distance without practice.

Carmine,

As you suggest, Oswald's actions don't support any definitive conclusion. 

In answer to why he never joined any political or worker's organizations in the USSR - I submit such actions may have placed his US citizenship in jeopardy and if that is true, his failure to join such organizations may be prima facie evidence that he always intended to return to the US.  

While the WC claimed Hidell was an Oswald alias - I contend that this is a perversion of the meaning of "alias". Oswald never presented himself as being "Hidell"... if one is to believe the NO cops, he claimed Hidell was another person altogether.

He never actually joined the YSL - merely made an inquiry about joining. I'll stand corrected on this, but I don't think he ever formally joined the CAP, either.

If you were plotting an assassination in 1963 and wanted to throw as many potential false sponsors into the mix as possible, using a real (or pretend) Marxist with some ties also to Rightists and white Russians, in the heart of ultra conservative Dallas was perfect. You have a smorgasbord of potentialities.... foreign communists, domestic communists, rightists, white Russians, Big Oil...    

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The sum total of Oswald's record of joining anything was one or two extra-curricular school clubs, the Marines and a hunter's club in Minsk.  That's it.

Greg,

       You are correct about the Socialist Youth League. However he was photographed at a CAP event with David Ferrie and others, so he did participate in some activities if he indeed was not a member. Perhaps member in all but name. 

The Hidell alias is listed some of the official evidence and associated with Oswald. I do not claim the associations are conclusive but the official associations using the FPCC rely on Oswald fabricating these associations, not being an actual member of a group espousing his professed beliefs. I just wish to highlight their many conflicting claims. I appreciate the info on the Socialist Youth League and will look into the CAP files if I can find them.

The Commission states Oswald was a member of the CAP at 15 years in New Orleans according to his mother's testimony. So I would think it feasible, it also would represent his first possible contacts with Ferrie. 

WC Appendix 13, p.679

Carmine,

the conflicts are there, no doubt about that and i was nit-picking to some extent with the CAP thing - distinguishing between going to a few meetings and formally becoming a member.

On Hidell, what I am trying to get across is that there is zero evidence that he ever represented himself as being Hidell. He allegedly told NOPD that Hidell was the head of the local FPCC and he was in touch with him by phone - that by any definition I'm aware of, does not constitute the use of an alias.

The Hidell Id in the wallet in Dallas was almost certainly planted.

Greg,

          I agree with your distinction, my use of term alias is because of the official claims that he placed Hidell's name on the P.O. Box, the wallet, and based on some in Russia who asserted they called him Alek. Perhaps a fictional name of his possible creation would be more appropriate. However, I am glad we agree on most points that labeling him a left or right wing anything is premature without more evidence.

I just read the article  - twice. Tedium interrupted by partisan nonsense. But tedium and nonsense are what SALON does. 

544 Camp Street -  before anyone can conclude what LHO's sincere political beliefs were - the mysteries of that address need to be unraveled IMO.

Last night, I was reading something about Winston Scott. An astonishing assertion was made in it. According to the  writer, LHO produced a photo of his New Orleans/FPCC leaflet arrest to the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. He was purportedly trying to use the arrest as a communist credential. 

544 Camp Street may have even popped up in Mexico City.

I will find the link and post it.

http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKscottW.htm

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"To establish his identity Oswald showed Duran her his passport, correspondence with the American Communist Party, his membership card for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, a newspaper clipping about his activities in New Orleans and a photograph of Oswald in custody, accompanied by two police officers."

Carmine Savastano wrote:Greg,

          I agree with your distinction, my use of term alias is because of the official claims that he placed Hidell's name on the P.O. Box, the wallet, and based on some in Russia who asserted they called him Alek. Perhaps a fictional name of his possible creation would be more appropriate. However, I am glad we agree on most points that labeling him a left or right wing anything is premature without more evidence.

Carmine,

The NO box had Marina and Hidell listed as those (apart from himself) who could collect mail from that box. Again, here it is a reference to a distinct OTHER individual - not himself. 

The order forms for the weapons were in the name of Hidell -- but the evidence that Oswald was the one who ordered those weapons in that name is dubious. If he did - and he picked up those weapons flashing Hidell ID, then that would be a bona fide example of his use of Hidell as an alias. As it is, they could not even show that "Hidell" was listed as someone who could pick mail up because the relevant part of the application for had been destroyed outside of PO regs. 

But yes, we do agree on that important point - the evidence, based solely on association, is insufficient to draw any conclusions about his politics.