John MacLean

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andy Funnell on July 17, 2011 at 18:04

I vote in favour.

Permalink Reply by Mark Gregory on July 17, 2011 at 22:18

there's a grand song about him written by Scottish folklorist Hamish Henderson ... it's a kind of potted history

you'll find the words on the Union Songs web collection at http://unionsong.com/u124.html

 

There's also a more recent song The Red Clydesiders by Alistair Hulett at http://unionsong.com/u331.html

 

Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maclean_(Scottish_socialist) gives a pretty comprehensive potted history of MacLean

 

Permalink Reply by Tim Dymond on July 18, 2011 at 1:27

Yes - he sounds interesting.

Permalink Reply by Padraig Yeates on July 18, 2011 at 7:52

Another candidate for inclusion in your project might be Sean McLoughlin, a senior figure in the IRA in the War of Independence who was marginalised because of his left wing politics. There is a new biography of him by Charlie McGuire - Merlin Press. McLoughlin was very active in the SLP in Scotland and almost certainly knew McLean, although the latter is not mentioned in the book. Good luck with project.

Permalink Reply by Gary McDonagh on July 18, 2011 at 8:52

I find the story of MacLean interesting because he was a communist and ran street schools on economics but also felt that Scotland needed to develop its own path so therefore was seen as a nationalist. The upturn is that no group feels comfortable using him in their history. Characters like MacLean are interesting to me because they have tried to follow and develop their own path while living through it. MacLean at several points could have taken a party line (a choice of parties) and have a more comfortable life but refused.

Will put a longer biography on tonight. 

 

Regards, Gary

Permalink Reply by Gary McDonagh on July 18, 2011 at 8:52

Padraig Yeates said:

Another candidate for inclusion in your project might be Sean McLoughlin, a senior figure in the IRA in the War of Independence who was marginalised because of his left wing politics. There is a new biography of him by Charlie McGuire - Merlin Press. McLoughlin was very active in the SLP in Scotland and almost certainly knew McLean, although the latter is not mentioned in the book. Good luck with project.

Permalink Reply by Gary McDonagh on July 18, 2011 at 8:53

Thank you for information on Sean McLoughlin, I will look it up.

 

 

Regards, Gary

Permalink Reply by Gary McDonagh on July 18, 2011 at 20:43

I wish no harm to any human being, but I, as one man, am going to exercise my freedom of speech. No human being on the face of the earth, no government is going to take from me my right to speak, my right to protest against wrong, my right to do everything that is for the benefit of mankind. I am not here, then, as the accused; I am here as the accuser of capitalism dripping with blood from head to foot. 

(Nam Milton's Biography John MacLean, Clydeside Press Ltd, page 172).

This is taken from John MacLean trial for "making statements likely to predujice recuriting and cause mutiny and sedition" in 1918.  John MacLean defended himself but was sent to prison but after protests was released.

The story doesn't stop there because he was imprisoned several times during his short life suffering force feeding. The story of MacLean comes across to me as one of determination. He wasn't a theorist, he seen education as the way forward running  night classes for workers on economics and Marxist theory that had large numbers of students, workers eager to listen to alternatives. Like all people he has some wonderful contridictions but I still return to the opening line

"I wish no harm to any human being, but I, as one man, am going to exercise my freedom of speech." -

A powerful lesson indeed.