Forward Looking Back
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1916 100 Years Ago
Duped Into Enlisting
“Capitalist patriotism isn’t worth a penny,” a Forverts editorial reads. “The bosses themselves prove it.” After businessmen sent their workers to protect the country in the wake of a skirmish on the Mexican border, employees were told that since their bosses stood in such strong support of their country’s actions, they would pay them for their time in uniform. It turns out, however, that the whole thing was a lie. Apparently, capitalists thought it would be good PR for their businesses and faked patriotism. The young men currently standing guard on the Mexican border have received telegrams from their bosses, informing them that the deal is off. They will not be paid for the time they’ve been out of the office. Some even received notices telling them they no longer had jobs back in New York. Two weeks ago, these patriotic capitalists wanted to attack Mexico and promised to support their employees. Now they don’t even have pay or jobs for them.
1941 75 Years Ago
Nazi Unit in Ukraine
Reports from Nazi-occupied Ukraine indicate that the Germans have created a Ukrainian Storm Trooper unit. Comprising 700 men, the unit’s purpose was originally to fight against the Soviets, although now the goal is to help the Germans in their campaign against the Jews. Thus far, they have helped the Nazis arrest Jews they consider to be either pro-Russian or Communists. It is also thought that they will be planning and perpetrating pogroms. They are also expected to serve as guards in concentration camps that the Nazis are planning in the newly occupied areas. The Nazi newspaper, Grenzbote, published out of Bratislava, Slovakia, notes that as soon as Hitler conquers Russia, he will return to his main plan: the destruction of Europe’s 10 million Jews.
1966 50 Years Ago
Clashes on the Syrian Border
After bombing a Syrian weapons installation on the border of the two countries, Israeli bombers entered into a dogfight with four Syrian MIGs, shooting down one of them. Though the Syrians admitted the occurrence of the battle, they claimed that their fighters shot down two Israeli Mirage jets, a claim that the Israelis later denied. The Syrians also said that the Israelis killed 10 people in the bombing raid, seven farmers, two soldiers and one woman. According to Israel radio, the bombing was retaliation for four Syrian sabotage acts perpetrated by Al-Fatah terrorists sneaking in through the border. Yehoshua Levy, a 42-year-old man from Tiberius who drove over a mine planted on a road about a half-mile from the Syrian border, was killed, as was 15-year-old Yaron Landesman, a member of Kibbutz Eilat Hashahar, who drove his tractor over a mine. Another three explosions occurred in Metula, where no one was killed but physical damage was found.
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