Turns out there's a lot of people on the left out there who really, really, really want to believe heroic myths about past radicals and have no interest in actual history.

I mean, I already knew this, so I'm not at all surprised. But it's a very real thing.

As many historians will tell you, people say they want to know the "real history" but in fact what they mean by that is "history that reinforces my preexisting beliefs."

And that's true of leftists, liberals, centrists, conservatives, and fascists.

Today the Twitter left is really mad at me for noting actual facts about the Haymarket anarchists and talking about their actual beliefs and actions.

Sorry for having read the literature on labor history and then reporting it to you?

And I guess since people really need everything laid out for them, saying the Haymarket anarchists were wrong about a lot of things is not somehow a justification for the state violence against them.

It is saying maybe we should pay attention to the actual striking workers.

I know I would make my life easier and be a lot more popular if I just played into every myth, supported anyone on the streets without any analysis, and became a cheerleader. That's really what the Twitter left values.

But I'm just not going to do that. I can't. It's dishonest.

Anyway, I am going to go back to what I was doing before I noticed this ridiculousness on my timeline--writing actual labor history.