Thursday, February 12, 2004

Stalinism

I recently linked to LibDemWatch, the site that puports to expose the truth behind the Lib Dems. I foresaw it would lead to more strange blog posts and I've already found one.

Jackie D writes,

"I'm quite enjoying the new site that tracks the misdeeds and deceit of the Liberal Democrats, Lib Dem Watch -- if it's possible to enjoy reading how frivolously one senior Lib Dem (Peter Black, AM) regards the victims of Stalinist regimes. Some of these Liberal Democrats really do beggar belief."

Now putting aside the complex question of what is the 'right' or 'non-frivolous' way of regarding the victims of Stalin and similar regimes, and whether it is worth getting into a 'I feel their pain more than you do' contest, it is a pretty serious charge that a senior Lib Dem regards the victims of Stalin frivolously.

Now this is not to blame Jackie unfairly. She is only repeating what the site itself says,

"But then, we have the luxury of laughing at this silly man. Those whose lives have been affected by Stalinism, and whose families and loved ones were slaughtered in its name, may not find it quite so easy to laugh at this politician's likening of an innocuous political website to a murderous regime that massacred millions."

Once again we have the 'I feel more pain than you do' contest, and a bizarre ability on the part of LibDemWatch to know what the familes and loved ones of Stalin's victims would think. I might think that the families and loved ones of Stalin's victims would find their being dragged on stage to form an attack on a politician a little bizarre and perhaps even untoward, but I can't really state that as I have no idea what they would think.

So what did Peter Black actually say? Well what he said was,

"I don't care two hoots about Stalin's victims, and actually am glad most of them were killed. Good old Uncle Joe"

Actually he didn't say that. He said when referring to a post of theirs;

"says more about the Stalinists who run Libdemwatch"

Now is that showing frivolous regard for the victims of Stalin? Well I guess it depends on whether they are Stalinists, and if they aren't how serious you believe that accusation is. But if it is, then it would be nice if someone would tell Truth Unvarnished and Samizdata, who both like to compare the EU to Stalin.




posted by Matthew @ 2/12/2004 12:40:00 AM Comments: 0