Long Live Comrade Stalin
The smearing of Herman Cain continued; Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have limited collective bargaining for public workers' unions, a perfectly reasonable and useful measure, as the experience of recent months in Wisconsin has demonstrated; and on the very day the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report stating, in effect, that the evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program has become so overwhelming that even the United Nations has to admit what's going on, we learned that in a private conversation the President of the United States agreed with the President of the French Republic that the Prime Minister of Israel--not of Iran, but of Israel--represents a dangerous blunderer.
Not much of a day for democracy, really, was it?
Or so I found myself musing--until I got to my Cold War reading for the day.
On February 9, 1946, Joseph Stalin delivered a speech in Moscow. The concluding lines of the official transcription:
[P]ermit me to express my thanks for the confidence which you have shown me (loud and prolonged applause. A voice: "Cheers for the great leader of all our victories, Comrade Stalin!") by nominating me as a candidate for the Supreme Soviet. You need have no doubt that I will do my best to justify your confidence. (All rise. Loud and prolonged applause rising to an ovation. Voices in different parts of the hall: "Long live great Stalin, hurrah!" "Cheers for the great leader of the peoples!" "Glory to great Stalin!" "Long live Comrade Stalin, the candidate of the entire people!" "Glory to the creator of all our victories, Comrade Stalin!")
Even at its messiest and most disappointing, our democracy is--well, a democracy.
We're still inexpressibly lucky.
- Comment (14)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (3)
Comments :
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Alas, so many of us seem to be completely incapable of grasping how fortunate we are to be free citizens of the U.S. republic. Witness the monumental ingratitude and historical ignorance that defines the various "Occupy" movements.
Last year I read Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and before that Whittaker Chamber's Witness. I'm still working my way through The Gulag Archipelago. We, to our detriment, have failed miserably to offer the county at large a clear picture of the stark contrast between our republic and the totalitarian dictatorships of the twentieth century. In light of what I've seen and read recently, it breaks my heart and discourages me to no end to see these anarchists camping in the city squares yelling for collectivism. They should be very careful of what they want, they may yet get it.
Feb '11
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Lost in all the hubbub about the Union issue was the fact that - by a larger margin than the Union issue vote - Ohio voters passed another issue which in effect declares Obamacare toothless in the state. While it may end up being merely symbolic, depending on Supreme Court action, it provides ammo for those petitioning the Supremes to declare the individual mandate unconstitutional.
As for the Union folks, since there is no money to pay them what they want the only alternative looks to be significant layoffs. Losing your job because you are unwilling to pay even 15% of your own health insurance premium may not look like a smart move in the long run.
Apr '11
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Peter Robinson
Even at its messiest and most disappointing, our democracy is--well, a democracy.
We're still inexpressibly lucky. ·
America is a democracy, ruled by the people, an honor that other countries share.
America is ruled by the American people, and is filled with Americans, a blessing that no country can match.
Sep '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Peter, you might want to look more closely at the differences between WI and OH. Ohio Republicans bit off much more than Walker and the WI GOP and unfortunately - to complete the tired metaphor - couldn't chew it.
I've angered more than a few old friends back home in Ohio by speaking out in support of SB5 from down here in TN. It seems that the Assembly really screwed up the reforms by jamming it all into on big, fat target of a bill and by including firemen and policemen in the reforms [unlike WI], which meant that thousands of relatively photogenic, motivated, disciplined men and women were leading the charge against it.
My old, rural school district can't pass a tax levy [70% against] the last couple years because folks are fed up with excesses of educrats and building sprees, but police and fire automatically start with a reservoir of respect because of the nature of their jobs...not that it's right to exclude them; but it is politically necessary.
Add to all this the fact that so many families have set up one spouse in public sector for secure benefits while other goes for wages.
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Tomorrow in my son's debate class they'll be finishing up watching the movie "The Great Debaters", a movie that kinda sorta celebrates communism. Certainly it insults anti-communism.
Check out this review, Peter. It's a pretty good match for my son's teacher's attitude, and demonstrates why the world so desperately needs your book.
Oh ya, and with the defeat of issue 2, that same teacher will continue funding practically nothing of her own pension -- which will be the average income of her best three years, until death.
What a world.
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
CitizenOfTheRepublic: Peter, you might want to look more closely at the differences between WI and OH. Ohio Republicans bit off much more than Walker and the WI GOP and unfortunately - to complete the tired metaphor - couldn't chew it.
I've angered more than a few old friends back home in Ohio by speaking out in support of SB5 from down here in TN. It seems that the Assembly really screwed up the reforms by jamming it all into on big, fat target of a bill and by including firemen and policemen in the reforms [unlike WI], which meant that thousands of relatively photogenic, motivated, disciplined men and women were leading the charge against it.
You have summed it up perfectly, Citizen.
Kasich was brave, but politically clueless. The "one big bill" approach was his biggest error. Incrementally, through a series of smaller bills, he could have gotten much of this done. He'd probably still have taken political hits like Walker, but, also like Walker, he'd have the benefit of vindication later on as the reforms work.
As it is now, he's politcal poison. Never seen anything like it.
Jun '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
I predict Herman Cain will soon be revealed as a charlatan who was never serious about running for president. His campaign will implode and his poll numbers will crash into the low single digits. You heard it here first.
Feb '11
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
For your cold war reading, I hope you will include Operation Solo. Fascinating book and explains background subtext of how the US was maneuvering.
The Ohio message was to not tick off all public sector workers at one time. Wisconsin recall elections basically failed (and the reforms held) because there was not large minority turnout during recall elections. That story is something I've never heard analyzed, i.e., why wasn't there large minority turnout. Reforms can be politically difficult whether from the left or from the right when there is no consensus. Obama crammed healthcare reform down people's throats and has and will pay a huge price. Kasich same with public sector unions. To work, there has to be some divide and conquer strategy, which requires some kind of compromise to principles. Those who insist on principles will be unsuccessful.
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
We'll at least arrive at a point (if we haven't already) where one can make a prediction like yours without necessarily being accused of "being a member of the establishment."
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
As a history teacher, I wonder how future students will be taught about how we should have seen the coming cataclysm coming, but didn't. In my history text, the chapter before the Civil War is titled, "The Failure of the Politicians." ...as if there was something that could have been done to avoid the clash of divergent views of the three regions of the country over what kind of nation the Constitution had created.
"The Failure of the Bankers?" "The Failure of the Mutual Fund Managers?" The Failure of the Bundlers?" The Failure of the Legislative Assistants?" The Failure of the Bloggers?"
I invite suggestions....
May '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
Societal disasters happen only as a culmination of long preparation.
Peter, I've been drawn to books about the crazy times of the early Soviet revolution. I'm talking about books written by the scholar Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal, such as The Occult in Russian and Soviet Culture and New Myth, New World: From Nietzsche to Stalinism.
The thesis is that beneath the dominant orthodoxy of atheistic Marxism was a roiling brew of occult and Nietzschean ideas that get overlooked. In fact, Russia at the end of the tsars was a deeply sick, decadent society where elites were willing to deal with any devil that might turn up. And many did.
Edited on Nov 9, 2011 at 7:51amMay '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
The caption for that photo should be:
Apr '11
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
What's amazing is the North Korea lives under a tyrant just as bad as Stalin, and some South Koreans desire unification with NK.
Sep '10
Re: Long Live Comrade Stalin
I can't shake the feeling that behind the Herman Cain attacks is a Democratis Party that is beyond terrified of him. Without a monolithic black vote, they're done, up and down the board.