Tag Archives: politics

Do you judge writers?

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Christopher Slater raises an interesting issue in this article entitled “Do you judge writers?” (https://ryanlanz.com/2017/02/16/do-you-judge-writers/)

My own view is that while it is difficult not to judge writers (their morals or lack of them), one should, so far as is humanly possible avoid doing so. A great writer remains so even if he (or she) was/is a terrible parent to their children or held/holds views with which most liberal (with a small l) individuals would disagree.

In this article for the Telegraph A N Wilson mentions the poet, Philip Larkin’s wish (expressed in his correspondence) to join the far-right National Front and Eliot’s anti-Semitism (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3588935/World-of-books.html)

Wilson argues that we need to separate the author’s artistic creations from their views. This is a perspective with which I concur absolutely. We don’t have to share an author’s views to admire their work and if we only read those who concur with our perspectives our lives and the world in general would be a very arid place.

The Rise Of The Finnish Far-Right Soldiers Of Odin

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Yesterday’s Daily Mail (4 February)carries a worrying article regarding the rise of the far-right Soldiers of Odin in Finland, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3426685/Nazi-daggers-SS-hats-hangman-s-noose-night-patrol-Soldiers-Odin-neo-Nazi-led-vigilantes-vowing-Europe-s-women-safe-migrant-sex-attacks.html. The group patrol the streets of Finland at night and there is evidence their presence is causing fear within the immigrant community.

Rise Of The New Libertarians

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At university I read history and politics. Then, being a glutton for punishment I went on to do an MA in political theory, hence my interest on coming across this article concerning the rise of libertarianism among young people, (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rise-new-libertarians-meet-britains-next-political-generation-1469233). According to the piece, young people are turning away from support for the welfare state and embracing classical liberal economics combined with social libertarianism. What is being described in the article is not Conservatism for Conservatives do, on the whole support laws against drugs, prostitution etc. In contrast the libertarianism being described here is opposed to what it perceives as unwarranted restrictions on personal liberty of which (they believe) measures against drugs, prostitution etc are a part. Again, within British Conservatism there exists a school of paternalist or one nation Tories who have accepted or, on occasions promoted social reforms (Benjamin Disraeli for example). This strand of paternalism is foreign to libertarianism of the kind being described here.

Worth a read.

 

Kevin

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Grandson Of Joseph Stalin Defends His ancestor’s Reputation

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An article in The Daily Mail in which the grandson of Joseph Stalin berates those who criticise his grandfather. Stalin is, according to his grandson a much maligned figure. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. On reflection I think laughter is the only sensible response to such a risible view of history. Stalin ranks alongside Adolf Hitler as one of the 20th century’s mass murderers and no attempt to whitewash his reputation is going to fool anyone with an ounce of objectivity. For the article please visit, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2923188/Stalin-no-bloodthirsty-cannibal-Putin-lacks-brains-Grandson-Soviet-tyrant-defends-tyrant-s-reputation-rambling-rant.html

North Korea is Murdering People With Disabilities North Korean Defector Says

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On 30 November I published a post entitled “Lets Talk About Eugenics”, (http://newauthoronline.com/2014/11/30/lets-talk-about-eugenics/). In that piece I wrote about how eugenics has been embraced by people with divergent political views, including leading socialists, conservatives, liberals and, in the most extreme manifestation of eugenic measures Nazi Germany.

Eugenics lead, in it’s most virulent form to the Action T-4 Programme (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/t4.html) under which the Third Reich sterilised and murdered thousands of disabled people. One would hope that the attitudes which lead to Action T-4 perished with the defeat of Hitler’s Germany. However according to defectors from North Korea the killing of people with disabilities continues apace, (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2869792/Dwarfs-castrated-babies-left-suffer-horrific-deaths-Defector-claims-North-Korea-purging-disabled-population-humiliate-regime.html), with the disabled being used as guinea pigs in medical experiments and being forceably removed from their parents. Words such as horrific can not do justice to the barbarity of what the North Korean regime is inflicting on people with disabilities and the populace in general.

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Controversy Rages Over Mantel’s Fantasy About The Assasination Of Margaret Thatcher

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The author, Hilary Mantel has written a short story in which she imagines the assassination of the late Lady Thatcher. The story is set in 1983 and imagines a fictional scenario in which a middle-class lady allows an IRA terrorist into her house to assassinate the Prime Minister.

Mantel’s story has been condemned by people of all political complexions as being in poor taste and some are calling for the police to investigate. Others defend the story on the grounds of literary freedom. It is, they argue a work of fiction and Mantel has every write to express herself. For one of the many articles on this hot potato please see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2764520/Hilary-Mantel-unrepentant-backlash-grows-fantasies-assassinating-Margaret-Thatcher.html

Plans To Turn The Pub In Which Hitler Was Born Into A Museum

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A piece in The Daily Mail regarding plans to turn the Austrian pub in which Adolf Hitler was born into a museum. The building currently acts as a focal point for neo Nazis and supporters of the museum concept believe that showcasing Hitler’s crimes would, over time reduce the appeal of the building to neo Nazis while enhancing the public’s understanding of the dictator’s legacy. Others want the building to be destroyed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2737650/Austrian-pub-Adolf-Hitler-born-set-museum-dedicated-Nazi-leader-s-crimes.html

Help For Disabled Students To Be Cut

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As a registered blind person who is not able to read print I benefited, as a disabled student from the Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) which enabled me to purchase a Kurzweil reading machine. The Kurzweil translated printed text into speech via scanning books, documents etc enabling me to access material which was only available in print. The Kurzweil was extremely important in allowing me to study independently and obtain my BA and, later an MA in political theory.

I was concerned to read in The Guardian that the government intends to cut the amount of money available through the DSA due to it’s potential impact on people with disabilities. The support provided via the DSA is vital to many disabled students and the reduction of that assistance could cause disabled people to either not go on to further and/or higher education or (if they do go on) to suffer academically due to the lack of adequate support. I will be writing to my MP to raise my concerns. For the article please visit, http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/20/disabled-students-shut-out-government-cuts-allowance

The Man Who Saw Hell

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A moving article about a member of the SAS, John Randal who entered the Nazi death camp Belsen, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601131/The-man-stumbled-HELL-His-place-history-never-revealed-But-just-published-memoir-SAS-officer-recounts-uncovered-horrors-Belsen.html. Randal was one of the first to enter the death camp and, not surprisingly the recollection of what he saw has remained with him for the rest of his life.