Uncle Joe

[libertango]

Lance Knobel is the man behind Davos Newbies, a blog whose interest has long outlived its title (Lance was once an organizer for the Davos forum). Lance has some sharp observations about the parallels between Bush, et al., and Stalin:

"...I have to confess that there were many points in Stalin where my thoughts turned to today’s Washington. Consider some of the parallels. Stalin’s absurd promotion of the pseudo-science of Trofim Lysenko. Check. The elevation of doctrine over truth. Check. The importance of agreeing with the leader even if decisions are clearly wrong. Check. The relentless manipulation of news. Check."

Given the Trotskyist origins of many of the intellectually inclined "neo-cons," perhaps we should just call them "neo-joes," or "neo-Stalinists," instead?

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

The problem is that, as true as any of this may be, as soon as we say it the mainstream stops listening. I think this is one of our most profound problems, and I don't know how to overcome it. What do you do when you can't talk about what you need to talk about?

B

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I think there are a couple of problems, and I don't know how solve either of them. 1: no one likes to be taken for a chump, and to show them they have been following a leader who has terrible traits gets their back up.

2: Most people think things like this are normal, so it isn't until afterwards, when the effects are seen that anyone says, "oh, that's what was going on."

It's a cassandra problem.

The best thing I can see to do about it is to take on each problem, as it comes, and solve that. Sort of like excising tumors in the hope the cancer can be prevented from metastasizing.

TK

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on (1) and (2).

As for your solution, that's what I'm trying to do -- at least for the problems where I have some expertise. But I'm not optimistic.

B

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Nor I, sadly, but the only choice is to give up and give in, which my cynicism isn't quite up to doing yet, though I have started looking to where I might want to aim the lifeboat if I jump ship.

TK