Comments on: The red and the green http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/ Journalism from London. Mon, 28 May 2012 07:28:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Inna http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-909 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:36:34 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-909 I have a semi-serious question which I think deserves at least some attention. Namely: is Terry Pratchett’s Small Gods still legal? Or in accordance with international laws?

Regards,

Inna

]]> By: Empress Trudy http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-906 Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:42:29 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-906 Only a dolt would imagine this is about defaming ‘religion’. It’s about putting Islam beyond all criticism; legally, politically and in the media. It’s not about free speech, it’s about domination under an implied threat of street violence, ‘international justice’ and the like.

]]> By: Ross http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-891 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:01:59 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-891 To a lay reader like myself, I often wonder how all these parties, groups and sects keep up themselves with who supports what and who not.
I also wonder when an argument can be made without having it pointed out that America is open to criticism. Nowhere is immune but it shouldn’t always have to be presumed that anyone thinks America/the west is angelic. Ben Anderson shows this frustration nicely. Know anything about holidays in dangerous zones, Ben?

]]> By: Steve http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-890 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:29:12 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-890 Oh ok. But isn’t this just realpolitik, if admittedly distasteful? It happens all the time at the UN.

Also I’m not really sure about Chavez as ‘anti-democratic’. He wants the opportunity to be able to be elected president past his maximum number of terms, and I think this is stupid, but we have no maximum number of terms here in the UK either. And his attempt to extend his potential rule was voted down by the people.

]]> By: Nick Cohen http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-889 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:22:11 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-889 Not me. I’m saying that he used to believe in communism not liberalism. Now atheistic old Soviets are allying with theocratic Islamists

]]> By: Steve http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-888 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:58:16 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-888 Where exactly does the idea that Lukashenko ever believed in liberal values come from?

]]> By: Ben Anderson http://nickcohen.net/2009/04/02/the-red-and-the-green/#comment-886 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:16:23 +0000 http://nickcohen.net/?p=654#comment-886 The left and the totalitarian atavistic right should make extremely strange bed-fellows. But they seem to be getting on fine, don’t they?

Why oh why do left wingers want to be associated in any way with these mistaken groups.

The left-wing onanism surrounding Chavez is a clear example of this idiocy. Just because he is anti-American, he’s A-OK. Just because he is anti-globalisation, he’s A-OK. Just because he claims he is in politics to help the poor, he’s A-OK.

When will the left learn that it is not just George Bush who does false dichotomies (“You’re either with us, or against us”)?

You can oppose American mistakes and not get in bed with Chavez and other pseudo-left wingers, who in fact are far happier with the extreme right.

You can fight for equality and fair living standards for the poorers, without insisting on the institutionalisation of revanchist Islam.

And you can choose to support a left-wing which doesn’t kowtow to irrationality and the inevitable extremism that follows.

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