May Day came and went and Fidel didn’t show up. I guess he’s still waiting for his suits to come back from the cleaners.
Of course all the MSM had reporters in Havana breathlessly waiting for fidel to show up. And playing right along into the revolucion propaganda games. In yesterday’s bloggers’ call with Tony Snow, one of the questions asked was, what did TSnow think of the allegations by the reporter yesterday that Cuba’s economic disaster is due to the US “embargo”; his reply was that there’s an unbroken record of economic failure in socialist states, which comes as a direct result of repressing people.
Fidel was a no-show but Che’s alive, at least in the minds of some.
I firmly support Ilya Somin’s May Day proposal (h/t dr. Sanity)
May Day began as a holiday for socialists and labor union activists, not just communists. But over time, the date was taken over by the Soviet Union and other communist regimes and used as a propaganda tool to prop up their regimes. I suggest that we instead use it as a day to commemorate those regimes’ millions of victims. The authoritative Black Book of Communism estimates the total at 80 to 100 million dead, greater than that caused by all other twentieth century tyrannies combined. We appropriately have a Holocaust Memorial Day. It is equally appropriate to commemorate the victims of the twentieth century’s other great totalitarian tyranny. And May Day is the most fitting day to do so. I suggest that May Day be turned into Victims of Communism Day. I am, of course, open to suggestions for the official name of this day of commemoration. Maybe someone will come up with a better one than I have.
The main alternative to May 1 is November 7, the anniversary of the communist coup in Russia. However, choosing that date might be interpreted as focusing exclusively on the Soviet Union, while ignoring the equally horrendous communist mass murders in China, Camobodia, and elsewhere. So May 1 is the best choice.
I have referred to in previous posts to The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression. This book should be required reading at every college and university in this country and around the world.
All the same, name-calling is OK at CNN.
Media Target: The US Military
Taranto nails it: So according to the Beeb, you’re controversial and divisive if leftists hate or distrust you.
Speaking of controversial and divisive, NZ Bear’s under attack. I suggest we all keep a cool head and give NZ a little time to reorganize his system. Dr Sanity had a moment of joy, too.
Special thanks to Larwyn for the links.
