Peace offering was a Trojan Horse
Re: “Not what I said – or what I hoped for”, Letters, July 28.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Communist China accused the USSR of “revisionism”. In that context it amounted to a “watering down” of Marxist principles, contrary to their accepted doctrine.
Now, in a curious variant, we have a continuing fairy story, one of faux injured innocence, quite properly taken to task by the slings and arrows of righteous wrath. We have the archetypal example in The Nation’s very own Lord Voldemort – “you know who” – doing a Queen Gertrude on us, and protesting way too much. Apparently now as a de facto admission of intellectual mordibundity, and in the usual gutter manner we have come to understand, Voldey seeks to rehabilitate himself in a “wasn’t me, gov’nor, ’twas those nasty democracy-lovin’ fellers, yer honour” (doffed cap) whinge. Grow up, Pikey, learn some manners, and we, the civilised and democratic elements here, will treat you accordingly. It’s hardly neurosurgery, unless you’re an incorrigible prat.
Further to this, the deserved chastisement of Pikey has seemingly resulted in an out-of-character wish to “elevate the quality of debate on this page and cut out this tiresome personal abuse” – while at the same time excusing his own, we note. Us alleged child-abuse supporters have always been all for reasoned and civilised debate. I, and doubtless others, will not stand idly by and read about how the champions of intolerance and wormtongue extremism continue to vent their bigoted spleens in this forum.
Certainly, Mr Milton, in his Burkean way, felt moved to speak truth to rank stupidity in Friday’s pages (“Appalled by casual use of the word ‘rape’”).
Finally, and contrary to Pike’s bipolar wish for peace to break out, we have this gem of conciliation: “Apology? Forget it, Dr Frank, Ordsall, Noah. You are certainly NOT getting one.” Of course not, oh prissy one; I expect nothing else. Some of us drink from the fountain of common sense and simple decency; others merely gargle.
I have no doubt whatsoever that we will doubtless bear witness to more of the extremists’ stupefying, small-minded Pooterism in succeeding editions of this newspaper.
Dr Frank
