Should anyone wish to see a shining example of the stunning moral relativism of the Left today then hop over to the Independent's website and read the commentary by lefty comedian Mark Steel. It begins by slating the appalling human rights record of Saudi Arabia and its treatment of women, then in the second half it attacks the West for its belliscosity towards Iran whilst failing to mention her appaling human rights record and its treatment of women.
Iran you see is merely a victim of Western aggression thus outweighing its own record for torture, public executions, use of chemcial weapons in the war with Iraq, subjugationm of women etc etc. Those issues only matter in relation to Britain's poorly chosen allies you see. The so-called universalism of the fashionable Left's values (for not all of them are like this) is laid bare by the sheer contradiction of the argument Steel makes. You can also bet that if the West or Israel suddenly decided to be belliscose towards Saudi then they'd become instant victims of Western imperialism overnight and the human rights record wouldn't matter anymore. That is how it works you see.
27 comments:
If only Western governments would show some consistency, we wouldn't be so hated around the world. Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records on the planet, but you know that no-one will even mention it in conversation.
Ahem. It was Iraq that used chemical weapons, not Iran.
Ahem, actually they both did. Iran had phosgene. Iraq used a mixture of mustard gas and others nasty stuff.
Indeed the Left's hypocrisy is matched only by the Right when it comes to the Saudis.
Let me add to that, during the Iran/Iraq War when Iraq used mustard gas against border iranian outpost the Iranian responded in kind with phosgene. Death by either is equally nasty.
The biggest hypocrisy in all this is the way the west attempts to place our values on other peoples when it took us a thousand years to achieve it.
As for Steel, we really must remember he IS a comedian - and comedy is illogic.
But which way was the wind blowing?
"Indeed the Left's hypocrisy is matched only by the Right when it comes to the Saudis."
Ah yes, but it is only hypocritical if one ignores the moral argument. If one acts in an immoral way and accepts that they are acting mimmorally then they cannot be accused of moral hypocrisy.
"But which way was the wind blowing?"
I don't think it matters to the point being made regarding Iran and Iraq uses of chemical weapons.
The Iraqi use of mustard gas was much more extensive than any Iranian use of chemical weapons.And guess who supplied the mustard gas-western companies.There are injured survivors from these attacks still alive.
And your point is?
I'm afraid Steel is one of those so called lefties who determine their position on nearly everything by their anti-Americanism. Saudis - pro American = bad, Iran - anti American = good. There are quite a lot of Tories who do the same thing with Europe.
Also quite of British lefties who do the same with Europe I'd say.
Dizzy, could you perhaps suggest a league table of countries ranging from most odious to most fragrant?
I agree with you dizzy. Totally inconsistent. Just like those who spend their days blogging about 'lefties' whilst arse-licking their right wing reactionary friends in the Conservative Party. Shocking. Let he that is without sin....
Was that an attack on me or someone else?
Cap... fit.... wear it.
Well you are old so it's virtually law that not only should you push in in the supermarket queue but should also selectively hear and read that which fits in with your world view. There's bugger all I can do about it. If I write and support a Tory policy I am arse-licking, if I don't you choose to pretend it doesn't exist. *shrugs*
Tell me about the war again Uncle Bob, please!
Perhaps with age comes wisdom, dizzy. .. in which case you must be even younger than the spotty looking oik in your cartoon., although it doesn't look like the hair will last the journey.
Nobody likes a smart arse dizzy.
Plus not only are we oldies living longer but we are stronger too.
So you might get a clip round the ear.
I'm 72 years and still doing weight lifting.
I have the injuries to prove it.
Always makes me laugh when Mark Steele is described as, "a comedian", when was the last time he said anything intentionally funny?
He's just another batty old trot, who tried to front himself as a stand-up comedian, so he could get sympathetic idiots, to give him money for talking a load of six-form debating society bollocks!
Perhaps with age comes wisdom, dizzy
Not if you keep insisting on drinking tea out of those aluminium urns it doesn't.
you must be even younger than the spotty looking oik in your cartoon
It's called eternal youth old man, some of us have it, other don't. I rather like being called an oik though. Badge of honour really. I might even get it tattoo'd on my arm to go with the others.
although it doesn't look like the hair will last the journey.
The price one pays for having shaved it in crazy ways and dying it green over extended period I'm afraid. C'est la vie! At least I still have my looks, it's just a shame about the size of my...nah let's not go there.
cramerj said...
Nobody likes a smart arse dizzy.
Well you know what they say old stick. Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but it's also the highest form of intelligence. Thankfully I excel in both.
The Tories are a party of eternal youth! What? Are you doing the 5 rites?Eating vegetarian food?Doing Zen Buddhism?
Masturbation.
Everton wankers!
See now Bob that would have been funny if I hadn't known what the response would be and thus deliberately posted the comment as I did.
That explains the glasses.
See Bob, that was funny
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