Follow up
1. On anti-Roma racism and creeping fascism in Italy
Following this post (linked to sternly by Hak Mao at the Popinjays), read this brilliant one at Flesh is Grass (thanks Modernity for tip).
2. On Radovan Karadzic
This post was posted at Engage, where it has generated some interesting debate. The debate at Shiraz Socialist (surely actually more influential than me!) has also been interesting. As noted there, the deniers and apologisers - the RCP's Mick Hume, freelance weirdo Neil Clark - are already out in force. In the discussion at Dave Osler's excellent post, Andy Newman of Socialist Unity, who strikes me as a generally decent bloke, seems to give the deniers some moral courage by suggesting the figure of 8000 for the Srebrenica massacre may be media-massaged. Modernity has been responding vigorously, including posting links to resources that can help combat the deniers.
Flesh is Grass also has an excellent post on Karadzic, which includes a link to this great piece at HP (on which also see Kellie). Shiraz Socialist returns here.
3. Best blogs
Flushed from my placing 160th in the Wikio's completely objective and scientific list of "influential" UK blogs, I notice at Socialist Unity that Iain Dale is touting for his top 100 political blogs list again. You have to be listed at Total Politics to be nominated, which I am, which means you can vote for me:
And talking of Shuggy, read his brilliant post on workfare.
Following this post (linked to sternly by Hak Mao at the Popinjays), read this brilliant one at Flesh is Grass (thanks Modernity for tip).
2. On Radovan Karadzic
This post was posted at Engage, where it has generated some interesting debate. The debate at Shiraz Socialist (surely actually more influential than me!) has also been interesting. As noted there, the deniers and apologisers - the RCP's Mick Hume, freelance weirdo Neil Clark - are already out in force. In the discussion at Dave Osler's excellent post, Andy Newman of Socialist Unity, who strikes me as a generally decent bloke, seems to give the deniers some moral courage by suggesting the figure of 8000 for the Srebrenica massacre may be media-massaged. Modernity has been responding vigorously, including posting links to resources that can help combat the deniers.
Flesh is Grass also has an excellent post on Karadzic, which includes a link to this great piece at HP (on which also see Kellie). Shiraz Socialist returns here.
3. Best blogs
Flushed from my placing 160th in the Wikio's completely objective and scientific list of "influential" UK blogs, I notice at Socialist Unity that Iain Dale is touting for his top 100 political blogs list again. You have to be listed at Total Politics to be nominated, which I am, which means you can vote for me:
Simply email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com . If you have a blog, please encourage your readers to do the same. I’ll then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point. The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th. Please type Top 10 in the subject line.Or, you could consider voting for: Flesh is Grass, A Cloud in Trousers, Paul Anderson's Gauche, Ian Bone, Modernity or Shuggy (to list, in no particular order, the blogs I like which I notice at Total Politics, and not counting NormBlog which will get loads of votes anyway).
And talking of Shuggy, read his brilliant post on workfare.
Comments
No one has ever suggested that it is taboo, rather there is fairly clear cut evidence out there and to dispute it, is perfectly valid, but those disputing it should state their reasons, is it academic curiosity? some form of perfectionism? or some politically motivated malice?
By all means question any figures, study them but don't dismiss them without a logical or consistent reason.
That was my point with Newman, he's a professional engineer.
Therefore I hoped that he would base his views on evidence, something concrete, not the voices in his head or some spurious notion with no relevance to the facts. Sadly Newman couldn't substantiate his points, so I was disappointed, but not shocked.
I, like many others, prefer evidence based reasoning and on these issues if the objective professionals in the Balkans, after researching the subject at length, have come to the conclusion that more than 8,000 people were killed at Srebrenica, then after reviewing their work I'm tempted to believe them.
Until someone provides concrete evidence to the contrary, that either
1) the researchers falsified the evidence,
2) were doing it in bad faith
3) or missed something then I am at a loss to understand why some people would quibble about the massacre at Srebrenica?
If such people continue with an irrational "revisionism" then it is not unreasonable to assume that they are politically motivated to minimise the culpability of the Bosnian Serb leadership?
that's my point, which I think is not unreasonable.
PS: Bob, Newman's a bit flaky, he comes out with some very weird stuff and when pulled up on it, often declines to respond. After years in the SWP, years, he's reverted to some form of Tankie?
can't understand it my self, but Newman can talk sense once in a while, as you'd expect of an highly educated bloke with 30+ years of political activism.
I tend to agree with Newman on unions and anti-fascism, but don't get me or him started on Tibet!
Fuck me -- it's like reading benzodiazepines instead of chucking the fuckers doon yer neck like.