This is a guest post by MoreMediaNonsense
The current situation in Iran is causing some real dilemmas for the far Left. Many of the Islamist excusing Respect tendency seem to be grudging to say the least in their support for getting rid of the theocracy.
One particularly conflicted chap is John Wight at Socialist Unity. His latest post is equivocal on the issues, mainly because of the supposed support for Ahmadinejad from “the proletariat”. Of course also of importance is the sins of the UK :
“The British media, it has to be said, have once again been a disgrace with the bias of their coverage. In fact, you’d think that the millions in Iran who self evidently support Ahmadinejad don’t exist, given the absence of pro-government voices on the news and in newspaper reports.”
Oh dear – obviously we should hang our heads in shame.
Later in the thread Wight comes up with some classic stuff – putting the idiot politics of some on the far Left in a nutshell :
“#14 – Apollo, of course I don’t agree with women not being allowed to stand for elections in Iran, but what of the women who support the culture ND social mores under which they exist in Iran? You see, this cultural universalism you espouse is something I reject. I prefer to look at the imperfections in my own culture, of which there are many, instead of judging those in others.
Moreover, women are allowed to stand for election in Israel, the US and this country, of course, so that makes it okay that each has been responsible for slaughtering countless women and children throughout the region, does it?
Comment by John Wight — 19 June, 2009 @ 2:14 pm”
What a marvelous argument, especially the last bit – having women candidates is supposed (by who ?) to excuse the “crimes” of Israel ?
Also according to Wight arguing for rights for women worldwide is “espousing cultural universalism” – interesting. I wonder how that would apply to opposing apartheid in South Africa and racism in the US Deep South?
I suppose these days we shouldn’t be surprised at the strangeness of these positions from a figure on the Left, but really it never fails to amaze the bizarre arguments self styled Leftists come up with in opposing the “imperialism” of “cultural universalism”.
