Should The Labour Party Celebrate The Centenary Of The Revolution?

[Khandro]

Andrew Rosindell has tabled an extremely sound Early Day Motion countering the hard-left’s celebration of the Russian revolution centenary. The motion will remind the House – and the Labour front bench in particular – of the murderous consequences of that fateful ‘revolution’ which ushered in decades of oppression and misery for millions. It reads:

“That this House notes, with great regret, that 7 November 2017 marks 100 years since Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution which subsequently demonstrated, time and again, that Communism is a murderous political ideology, incompatible with liberty, self-government and the dignity of human beings, and injurious to the national, ethnic and religious traditions of the world’s peoples; further notes that Communism subjected millions to theft, surveillance, terror and ultimate destruction; acknowledges that the cultural, political and economic legacy of Soviet Communism still negatively affects vast numbers of people today; and accordingly believes that the crimes of Communism, together with those of its mirror image, National Socialism, must forever serve as a warning to humanity of the terrible consequences of totalitarianism in all its forms.”

Source: Guido Fawkes

[Old_Geezer]

If they want to.
Is there a political option that has been in power that is squeaky clean ?
Whatever it did it removed the previous system. Change is necessary for evolution.

[Kromovaracun]

I really don't see any reason Labour has to celebrate it. Even before the communist system committed its later sins, the October revolution itself toppled a government that (while seriously flawed) was attempting to build a young democracy in that country.

[naomi24]

Hardly a successful regime. It collapsed. What's to celebrate?

[ToraToraTora]

Russian revolution? USSR? that worked out didn't it? PMSL if I was labour I'd keep schtumm about it!

[ludwig]

It's entirely up to the Labour party to celebrate anything they like.

If they decide to celebrate things that aren't particularly worthy of celebration, it won't make them look very good, but that's their choice.

[naomi24]

I wonder why they appear to want to emulate it? What's the attraction? That doesn't seem to be terribly sensible.

[ToraToraTora]

that's the point Naomi, Labour do want to emulate it.

[Khandro]

BBC4 has been running some interesting related paraphernalia, I saw the other evening, film taken on a piece of land on the outskirts of Moscow in which there were dozens and dozens of sculptures of Corby's hero, Lenin. The Russians it seems dont want to be reminded of him.

Actually, I wouldn't mind owning one, not because of whom it is, but because some of them are bloody good stone carvings, and during the early Stalin years, making them was the only way a good sculptor could earn a crust, there being no private art sector under Communism - in fact, no private anything!

[naomi24]

TTT, so what's the attraction? Looking at similar regimes around the world, most of which have also collapsed, why is it so difficult to understand that they simply do not work and that once installed the populace, having once supported them, no longer want them?

[ichkeria]

The October Revolution should be celebrated by nobody.
Everyone forgets the February one, which should at least have been marked.
I also don't really see the point of Mr Rosindell's motion either, although if, in a debate, it smokes out the Marxists in Labour then well and good

[Khandro]

Do you think Mikey is quietly watching us?

[ToraToraTora]

Naomi, I wish I could explain, socialist/communists seem to ignore all the failures and all the studies that demonstrate time and again that it cannot work. The problem is that the leaders don't actually endure it anyway, in the USSR for example the establishment lived like the west whilst they imposed their ideology on the poor *** queuing up for a loaf. It seems inherent in the left wing thinking that success must be stopped and punished unless it's their own. The Rich must be stripped of wealth to give to the poor but they never seem to comprehend that wealth creation is stifled by this. Corbyn and co would impose socialism on us in an instant if they could.

[ludwig]

// why is it so difficult to understand that they simply do not work //

I don't think they're particularly interested in whether it actually works or not. It's remaining loyal to the ideology itself that's more important to them.

[naomi24]

But why would they Ludwig when their ideology is demonstrably unworkable? It makes no sense.

[naomi24]

TTT, //The problem is that the leaders don't actually endure it anyway, in the USSR for example the establishment lived like the west whilst they imposed their ideology on the poor *** queuing up for a loaf. //

That is absolutely right - and I speak from experience.

[jim360]

You once led a communist country and siphoned off the wealth of the proletariat?!

[Kromovaracun]

Of course it could also be that Labour do not actually want to impose Soviet-style socialism on the UK, which seems like a bit of a right-wing fantasy to me.

I have not noticed any support in Labour for a planned economy, or collectivization of agriculture, or...

[ludwig]

//But why would they Ludwig when their ideology is demonstrably unworkable? It makes no sense.//

I suppose it's like a Utopian ideal. Like 'let's end all war forever'. We all know it's impossible and will never happen, but we aspire to it anyway.

[naomi24]

Ludwig, I stopped aspiring to that when I stopped being a teenager. That's when I realised that idealism is just that. Time this lot grew up and realised it too.

[Gromit]

You would think this Government would have more important things to debate, like how to sort out the brexit shambles, or how To stop the Conservative Party infighting, than some stupid gimmick.
Complete waste of parliamentary time by a waste of time Government.