The Proud Man Of The Left

Everything was cut and dried, quite straightforward.

He knew what was right, and what was wrong,

And what was Racist!

 

Some of his friends were of ethnic background,

African, Indian, and Chinese ethnicity, but culturally all very British,

born and raised in this potentially great land of opportunity and equality.

It all created a strong sense of care and concern.

If anyone insulted any of these friends in any way he was likely to be defensive,

To his credit I suppose.

He never studied much history himself,

But he knew all the issues of slavery, and colonialism, and racism,

Committed by white men like himself against primarily black people of African ancestry,

And ‘native’ people from the rest of the colonial Empires.

 

He was a clever man, technically quite capable, a scientist,

but also good with figures and methodical.

He had never written a story or a poem,

Or picked up a guitar and strummed a few chords,

Despite being a keen fan of anarchic and raucous rock music,

In fact everything could be construed as funny,

Except anything that could be construed as racism,

And that was construed as a major crime,

Regardless of the intention of the perpetrator.

 

He was of course a card carrying member of the Labour Party,

And a proud Corbynite at one time.

He was also very much in favour of Britain staying in the European Union,

And considered himself more to be a citizen of Europe than of Great Britain.

 

Of course the proud leftist of today may know little of real history,

or possible alternative systems of the left.

For example gay men ( and women) have still not been well thought of in ex Soviet places,

like Russia, Belarus, Central Asia, or in still communist Cuba,

and I very much doubt they are much liked in North Korea,

although that is rather another level of extreme.

And what about China?

 

Cuba is certainly quite multiracial in its communism,

I would have thought, as many of its exiles were white,

But Russia may not be a particularly kind place to ethnic races and foreigners?

And women’s rights?

I am not sure that communists have promoted women’s rights as much as western socialists in recent years.

 

 

Now, to the Proud Man of the Left, defending statues, that was just plain stupid! Why should anyone care about those statues, raised to commemorate rich and famous statesmen or businessmen, exploiters of other races, slaveholders and colonialists? The best place for these sort of statues was evidently to be put in museums and forgotten about by all but those who wanted to go to see them. Why should these exploiters of other races, and even of their own people, be honoured on the streets?

 

Other people who wanted to protect the statues did not necessarily see it that way. They did not honour the old statesmen or warriors, but were reminded of their history by them, perhaps not always comforted by the truths of the past, but understanding something of it at least, and not forgetting.

 

But what would he have been like if he had been born and educated during Britain’s Victorian or Edwardian Empire. I could imagine he might have made a good civil servant, perhaps finding fortune, and perhaps even fame in Britain’s colonies, picking up an Indian or African native girlfriend and enjoying the pleasures of Empire. Would he have accepted the children as his own, or returned home to blighty to find a European wife and settle down? People lived in a more racist world, and they had little choice but to be a part of the world they lived in.

 

 

Stalin’s little policemen, getting people out of their beds in the middle of the night,

And making them explain their thoughts.

When will they be satisfied with explanations?

Put me on trial for being a racist!

I know I am not,

But do you?

What do you know?