May 1968 Daniel Cohn-Bendit

[nineteensixtyseven]

Totalitarian? Stalin? Wasn't this the same 1968 movement that was crushed by Stalinist tanks in Prague and derided by the CGT and PCF in Paris? Hmm.. let's ignore the history shall we and make some lazy remarks!

Soviet tanks crushed the 1968 movement in Paris and Frankfurt and Berkeley? News to me.

The revolt in Prague was against Marxist totalitarianism. The western student movement was led by trots and Maoists and other devotees of the same totalitarianism.

That represents a simplistic and narrow analysis of les événements; they were not as strictly ideological as you suggest; they railed against the illusion of western democracy and the tyranny of Soviet totalitarianism rather than for a similar hierarchical social order; the intellectual influences were not as much Maoist in most cases as Situationist, Anarchist etc (Guy Debord, Regis Debray). Even the slogans of the soixante-huitards will give you an insight into the often conflicting but usually libertarian aims. To be Left is not necessarily to be totalitarian and to argue otherwise is a fundamental misunderstanding or a deliberate disingenuousness.

Well the Czechs would have been quite happy with that illusion. If it had been an illusion the likes of Cohn would have been arrested, tortured, executed or sent to labour camps.

Interestingly, there was a similar 'libertarian' ethos in Moscow and Petrograd in the early years of the Russian revolution and we all know where that ended.

I don't disagree with you; liberal capitalism with all its flaws is definitely preferable to what the Czechs had in Eastern Europe. Indeed there was, the Russian Revolution was arguable hijacked by the Bolsheviks in their coup for power.

[fergalr]

Arguably?

[Eddiepops]

Most Irish Greens have, however, followed him in abjectly surrendering to the European super state. For reasons still unexplained.

We did? I must have been off that day

[Catalpa]

DCB used to live with Conor Cruise O'Brien out in Howth IIRC - recovering from a failed assasination attempt I think?

Anyone remember the details?

[popper]

Most Irish Greens have, however, followed him in abjectly surrendering to the European super state. For reasons still unexplained.

We did? I must have been off that day

Yes. You support Lisbon. Did you not see the news that day? If the Greens were not in power you would be against it. Very principled.

[Eddiepops]

Most Irish Greens have, however, followed him in abjectly surrendering to the European super state. For reasons still unexplained.

We did? I must have been off that day

Yes. You support Lisbon. Did you not see the news that day? If the Greens were not in power you would be against it. Very principled.

We do? I definitely must have been out that day. I do remember going to a members' conference where we actually voted not to support the Treaty, but that doesn't seem to be what you are referring to. How confusing

[freedomlover]

DCB used to live with Conor Cruise O'Brien out in Howth IIRC - recovering from a failed assasination attempt I think?

Anyone remember the details?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it was him. I think it was his equally crazy German equivalent of the time, Rudi Dutschke, who stayed with Conor Cruise O'Brien. Of course, Daniel is also German, but back then he was French.

[Catalpa]

DCB used to live with Conor Cruise O'Brien out in Howth IIRC - recovering from a failed assasination attempt I think?

Anyone remember the details?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it was him. I think it was his equally crazy German equivalent of the time, Rudi Dutschke, who stayed with Conor Cruise O'Brien. Of course, Daniel is also German, but back then he was French.

Maybe it was that guy - its a long time ago now.

1968 was some year all right!

I was in Paris in '68 but later in the year when things had died down. Also in Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of the Soviet led Invasion.

[sackville]

His arrogance is actually pretty standard for federalist MEPs (and there a lot of them).

I recommend not giving them any further power

hear ,hear!

[popper]

Most Irish Greens have, however, followed him in abjectly surrendering to the European super state. For reasons still unexplained.

We did? I must have been off that day

Yes. You support Lisbon. Did you not see the news that day? If the Greens were not in power you would be against it. Very principled.

We do? I definitely must have been out that day. I do remember going to a members' conference where we actually voted not to support the Treaty, but that doesn't seem to be what you are referring to. How confusing

Must be even more confusing then that your Ministers are ignoring all of that and supporting their chums in Government? Or maybe I've missed something?????