It’s so perfect; it’s a reputable Western newspaper so you can share it in almost any setting, just preface it for plausible deniability with something like: “It’s a hilarious read, one of the greatest modern liberal intellectuals debates a genocidal maniac throthing at the mouth!”
Libs love the idea and usually swallow the bait expecting funzies, they looooove them a stuck-up Brit “talking truth to power” and handing out “hitchslaps”.
And then Stalin absolutely demolishes Wells and it really fucks with their world. Wells says FDR’s New Deal will bring about socialism in the USA and Stalin’s like nah cause the economy is in the hands of capitalists so at most you will get some concessions which capitalists will keep fighting to revert. Stalin’s arguments are so clear and concise, and his predictions are so plainly correct, while Wells is just being confidently wrong and terribly smug about it.
I had some success with it too, including one well-meaning lib literally telling me the next day, “Stalin was right” which are the three words I would not expect a lib utter under any circumstances.
Thanks for the link. I’ve only read one of Wells’ books and had never considered whatever his political views were. Even good science fiction tends to intertwine with very disappointing politics. Wells takes so many giant Ls here, not least of which is to fingerwag at Soviet success for its revolutionary necessities, which I’m sure would have been apparent had he been there to experience those conditions. He seems to imply he would have simply debatebro’d the Tzar into accepting some reforms. I get the impression Wells was convinced Keynesianism was some new higher and evolved form of socialism, which has to be the biggest L of them all.
This!
Also, when I need to discuss “change through burgeois electoralism” with libs I love sharing this interview:
https://web.archive.org/web/20240930111014/https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/1934/10/h-g-wells-it-seems-me-i-am-more-left-you-mr-stalin
It’s so perfect; it’s a reputable Western newspaper so you can share it in almost any setting, just preface it for plausible deniability with something like: “It’s a hilarious read, one of the greatest modern liberal intellectuals debates a genocidal maniac throthing at the mouth!”
Libs love the idea and usually swallow the bait expecting funzies, they looooove them a stuck-up Brit “talking truth to power” and handing out “hitchslaps”.
And then Stalin absolutely demolishes Wells and it really fucks with their world. Wells says FDR’s New Deal will bring about socialism in the USA and Stalin’s like nah cause the economy is in the hands of capitalists so at most you will get some concessions which capitalists will keep fighting to revert. Stalin’s arguments are so clear and concise, and his predictions are so plainly correct, while Wells is just being confidently wrong and terribly smug about it.
I had some success with it too, including one well-meaning lib literally telling me the next day, “Stalin was right” which are the three words I would not expect a lib utter under any circumstances.
They meant that specific interview of course, not Stalin in general, and they’re as left as libs come. Still couldn’t believe my ears.
Thanks for the link. I’ve only read one of Wells’ books and had never considered whatever his political views were. Even good science fiction tends to intertwine with very disappointing politics. Wells takes so many giant Ls here, not least of which is to fingerwag at Soviet success for its revolutionary necessities, which I’m sure would have been apparent had he been there to experience those conditions. He seems to imply he would have simply debatebro’d the Tzar into accepting some reforms. I get the impression Wells was convinced Keynesianism was some new higher and evolved form of socialism, which has to be the biggest L of them all.