Queen Elizabeth II (Update: the Queen has passed)
Not like you to turn a thread about one thing into a polemic about Marxism...
With respect, just create a post called the evils of Marxism and leave it on there. I can't even make a post about the remarkable life of a Black American sports-cinema-singing star without having to partake in a long series of tiresome arguments with you about Stalin etc. I don't come on here to change the world, to hector people with different views, or to get a long lecture on historic events. You're welcome to your opinions and I respect your historical knowledge, but you're combativeness towards any left wing point of view makes discussions with you largely stressful and pointless.
This is exactly what happened here when we had a politics page and was why I disappeared for a few years. Personally I would prefer it if we just agreed to disagree, but my blood pressure and creaky old heart means I can't be bothered to argue with someone every time I make a post. And if I want to be told I'm wrong or get a lecture explaining why, I'll just talk to kids or my University lecturer father thanks.
It's not personal, and you make some excellent points (sometimes) but I really can't be bothered to have to argue every time I type a word on an EE forum.
Paul Robeson was a great man who did a lot of great things in his life. No one's perfect and Ill leave it at that.
Left-wingers or liberals, as long as their reasonable, sensible, and make good, rational points, and most do sometimes, I have no problem with that.
Its just it's difficult for me to look past the many internal contradictions and the often-authoritarian streak thats always run through Marxism. Sure, you have Fabians but I wouldn't consider someone like Bernie Sanders or even past Labour PM's like Ramsey McDonald, Atlee, or even Harold Wilson to be "Marxist". Far from it, in fact.
If Ive been too argumentative or came on too strong, I apologize. One has to be very careful not to allow one's preferences to become an obsession and all-out consume him.
In fact, as a show of good faith and because I REALLY, REALLY do respect you, I'll delete my above-written responses to you. Its one thing for me to say I mean well, its another thing entirely to follow through with it and while we might disagree on some things politically, Geldo, I'd like to think we're both on the side of the Angels.