Now the central and east European correspondent of The Economist, I have 20-plus years experience reporting from and about the region. Articles from The Economist publications are copyright. But this site has no connection with The Economist Newspaper, which does not necessarily endorse anything posted here. There is also a weekly mailing of the same material: to receive it, send an e-mail to edwardlucas-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Monday, September 29, 2008
Take a look at this...
Russian propaganda video about Georgia (in Russian)
Offtopic: re: today's piece about Austrian elections in Telegraph
Mr. Lucas
I'm admire you for your writings about Baltics and Russia, but the piece about Austrian elections... well, let me just say it was a bit of eye opener. Granted, you did not descend so low as to put out improbable sounding, un-sourced “Nazi-this-Nazi-that” calumnies the way Times of London, Daily Mail and many other British papers did, but still - it would be interesting to learn on what basis do you state for a fact that Mr. Strache "has associated with neo-Nazis in the past"? Those accusations were put before the Austrian voters and, IMO, were short on evidence and entirely unconvincing.
Have you read one sentence from FPÖ's program? Can you quote one sentence from that program, or from the speeches at the rallies or meetings, which would support another charge stated as fact "unprecedentedly virulent campaign against immigrants and foreigners"? Because in Telegraph piece you didn't...
It seems that part of British press collectively wants to put out Austria in bad light. „This reader“ of yours feels:- it puts itself out in bad light in the process.
If you read my Telegraph piece you will see that I am not accusing the FPO of virulently anti-foreigner campaign (though I do think Strache falls into that category). Haider is troublingly ambiguous about the Nazi era and deserves criticism for that (anstaendige Beschaeftigungspolitik is not a good description of the Third Reich's labour policies). My point, made explicitly, is that Austria is not facing fascism, but the collapse of the old political model.
Impressive!
ReplyDeleteI wonder who made it?
Offtopic: re: today's piece about Austrian elections in Telegraph
ReplyDeleteMr. Lucas
I'm admire you for your writings about Baltics and Russia, but the piece about Austrian elections... well, let me just say it was a bit of eye opener. Granted, you did not descend so low as to put out improbable sounding, un-sourced “Nazi-this-Nazi-that” calumnies the way Times of London, Daily Mail and many other British papers did, but still - it would be interesting to learn on what basis do you state for a fact that Mr. Strache "has associated with neo-Nazis in the past"? Those accusations were put before the Austrian voters and, IMO, were short on evidence and entirely unconvincing.
Have you read one sentence from FPÖ's program? Can you quote one sentence from that program, or from the speeches at the rallies or meetings, which would support another charge stated as fact "unprecedentedly virulent campaign against immigrants and foreigners"? Because in Telegraph piece you didn't...
It seems that part of British press collectively wants to put out Austria in bad light. „This reader“ of yours feels:- it puts itself out in bad light in the process.
Well. Nothing new to me. I recognise the rhetoric. The whole question is when does the cold heat up. Soon, it seems - time to move to Oz?
ReplyDeleteOh dear... this is worse than in the USSR.
ReplyDeleteThat video is full of photos of Georgian civilians sold as Ossetians... Gebbels would envy Mr Putin
ReplyDeleteGK
ReplyDeleteIf you read my Telegraph piece you will see that I am not accusing the FPO of virulently anti-foreigner campaign (though I do think Strache falls into that category). Haider is troublingly ambiguous about the Nazi era and deserves criticism for that (anstaendige Beschaeftigungspolitik is not a good description of the Third Reich's labour policies). My point, made explicitly, is that Austria is not facing fascism, but the collapse of the old political model.
Hope that clarifies things
E
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ReplyDelete