Monday, June 8, 2020

David Cannadine reevaluates Anthony Blunt's case. No victims

I was surprised to hear a reevaluation of the Anthony Blunt's case.

Couple of days ago BBC Radio 4 aired a podcast on Anthony Blunt, in which David Cannadine, the current President of the British Academy, reconsiders Blunt's case of spying for the Soviet Union and the resulting social and political consequences. Interestingly, no one asks the question of Blunt's moral responsibility towards victims of the repugnant, genocidal Communist dictatorship.

Quote from the program's web page: "David Cannadine speaks to many of Blunt’s former students and those directly involved in the raw and personal clash of ideals over Blunt's position, some of whom remained sympathetic to him as a great intellectual and great teacher, and saw themselves as defenders of intellectual liberty against a political witch-hunt."

Look ma, no victims! Communism presented as an intellectual exercise without mass murder, torture, expulsions, evictions.

As it happens, my family, including myself personally have been deeply affected by Communist persecution. As a result, I am working at a London's greengrocer's, after being fired from a university in Poland. I may be the only Physics PhD (University of Florida 1995) in that role anywhere in the world today.