Opinions on 'Victims of Communism Memorial'?

[mokawanis]

October 07, 2005
'Victims of Communism Memorial' to be built in DC

A 90-square-foot memorial honoring the victims of communist regimes is in the works and is to be erected on National Park Service lands within view of the capitol in DC:

The 90-square-foot monument would be built on National Park Service land one block west of the Capitol. A central feature will be a bronze Goddess of Democracy statue similar to the papier-mache and Styrofoam statue erected by pro-democracy students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during 1989 demonstrations.

The reasoning behind its location:

"Its location, with views of the U.S. Capitol, a world-renowned symbol of democracy, is an appropriate setting in which to remember the victims of tyranny," said John V. Cogbill, chairman of the federal agency that oversees planning in the District of Columbia and nearby Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

http://www.meateatingleftist.com/mt/archives/2005/10/victims_of_comm.php

[FloridaPat]

1. Is there enough free acreage in DC to put up a memorial to all victims

of all tyranny? I think that is one stupid idea. How about a memorial to peace. I don't remember ever seeing on of them. Isn't that what governments are for? Isn't that what Christians and Muslims are supposidly praying for for thousands of years? Let me guess - Halliburton is getting the contract?

[jonnyblitz]

2. Isn't this being sponsered by right wing groups who supported

fascist dictatorships in south america during the Reagan years and probably before and after? selective "memorializing" to promote a political agenda if you ask me..

[patdem]

3. Hopefully they include all the workers in America whose jobs were

sent to China? I think they are victims of communism?

[noahmijo]

9. LoL that would be funny if it weren't sadly true.

[acmejack]

10. No, they're the collateral damage of Capitalism.

How ridiculous, a "victims of communism" monument. What about a "victims of the Janjawid" memorial? We could even intervene there, albeit belatedly, and perhaps save some of those soon to be victims.

Perhaps we can build them a nice monument too someday.

[oldlady]

4. Godess of Democracy

to be replica of Ayn Rand, perhaps? Holding a copy of "The Flat Earth" tome on her shoulder?

[eallen]

5. Why not? Communism killed tens of millions.

Communism. Fascism. Naziism. Fundamentalism. All these isms are dangerous.

:hippie:

[McKenzie]

6. The names of the students murdered in Tiananmen Square

crushed by tanks during a peaceful protest, should go on the monument if it is erected.

oh...I forgot...the west trades with China, that beacon of democracy and supporter of human rights (and despoiler of the beautiful Tibetan people).

Just after it happened I spoke to a group of Chinese students in Dundee. They were standing silently in protest. No shouting, no banging of drums, just dignified grief.

If any names should go on that memorial, and I'm not sure what I think about it, they should include the names of those Chinese teenagers who were murdered.

<edit>grammar

[Fenris]

7. It's odd...

How a monument like this will be built while China controls most of our debt and we reap the benefits of their slave labour economy. A confused message, no?

[Hardrada]

8. How about Victims of Capitalism?

You couldn't count the dead.

[Joe Chi Minh]

11. I'm sure you'll have one that will look just as impressive

for the immensely more numerous victims of capitalism, one day. Funny, how the far right still think they're going to have the last word!

It reminds me of the saying, "If you want to make God laugh, just tell him what you're going to do tomorrow." Also, "The best-laid plans of mice and men...." And we know which of these two, those chicken hawks are!

[mokawanis]

12. It still strikes me as odd

I'm not a big fan of memorials in general but this one struck me as odd. While communism has certainly claimed countless victims, so have capitalism and corporations, fascism and tyranny the world over. How do you build a memorial to all that, and how do you in good conscience leave out references to America's ill-advised (putting it gently) excursions over the span of years? Given its planned location, I can't help but imagine myself standing at the new memorial and looking around DC, thinking about all the innocent people who have suffered at the hands of any and all governments, including my own.

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. Precisely.

I would impose an exclusion zone, ten-miles in diameter, around the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for all parliamentarians, even if they'd fought in the wars concerned, themselves.