Back in 2009 Slate published a piece containing the story about a fake chess match between Stalin
and chief of the secret police Nikolai Yezhov.
Chess was a natural fit for the Soviet Union. For one thing,
many of its thinkers and leaders were avid chess players. Lenin was a serious player,
but Russian author Maxim Gorky claimed Lenin got angry when he lost. Leon Trotsky
reportedly played in Vienna and Paris. Stalin cared so much about his reputation
as a chess master that he publicized a fake game in which he claimed to defeat party
loyalist and future chief of the secret police Nikolai Yezhov. (Stalin later had
him executed.)
In which case, how dominant does a political position have
to be before improbable lies are good enough for general release? To my mind
political correctness has reached that point already.
8 comments:
There is neither lie nor truth - there is the State line.
"In which case, how dominant does a political position have to be before improbable lies are good enough for general release? To my mind political correctness has reached that point already."
Certainly it has, but thankfully we retain the possibility of dissent. The problem for the new politically correct elite is that improbable lies - the really ridiculous, patently self-serving ones - can still be held up for scrutiny and abuse. The message is that if they lie about the small stuff, then they can lie about the big issues. That's why it's important to never give in.
Remember Mao's record-breaking river swim?
http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/1999098/chairman-maos-historic-swim-glorified-china
And the "Dear Leaders" golf prowess amongst other things.................
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/6/5186/10-myths-that-are-facts-in-north-korea-kim-jong-il-invented-the-hamburger
There must have been a moment when state broadcasting like the BBC became blatant fake news, and therefore ignored as such.
I think it was soon after GB Inc decided to quit the EU, and President Trump took the reigns in the USA. Snowflakes and SJWs then began a whimper of rage, and can't really accept that they're losers now!
James - that's about it.
Sam - I agree, never give in.
Sackers - crikey that brought back memories. I well recall thinking how stunningly stupid it was. At the time I was baffled as to why anyone could go through with a deception so strikingly fraudulent.
Wiggia - and apparently he never used a toilet. It's weird.
Scrobs - I think the internet has a lot to do with it. Why watch BBC news anyway - property millionaires reading stuff off the internet?
My Dad was a good chess player, as he was deaf he was not distracted easily. He played for the County and was usually one of those selected to take on travelling international Masters. This could be a long post so I will skip to the point. Stalin if he played enough and was good enough would have had several different approaches in his mind when playing. If, like my Dad, he came up with the unexpected, that was part of the skill.
Demetrius - I think Stalin was probably a good player, but had not reached a professional standard and that is what gave the game away.
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