I added Harry Barnes' Three Score Years and Ten to my blogroll a while ago, and his latest posts demonstrate the calibre of the man:
Firstly, he critiques Nick Cohen's What's Left in quite a bit of detail. He's been extremely thorough in showing where he agrees with Cohen, where he doesn't, and most importantly, with good arguments.
Secondly, he demonstrates how Cohen has ignored people like him who opposed the Iraq War, are critical of the US and UK occupation and yet offer support for Iraqis, particularly socialists and trades unionists.
I have, following Harry's posts, gone here: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=202 to do a small bit.
I notice that Nick Cohen has been too busy promoting his book to publicise the efforts of Trade Unionists to support their Iraqi counterparts in the matter. It's easy to be 'leftier than thou' isn't it!
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2 comments:
Thanks for your comments on my blog and for this write up. Although I found Nick Cohen's book to have serious flaws, I also found it to have one big thing in its favour. To me it was highly readable. I am a slow reader and took extra time over "What's Left?" as I made elaborate notes and comments on it. Yet I read it over a 72 hour period - starting it on the London Underground and then on a train journey to Chesterfield. Of course, as I am retired I could find the time.
You might not wish to buy it as this will add to its sales, but it is worth borrowing - although it is likely to make your blood boil at times.
No problems (I had to edit this post a bit, as I realised that I had not mentioned why your review was so good).
I have a great pile of books already waiting for me to read them, and some of them won't make my blood boil, so it'll be a while before I seek What's Left out.
And no, I suspect if I did read it, I would not buy it...
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