Sir,-Mr. Winchester strangely overlooks the world-publicised fact that in October last year a batch of notable Russian doctors (including a number of Jews) were arrested on the charge of murder and‘ other malpractices, to the distress of Israel and Jewry throughout the world. Recently a like publicity was given to the release of the doctors since Malenkov replaced Stalin. Your correspondent states that in the United States "there has been since the Civil War only one Jew in the Senate." One would like to know the authority for this statement. Mr. Winchester contrasts the Soviet Union, "a society where man is no longer the wolf to man," with the free world "so-called," which "needs a scapegoat and the whipping up of hatred and contempt for those of different nations, colours and beliefs," which "ig part of its very being." This is_indeed "spilling a bibful," but at least Mr. Winchester makes it plain where he stands. Your readers will have no difficulty in summing up the latter allegation, when applied to Great Britain and (save South Africa) to the Dominions, as utterly untrue. It would be "a bitter ireny" if a New Zealander, who must
have some knowledge of the relations between Pakeha and Maori, has made it. However, to correlate the exaltation of Soviet Russia with the blackguarding of the democracies (including one’s own country), is an unsubtle technique of which one wearies. Mr. Scott in the same issue of The Listener is also interested in scapegoats, but is more canny than Mr. Winchester. The "masses" in New Zealand are never likely to sympathise with and support "the dictatorship of'the proletariat... unrestricted by law and based on force." But Mr. Scott proceeds to point out that according to Stalin the dictatorship of the proletariat was. "a democracy of a new type"-‘"a dictatorship (apparently Mr. Scott’s words but Stalin’s meaning) "of the overwhelming majority over a tiny minority.". Why a dictatorship at all, "unrestricted by law and based on force," to govern a "tiny minority?" Tiny minorities have frequently been liquidated under dictatorships whether of the Fascist or Communist variety. Perhaps this is one of the chief reasons for their existence.
W. E.
BARNARD
(Tauranga)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19530501.2.12.2
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 720, 1 May 1953, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
364Untitled New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 720, 1 May 1953, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in