Harriet Harman needs a moral compass

DPT

People on the Left - including myself - need to understand that just because Castro is perhaps the world's most famous socialist doesn't mean that we can ignore his abysmal human rights record. Castro may have made some modest improvements in the post-revolution period, but since then has made no moves to allow his people freedom of thought, choice or expression. This is clearly unacceptable in the 21st century. I am a democratic socialist, like Harriet Harman claims to be. How, then, she can claim Fidel Castor to be a hero within our movement is a sad indictment of hypocrisy and turning a blind eye to our fellow human beings for the sake of politics.

Fergus Pickering

I am sure Castro is not nice. But which Central or South American ruler is nice? This is not a debating point. I really want to know. Perhaps James Forsyth could give us a list with points - 10 for cuddly like Barack Obama, 0 for unspeakable like Pol Pot. I thought all these people scored well below 5. Is Castro the worst? How many people does he kill annually? Is life in Cuba worse or better than life in Guatemala? Perhaps longer or shorter would be a good measure. Do Castro's police regularly shoot children on rubbish tips?

Nicholas

The whole interview, not just her disgraceful assessment of Castro, reveals just how dangerously deluded this woman is. Her responses to questions are typical of New Labour in articulating as many smears against the opposition as she can. This is quite ridiculous political posturing from a senior member of the government. The hypocrisy is staggering. It is especially ironic of Harmon to describe Thatcher and her cabinet as "nasty". I believe Harriet Harmon to be one of the nastiest and most dangerous socialist extremists operating in Britain today. Her smug arrogance and almost religious faith in her own moral superiority has no place in a democratic parliament.

Fergus Pickering

Here. I've done it myself. Life expectancy in Central America: Cuba 76, Coata Rica 75, Panama 75, Dominican Republic 73, Mexico 71, Honduras 69, Nicaragua 68, Guatamala 66, Haiti 49

Max Kaye

As I read the interview I grew progressively more nauseated. Seems to happen to me more often whenever I read or hear the words of wrong-headed and sanctimonious politicians. (Of course Nu Labour win all the Oscars when it comes to sanctimony - and Harriet Harman is the among the worst offenders - the sound of her voice has been known scratch glass).

Trumpeter Lanfried

But he is a hero of the left. As was Stalin. And Mao. And General Galtieri. The list goes on and on.

Nick Kaplan

This comment is just sickening, how in the space of one interview can Harmen complain she was against Thatcher because “she was out to prove she was as every bit as nasty as all the men in her cabinet,” and maintain that Castro is her hero. Does she not recognize that it is not “nasty” to restore liberty to a country, improve its economy, give people the right to actually own their houses, relieve people of the burden of an 83% top rate of tax and a 25% rate of inflation and to stop constant striking and events like the 3 day week. What is nasty is to take over a country in a coup, to kill between 5,000 and 18,000 political opponents in summary executions, to use the education system to indoctrinate children, to ban free speech and free assembly, to force your own people to live on minimal rations and queue for hours just to get them, to introduce a currency apartheid and to force the migration of several thousand citizens. The reason why Harmen attempts to justify this kind of brutal tyranny is that it is, despite all this, the most successful left-wing regime in history. However, this clearly does not speak to the greatness of Castro but the madness of the Left.

Nick Kaplan

This comment is just sickening, how in the space of one interview can Harmen complain she was against Thatcher because “she was out to prove she was as every bit as nasty as all the men in her cabinet,” and maintain that Castro is her hero. Does she not recognize that it is not “nasty” to restore liberty to a country, improve its economy, give people the right to actually own their houses, relieve people of the burden of an 83% top rate of tax and a 25% rate of inflation and to stop constant striking and events like the 3 day week. What is nasty is to take over a country in a coup, to kill between 5,000 and 18,000 political opponents in summary executions, to use the education system to indoctrinate children, to ban free speech and free assembly, to force your own people to live on minimal rations and queue for hours just to get them, to introduce currency apartheid and to force the migration of several thousand citizens. The reason why Harmen attempts to justify this kind of brutal tyranny is that it is, despite all this, the most successful left-wing regime in history. However, this clearly does not show the greatness of Castro but the madness of the Left.

CS

***Feminism is about progressive policies and solidarity with women.*** This must be a different Harriet Harman to the one who slashed benefits for single mothers in the late 90s.

CS

***But he is a hero of the left. As was Stalin. And Mao. And General Galtieri. The list goes on and on.*** Exactly, Trumpeter. And exemplified by the increasingly ridiculous Diane Abbott on This Week last week when she asserted without a hint of irony that the 50-odd million deaths for which Mao was responsible were justified because he lifted his people out of feudalism. I suppose she was referring to those of his people who were still alive.

Nick Kaplan

The hypocrisy of the left never ceases to amaze me, it’s people like Dianne Abbott whose main line of attack on Thatcher is that she caused unemployment to reach 3 million. It seems a little bit odd that the ultimate evil is forcing people to realize the socialist system, that had sustained their unsustainable jobs at the expense of the rest of society, did not work. Whilst killing 30 million people is, apparently, entirely acceptable. Although perhaps it is unreasonable of me to expect anyone from the left to think rationally.

Ricky

Well of course he's a hero of the left. The left in this country slobbered over Stalin, Mao, all the petty tyrants of Eastern Europe and Africa and, of course, lovable old Fidel. Spoilt, privileged brats like Harriet Harman who have been to top public schools always love the erotic thrill of praising murderous revolutionaries from their own ivory towers - perhaps its because most of the world's commies and wannabe revolutionaries (Che, Stalin, Pol Pot, Bin Laden) have also come from overprivileged backgrounds. It's no coincidence that when the old communist totalitarian states fell apart the left embarked on its great love in with totalitarian Islam. The conceited hardness of heart shown by this smug harridan is simply breathtaking.

Lucan C. Heraclitus

Well said, Ricky! 'The conceited hardness of heart shown by this smug harridan is simply breathtaking.'

Gareth Gibbon

How has this country declined to such an extent that a despicable mediocrity like Harman can rise to such political heights? Everything this creature said in the Independant interview was vomit inducing.I,personally,am not a reverer of Thatcher,but Harman isn't even fit to mention her name nevermind criticise her.Unless the people of this land can divert their attentions away from football and celebrities and towards countering Harman and her ilk,then this country will be destroyed.