Back to Poul Anderson, "Details":
In the spring of 1917, a Galactic playing the role of a German captain waits with his men to travel in a sealed train into Russia. Another Galactic, playing the role of a nobleman, has persuaded the German General Staff to transport a Russian exile, Ulyanov, into Russia because:
"...a psychotechnic evaluation...gave the little revolutionary a surprising probability of success." (p. 130)
Right at the end of section 2, the omniscient narrator informs us, the readers, that Ulyanov's:
"...Party name was Lenin." (p. 131)
How many readers did need to be told that?
Time Patrol agents know the importance of every detail including individuals as varied as a Pope, an Emperor, Hitler and Lenin. See:
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I only wish that vile creature Lenin had botched his negotiations with the Germans and missed the opportunity to slither back into Russia like the venomous snake he was!
It was more artistic or dramatic of Anderson to begin with Vladimir's real name "Ulyanov" before revealing his Party name, "Lenin."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I agree about starting with Ulyanov's real name.
Can we drop "vile creature," "slither," "venomous snake" etc? Surely it is demoralizing to use such language? Think of a figure that we agree in condemning. The most obvious example need not even be named. I would still not agree with continually applying such language. It is sufficient to agree that atrocities have been and are being committed and that it is our responsibility to prevent such crimes now and from now on. ("our" has to apply to the majority of the human race mobilized against the organizers and perpetrators of massacres, hate crimes etc.)
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
It's no use, I will never have anything but anger and fury for Lenin. And the regime he founded was arguably even worse than that of Hitler, because the Third Reich had a far shorter existence than the USSR. Which gave Lenin and his successors more time for perpetrating their atrocities.
Nor do I agree with you about "mobilizing" the human race "against the organizers and perpetrators of massacres, hate crimes etc." Because it's not going to happen that easily or simply when the natural inclination of human beings is to be tribalist. At best one fairly benign tribe or alliance of tribes will unify/conquer the world.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
It's no use. There are many people towards whom we can, if we are so inclined, feel anger and fury and this is a waste of energy. Meanwhile, we should be able to quote Lenin's STATE AND REVOLUTION when discussing alternative ways to organize society.
Mobilizing a majority anti-racist movement does NOT happen easily or simply. Many of us can tell you that from our own experience! But, in this country, we have confronted and driven back the British Union of Fascists, the National Front, the British National Party and the English Defense League and their several off-shoots and are still currently organizing against Tommy Robinson. The natural inclination of human beings, when our common interests as members of a single species and of one society is pointed out to them, is to reject the hate that inspires violence against anyone who is different or in a minority.
Conquering or forcibly unifying the world would be a good thing? Many of us transcend tribalism now. Lancaster is full of secular and religiously based groups that welcome and work with immigrants and refugees. Christian and Muslim women share cultures and recipes. You do not know what is going on. I am preaching a more universal morality than you are.
Paul.
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