But I have to speak to one element of this piece which repeats something I read frequently on FR:
and in Fremont, a Seattle suburb, they actually put up a statue honoring Vladimir Lenin, the father of communism.I do not believe this is in honor of Lenin, for several reasons. First, it came here by "accident" -- bought by a private (Seattle) citizen (a carpenter if memory serves me right) from the shipyards at Gdansk, Poland, for reasons of his own. How it passed on from him, possibly following his death, I do not know.
Second, the setting is not exactly respectful. It's not even in a public park, it's on the street in front of a Taco Del Mar, a capitalist running dog roader lackey that (gasp!) hires employees to do its dirty work of serving fish tacos to the masses for a profit.
Third, although I am rarely in Fremont and even less frequently see the statue, it's never been shown much respect. The last time I saw it it had some very old faded brown garlands on the hat -- topped with a bright yellow "rubber" ducky on the brim. Previous memories reinforce this treatment, clearly tolerated if not encouraged or executed by The Peoples' Soviet of Fremont.
Finally there is a small plaque nearby that I think talks a little about the history of the statue but which also talks about details of the statue itself. And until I read it I did not quite recognize the stylized flames and guns at Lenin's back, recollecting the Revolution. Given the dislike of Seattle's liberals for guns, and violence and other lawlessness not executed towards their own goals, this is surprising.
Personally I think this statue (and its plaque) ought to be preserved. Though Fremont, in front of a Taco Del Mar, right on the street, is not the right place for that.
I think this statue of Lenin would be better situated in a museum of man's inhumanity to fellow man.
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