Lenin once said that capitalists were so cynical that they would sell the Soviets the rope with which they would hang them. Lenin and communism have passed away, but that cynical indifference to suffering when profits are involved remains.
Belarus provides a glaring example. The European Parliament has consistently denounced Belarus as Europe’s last dictatorship, yet EU member governments continue business as usual with Aleksander Lukashenka, the country’s wayward and near lunatic despot.
This is especially true when there is a chance to save or make money. For example, for more than a decade, Germany’s police forces, customs service, and even the Bundeswehr have been ordering uniforms from a state-owned factory in the city of Dzherzinsky, named after the father of the Red Terror and founder of the Soviet KGB, Feliks Dzherzinsky. Similar examples of such indifferent cynicism abound.
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Lenin once said that capitalists were so cynical that they would sell the Soviets the rope with which they would hang them. Lenin and communism have passed away, but that cynical indifference to suffering when profits are involved remains.
Belarus provides a glaring example. The European Parliament has consistently denounced Belarus as Europe’s last dictatorship, yet EU member governments continue business as usual with Aleksander Lukashenka, the country’s wayward and near lunatic despot.
This is especially true when there is a chance to save or make money. For example, for more than a decade, Germany’s police forces, customs service, and even the Bundeswehr have been ordering uniforms from a state-owned factory in the city of Dzherzinsky, named after the father of the Red Terror and founder of the Soviet KGB, Feliks Dzherzinsky. Similar examples of such indifferent cynicism abound.
We hope you're enjoying Project Syndicate.
To continue reading, subscribe now.
Subscribe
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