Russell Brand and the Stalin poster

Several websites have mentioned the fact that Russell Brand's video apology contained an image of Stalin in the background. The BBC news magazine asks the question....

"He had the blood of millions on his hands, yet Joseph Stalin has escaped Hitler-style demonisation, and even become a trendy pin-up. Why has history been so kind to this murderous leader?".

Daniel Finkelstein has asked a similar question.

Despite all his crimes, for many on the left, Stalin represented a noble (if flawed) ideal. In their eyes, the fact that he stood up to a America absolves him of any guilt for the millions he murdered.

In Russell Brand's case, I wouldn't bother drawing any of those conclusions, the guy simply has very bad taste.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Ralph Nader isn't the first person to call Obama an "Uncle Tom". John Pilger was saying it 10 months ago.

And 10 months from now, when reality sets in, all those European intellectuals kneeling at the throne of Obama will be saying exactly the same thing.

Sorry to spoil the party, but there is going to be one hell of a backlash.