December 21, 2004

Saving Christmas

Posted by Henry

China Mieville, on whom there will be more in this blog in the New Year, tells us how the Socialists saved (will save) Christmas.

Posted on December 21, 2004 11:10 PM UTC
Comments

Just recently I read Ayn Rand’s Anthem. I needed something to read in the morning. It was on the shelf from my wife’s college days. And I had never actually read anything from Ayn Rand.

I wish I hadn’t. If I am going to read a cartoon I would prefer to read Spiderman.

That goes triple for China Mieville’s garbage.

Posted by BigMacAttack · December 22, 2004 03:00 AM

Nice troll, Mr Attack! Although the story does suffer from Onion Syndrome: nice idea, but it’s about twice as long as it should be.

Posted by Mill · December 22, 2004 03:15 AM

‘We’re here! We’re choir! Get used to it!’

I got a kick out of it. It transported me back to student days in Berkeley.

My mother, now in her eightieth year, just read it too. She chuckled contentedly and pronounced it “cute”. Let it be said that she’s a sucker for puns, paganism and Christmas cheer.

Posted by bad Jim · December 22, 2004 08:04 AM

Well then: I was going to read one of Mieville’s novels, based on the raves given on CT…

Posted by joel turnipseed · December 22, 2004 09:31 AM

Count me as one of the Muslims for Xmas. I thought it was very funny. But then again, leftist senses of humor are twisted and being Muslim on top of it means there’s just no hope.

Posted by Anna in Cairo · December 22, 2004 10:02 AM

The funny thing is, Christmas was made to “disappear”, but only by leftists, real leftists of course. BTW, this reads like a near direct take from “The Space Merchants” by Pohl/Kornbluth.

Posted by Ed Snack · December 23, 2004 08:04 AM

The funny thing is, Christmas was made to “disappear”, but only by leftists, real leftists of course.

Well, judging from results, they have done a very bad job of it. As usual. Tsk. That’s why I hate leftists. They never keep their promises. Nevermind making christmas disappear, we’re still waiting for the workers of the world to unite. Whatever happened to that plan? I want my money back.

Posted by nic · December 23, 2004 09:15 AM

If Christmas has disappeared, I haven’t seen any evidence of it hereabouts. The religious content may run a bit thin, but perhaps that’s because it was a pagan festival to begin with.

Others who keep Scandinavian Yule traditions might enjoy Teresa Nielsen Hayden on rice pudding, in which much that once was hidden is made plain.

Posted by bad Jim · December 23, 2004 09:55 AM

A little too earnest, but funny anyway. Note that the enemy here is not so much Capitalism but Intellectual Property..

(Ed is unfortunately right about Christmas disappearing in Communist states, although it also was suppressed in Cromwell’s England)

Posted by Pete Clay · December 23, 2004 06:31 PM

It clearly hasn’t disappeared in my neighborhood.

Posted by Jack · December 23, 2004 07:51 PM

Socialists saved Christmas from the Nativity?

Posted by Simon · December 24, 2004 03:55 PM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.