Malice v Stupidity

 More on MALICE v STUPIDITY. “Let’s rub the Right’s noses in diversity.” Philip Gould (Tony Blair’s SPAD). In the immediate particular this is malicious but it was only said because, in the general, it was believed to be morally justified (it was done for the educational *good* of the Right) for a dangerously stupid reason. The justification was founded on the assumption that, regarding immigration, the Right is devoid of “compassion” which is immoral. This is a stupid and self-righteous idea and a dangerous one if it contributes to the delegitimisation of the Right and the destruction of democratic two-sided conversation. To believe in malice in the general *and* the particular is harder in the West. It is easier to believe in regarding the Russian Revolution as, because of personal matters like the execution of his terrorist brother, figures like Lenin were fuelled by hatred of the establishment and the aristocracy. In the cases of Gould and Blair I think they would be paralysed without a sense of moral justification and horrified by the idea of acting out of naked malice. Especially in the case of Blair with his messianic bent they *had* to feel a sense of justification.