[lbo-talk] Maoist cleanup drive hits Nepal gays

[James Heartfield]

Maybe the difficulty here is one of expectations.
If you have big expectations of what Nepal's Maoists are likely to achieve 
then they will fall short of that.
But I have to admit that once you say "Nepalese Maoist" to me, my 
expectations plummet.
Let's face it, it is not the wealthiest part of the world. And Maoism has 
tended to become an ideology that makes a virtue out of underdevelopment - 
hence its appeal amongst small-plot farmers. Just the fact that they are not 
involved in some Pol Pot style genocide makes me think that the Nepalese 
Maoists are doing better than I thought they would. I would no more expect 
the Nepalese Maoists to have a good policy on gender orientation than I 
would expect the Shining Path to have a comprehensive health care plan, or 
the Viet Cong to organise encounter groups.
Yes, anyone who thinks that this is a template for the future is likely to 
be disappointed. But for my part, I would be surprised if their policies on 
sexual liberation were any better than those of other less developed parts 
of the world.
After all, homosexuality was still illegal in my country, just forty years 
ago.