I would put it a bit stronger: leftists should _never_ use irony. Irony, as is most obvious in Socratic irony but is in fact a general characteristic, _always_ involved a pretence of not knowing, and the suggestion is usually (perhaps always) that the prtender in fact knows while the reader does not. In other words, the implied reader of irony is a fool!
It is the weapon of the detached observer, in defence of his/her detachment. What fools these mortals be.
If one know any Athenian history, and the relationships of the 30 tyrants, and links that to the Socratic persona as shown in Plato's dialgoues, the decision of the jury to give Socrates the hemlock makes perfect sense.
Carrol
^^^^^^^ CB: So , you are saying Communist Party members should have patience , but not cultivate a sense of irony ?