Filmmarker tracks Khmer rouge killer.

[The Red Next Door]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/25/cambodia.khmer.rouge.filmmaker/index.html?hpt=C1

What is your take on this?

[The Vegan Marxist]

Well, these are personal witnesses of the atrocities that took place during Pol Pot's regime. But he was not a Maoist. That's for damn sure. Mainstream media only likes using the idea of him being one because that's what Pol Pot originally proclaimed to be. Though, soon that was seen to have been completely false.

[Adi Shankara]

Inb4 a bunch of people start defending/justifying the shit out of Pol Pot's brutal anti-Marxist campaigns

[bailey_187]

Inb4 a bunch of people start defending/justifying the shit out of Pol Pot's brutal anti-Marxist campaigns

inb4 you post your pictures

[Qayin]

Its a holiday in Cambodia, its tough here but its life

[Iskalla]

I find it interesting that examples of 'communist atrocities and brutality' are so often completely removed from any standards of communism. In the case of Pol Pot, he abolished the speaking of any other language than Cambodian, pushed a xenophobic hatred of the world beyond Cambodia and from what I gather there was little or no established end to it all. He destroyed the present structure and saw masses lose their lives just for sake of a clean slate, on which he had nothing to contribute to other than an ongoing oppression that would help avoid any kind of uprising.

I've heard stories first hand of Cambodians who remain Khmer Rouge supported to this day, I can't for the life of me understand it. Pol Pot himself was middle class, he was taught and raised by those he had killed and led a seemingly normal decent life before he became 'Brother One'. I can only imagine he wasn't all that smart or a great deal happened without his consent.

[Marxist]

Well he studied on Sorbonna, so I guess he must had been inteligent (I don´t support him! ) I also heard about present Khmer Rouge , any info about hteir strenght , etc. ?

[Iskalla]

Well he studied on Sorbonna, so I guess he must had been inteligent (I don´t support him! ) I also heard about present Khmer Rouge , any info about hteir strenght , etc. ?

From what I've read he didn't do that well academically, not that grades say all that much. But that's what makes it all the stranger, he studied politics in Paris and committed himself to communism, and his expression of that was some ludicrous 'day one' plan and rabid nationalism. He had the opportunity to do something great and I believe he simply wasn't capable of it. I think he spoke about how the party was like a child finding its first steps and he had Cambodia's best interests at heart, I don't think he ever stopped to consider consequences when applying ideas and theories. He was far too mad with power and there was far too much activity in the ranks beneath him. Trying to understand him is just exhausting. Even his name, the French 'Pol Pot', I'm sure speaking French out loud under his rule would have earned you a bullet to the head, but his name is supposedly based on the term Politique Potentielle. He loathed the Cambodian middle class that he came from, he killed the Buddhists that educated him.

I suppose you have to consider American did their bit to ensure the Khmer Rouge rise to power and nothing to suppress it afterwards, whilst Pol Pot and his party are far from innocent they shouldn't be alone in shouldering the blame.

From what I gather Cambodian's are aloof about the entire thing, you can ask where to find Khmer Rouge and you'll just casually be pointed to a house or given an address. I think individuals are still sympathetic to aspects of what the Khmer Rouge accomplished or intended to at least, and they admire the idea of liberation from outside influence even at such a high cost. I have no idea of their numbers or influence but they probably shouldn't be entirely disregarded, Pol Pot certainly has supporters. A friend who visits on a semi-regular basis talks to a woman who works as a singer, she casually calls herself a Khmer Rouge supporter, I cannot begin to understand it.

[rednordman]

I've heard stories first hand of Cambodians who remain Khmer Rouge supported to this day, I can't for the life of me understand it. Pol Pot himself was middle class, he was taught and raised by those he had killed and led a seemingly normal decent life before he became 'Brother One'. I can only imagine he wasn't all that smart or a great deal happened without his consent.I know. I have also heard testiments (well read them - never actually face to face with a cambodian) that support the KR, even though they condemn the attrocities.

Its as if they believe that democratic kampuchea (pol pots regime) was an example of the cambodians taking the country for themselves, and establishing thier own state, unlike being a french colony. I suppose in that sense, it really was an example of nationalism, not socialism. But then again, the KR would never had got control if they didnt have a lot of support from cambodians. This is why there has been talk or the 'good' KR and the 'Pol Pot' KR.

[Chimurenga.]

This article, and film will probably leave out the massive carpet bombing campaign done by the US in the Vietnam war which left fields of crops and arable land obliterated.

That is my only thought on this.

[Iskalla]

I'm assuming most people have already seen this, but just in case:

BQMyX80jCF8


And also, a pro-Khmer Rouge youtube channel: youtube.com/user/AhmekKhmer

I'd love to hear more opinions on this subject, I don't think it's something that is discussed enough, especially not America's role in the atrocities committed.

[Nolan]

I'd get an Ayn Rand tattoo to know why any Marxist who isn't actually a closet Cambodian nationalist would ever support Pol Pot and his primmie thug state.

[Adi Shankara]

I'd get an Ayn Rand tattoo to know why any Marxist who isn't actually a closet Cambodian nationalist would ever support Pol Pot and his primmie thug state.

They'll just claim he and the Angkar council was on the path to righteous communism, even though he completely skipped the socialist state stage necessary for communism, that even Khrushchev warned was needed... thus effectively destroying Cambodia through his want of shortcuts, and persecution of anyone who opposed his pseudo-communism as an "enemy of Angkar".

[thälmann]

they had no "one step plan" to communism,or skipped the socialist stage, they simply went back in history and destroyed everything, humans(working class) and industrie, neccessary to move forward to communism...

[Iskalla]

I just noticed at the end of the interview with Pol Pot, a present day Khmer Rouge member expresses having no affiliation or support for what occurred in the past. Makes me wonder if Khmer Rouge could be redefined as an actual, valid communist, revolutionary party. Or if current members deny supporting Pol Pot for the sake of good press...

[Adi Shankara]

I just noticed at the end of the interview with Pol Pot, a present day Khmer Rouge member expresses having no affiliation or support for what occurred in the past. Makes me wonder if Khmer Rouge could be redefined as an actual, valid communist, revolutionary party. Or if current members deny supporting Pol Pot for the sake of good press...

the original Khmer Rouge are done for. the way most people view the holocaust in Europe, is the way most Cambodians see the 1970's in Cambodia (except there is a lot more apathy, as there is a general widespread feeling that nothing could be done about it, and people are stoic about it, so they just try to forgive and forget).

the one good thing about this is, it hasn't translated into a hate of communism by Cambodians. many Cambodians, still view the traditional "Yuon" (Vietnamese) enemies as friends now, because of the work the Vietnamese Communist party have done to rebuild Cambodia's infrastructure and to de-mine the region.