i think it would be more effective to challenge a political hierarchy that has power, such as a government, than to spend time arguing against a soft target like mudcat.

We will leave for a moment things like if this now an 'open forum', a 'soft target' and your perception of an 'in group' or if I am in fact arguing against anything. For as I tried to say I am not 'having a go' at individuals here so there is little point in rushing to defend anyone, to judge or to stage a counter-attack. Which is the usual knee-jerk reaction to any criticism and is - I feel - a tactic that prevents any real improvement of to our forum. No matter what your perception - I trust that you would agree that there will always be room for improvement?

My point is simply that in order to prevent the hierarchy from ever becoming all-powerful - we MUST always challenge any abuse of any power, where and when we find it - while we still can.

We certainly must NEVER play with or use, excuse or defend the methods and tactics of the facist regime and indulge ourselves in rightous and judgemental witchhunts. Or think that temporary adoption of these methods is possible - as history tells us that this is a one-way-street.

I take your point about 'playing the victim' and I have also been accused of setting myself up as a martyr. I would argue that victims and martyrs do not create themselves but are created by the way certain individuals are treated. I can see the attraction (for the power concerned) of the idea that victims bring misfortune on themselves and deserve their fate - but I think it is rather dangerous to encourage this concept.