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Salient: At Victoria University College, Wellington, N. Z. Vol. 24, No. 10. 1961.

Better Red Than Dead?

Better Red Than Dead?

The clincher for the affirmative (the 22 Club) in this debate was the observation that most people in Communist countries have not (yet) committed suicide. Pressing home their advantage in an often woolly though always lively debate, held in the Little Theatre as one of the concluding functions of Open House Week, the 22 Club had too many guns for the Vic. team, which was well below form. However, as one speaker observed, we all die eventually, so why turn Red first?

Young's assured and witty opening for the 22 Club (which eventually won him first place) was, surprisingly, countered by a rather poor reply from Hamlin, who tended to get his theology rather mixed, though he recovered later in his summing-up to take second place.

Hamlin: I would rather be dead than a Communist.

Voice from the front: Then volunteer for Malaya.

Hamlin: 200,000 Hungarians escaped after the 1956 revolt.

Voice: What about the one they sent back because he was a criminal?

Hamlin: They should have sent you both back, my dumb friend.

By the time the 22 Club's second speaker had finished, it was apparent that Vic. was well behind, and O'Brien's calculated though over-emotive oration on liberty was not well received, especially by the Communists in the front row.

O'Brien: We believe that all men were created equal . . .

Heckler: You got that from a library book and the book's overdue.

O'Brien: I don't despise you, sir; I pity you.

Garden, the final 22 man, waxed lyrical and humorous, bringing forth frequent shouts of mirth, though not saying anything of much solid value.

Garden: They love in Russia, just as we do here . . .

Voice: How's that?

Garden: You don't see misery among the common people in Russia.

Speaker from the floor (later): You don't see Communism either.

Affirmative's Last Stand, in the form of Tamasese, now held forth, but he was sadly out of touch confusing Napoleon, the British constitution, Richard III, and a horse, finally going under after a barrage of interjections.

Comrade Ron Smith (Communist candidate for Island Bay): Red is the people's colour; Red means the glorious sunrise of liberty.

Supporters in front row: Hear, hear.

Smith: The Red dawn means a new life to humanity.

Voice: What does a blue sky mean?

Wild Irishman Dwyer now mounted his charger, though a little unrealistically—

Dwyer: We are all indoctrinated—listen to both sides—at least they tell the truth about each other . . .

Bearded speaker Chapman, quoting Garden's accusation that the affirmative argument was "if you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em," suggested that Garden's was "if you can't convince 'em, amuse 'em."

Chapman: Despite appearances to the contrary, I have no connection with Mr Castro.

Voice: No, he washes.

Butler then gave us his usual diatribe—

Voice: Oh, sit down, will you.

Butler: I'll surprise you (and sits down).

A more sombre note came over the proceedings when Elkin, a Hungarian refugee, stood up to support the affirmative. He appealed for the West to be calm, and to maintain peace until the intellectuals on the other side of the Iron Curtain could liberalise Communist thought. He then returned to his seat amid thunderous applause, but the debate soon degenerated back to its previous level.

Not much more of merit was heard, except for an excellent and extremely enjoyable adjudication by Sir George Currie, who awarded the debate to the 22 Club, and placed the first three speakers as Young (22), Hamlin (Vic.), Garden (22).

R.C./D.P.