Hoxha

[Gareth]

Just wondering why one particular member is named after Hoxha. After a visit to Albania I took about 2 years ago, seeing the turrets, and seeing the destruction a communist regime left on the country in relation to freedom of movement and religion, I would never see him as an inspiration or someone to look up to.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Albania_bunkers.jpg

Just looking at these turrets they used to control people, and the fact that he tried to force atheism on an entire population, why the support? I'm just curious.

[quirk]

I personally dont know a great deal about Hoxha though hopefully a discussion will develop here and help me learn more. However from studying the Soviet Union and particularly the Stalin era I am aware that what we are told about socialist leaders is in most cases exaggerated if not a complete lie. For example everyone is told and believes that Stalin was a dictator with complete control and this is something which is not the case at all.

As for the turrets I don't see what they prove. If they prove there was oppression in your view then what's your opinion on this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Maginot_line_1.jpg/800px-Maginot_line_1.jpg

[Viv]

I am uninformed about this man also. Here's a short in-a-nutshell article...maybe it's because he founded the Communist Party there and declared the republic...communists are rarely given a good press by capitalist media, I think. How balanced is the information you have read, Gareth?

Hoxha, Enver (1908–1985)
Albanian communist politician, the country's leader from 1954. He founded the Albanian Communist Party in 1941, and headed the liberation movement 1939–44. He was prime minister 1944–54, also handling foreign affairs 1946–53, and from 1954 was first secretary of the Albanian Party of Labour. In policy he was a Stalinist and independent of both Chinese and Soviet communism.

Following World War II, in November 1945, Hoxha's government obtained allied recognition on condition that free elections were held. On 2 December 1945 a communist controlled assembly was elected, and Albania declared a republic on 11 January 1946.
http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/encyclopedia/article_show/Hoxha_Enver_19081985_/m0014301.html?&searchtermold=enver hoxha&searchtermold=enver hoxha

[Gareth]

Having said that he didn't leave much of a country after Communism fell in Albania in 1990, and people began to be able to exercise their right of religion with most of them choosing Islam. This must indicate that Hoxha had restrained their faith by forcing state atheism. Surely that is detestable?

[Viv]

Having said that he didn't leave much of a country after Communism fell in Albania in 1990, and people began to be able to exercise their right of religion with most of them choosing Islam. This must indicate that Hoxha had restrained their faith by forcing state atheism. Surely that is detestable?

Religion should involve freedom of choice, that is a basic right IMO.