So there is no such thing as a left-wing persecution mind? Sorry, mate, you cannot tell a man hanging from a tree that he has not been lynched. And it pre-dated the internet: I caught the full blast of its delightful atmosphere in college, at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, in the years of the lord 1989 and 1990. Check and you will find that there was no such as World Wide Web at the time, and all the witch-hunting that was to be done was done in person. There were even horrifyingly sneaky things such as a person actually encouraging me to write a controversial essay on homosexuality when people, behind the scenes, were looking for excuses to lynch me. After that kind of experience, a little sneer to your face, believe me, don't hurt. What you want to look out for is the smiling, superficially civilized character who thinks history justifies them and therefore can excuse any betrayal with a cheerful heart.