Yesterday I cut my “New Labour Party” card up into tiny pieces and sent it to my MP so that she would have the opportunity to put them in her waste bin where they belong. I have been a member of the party for thirty years and am absolutely disgusted at the actions of Tony Blair in going against the UN and standing alongside George Bush who after all held onto the US Presidency in very dubious circumstances.
Today I watched the bombing of Baghdad and the utter carnage displayed on the TV and felt sick at what is going on in my name as a British citizen.
This is not 1945! And the US is not the same country as it was following World War II. Or even the same country it was ten years ago.
Blair is an idiot if he goes along with Bush. He will be dragged down further into what will become a quagmire for the UK. The UK, Australia, Spain, and Bulgaria are simply tools for Bush—useful only for as long as he needs them.
Already the gap between Bush and Blair is widening. And now the UK has committed to still more money. Bush has the capability to bankrupt, or at the very least, seriously cripple any lesser nation. Here, in the US we are in a position, at least for now, to monitor where his strategy is taking this nation that he purports to love. All I can say is, God help any nation that Bush does not love, or worse, hates.
KL, NY
* * *Hello,
I would like to commend your overall coverage on the war and the unrelenting effort you apply to open minded unbiased articles. If I were to follow solely the mass media it would seem the US mood is one of perpetual jingoism justified by the sanctimonious hypocritical President. It’s refreshing to see that alternative sources of information are available in a country where sensationalisation and propaganda appear rife.
The conduct of Blair and Bush has been disgusting. They have set a precedent for deep divisions that will create repercussions for years to come. Keep educating!
Solidarity is essential, (Freedom for Palestine)
Yours, TP, England
* * *As I read through the dirt and filth of the so-called free press, the only believable information I can find is your fine web site. I consider myself to be a socialist, although I don’t agree completely with your ideologue Trotsky, I find this web site extremely balanced in its interpretation. When I look to the BBC and ITV for coverage of the war, I get constant analysis of the military operations. Now what would be more relevant is an analysis of the social and political implications of the conflict on the Iraqi people and surrounding area.
We are all told to support “our boys” at the front, the war has started, so it’s pointless to protest. Nearly every anti-war movement in history has developed after the conflict has begun, not before. Tony Blair’s position in the Labour Party is now quite precarious, his high moral standing and ethical judgement have been proved to be flawed. The war will not be over in days, the Iraqi people do not see the highest concentration of violence in twelve years as a force of “liberation”.
What annoys me most is the use of patriotism to rally the masses behind “our boys”. Our boys, are the men who the imperialist western states entrust with a monopoly of violence to ensure that their objectives are met. Yes we should hope are own people don’t die, but don’t try appeals to my sentiment about these “boys”. The fact of the matter is they are the instrument of imperialism and should be viewed as so. Many join because of their economic position, others in the US join to gain access to free third level education. Whatever their social position, they will still be seen in Iraq as the butcherers of Iraqi sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents. This war is neo-colonialism and nothing more.
PB
* * *Re: Blair’s press conference: lies and self-delusion
Dear Julie,
Thanks for the unbiased true report on the Invasion of Iraq. I have been part of the Anti-War Movement, picketing at the American Consulate in Johannesburg. What has been amazing is that the Metro police (City Police) here are arresting motorists for hooting at picketers! Yet on the other hand the government has taken a stance against this Invasion (silently!).
What is going on in Zimbabwe is very bad because of Uncle Bob (Mugabe). What was happening in Iraq with Uncle Saddam was equally deplorable—but no government has the right of disposing another by violently killing its civilians when they actually are after that country’s mineral wealth! I see that some journalist from NBC has been sacked, Naom Chomsky is against the war, so is our Judge Goldstone!
Thanks for the article and to the editor, thank you for the TRUTH!!!
Regards,
MFL, South Africa.
* * *Dear Julie,
As you can see, the war is going exactly according to plan, i.e., Saddam’s plan.
He resembles a very ugly screw-cap holding in a tankful of violence. Whichever way he leaves the scene, he can say “ Apres Moi le deluge”, and the salad will really hit the fan. This is known as the unintended consequence or FUBAR.
Best wishes, David in England.
* * *Re: Labour’s Cook and Mowlam rally round the flag
Julie Hyland’s articles pinpoints the real face of Labour. Mowlam’s remarks quoted at the end of the piece struck me in particular. Explaining why the coalition forces need remove all restraints and inflict more casualties, she said, “We will still be hated, but we will also be held in awe.... Fear and respect is not as good as friendship and understanding but it is better than being despised.”
These words are reminiscent of a favourite saying of the emperor Caligula:
Oderint dum metuant which translates, roughly, as “let them hate as long as they fear”.
It is appropriate that the apologists for the imperialist war in Iraq have as their model the most notorious butcher of ancient Rome.
AS
* * *Re: BBC complains of Pentagon lies
Congratulations for an excellent article! I’m glad someone is waking up. Interesting books on related matters: “Killing Hope” by William Blum.“ The other Way of Deception” by Victor Ostrovsky. Many still rely on BBC for more than just well done Costume Series!
GS, Canada