15 February
The world may have changed on 11 September 2001 but it definitely did on 15 February 2003 with the world's first mass global demonstration involving over 20 million people. The movement has shifted political positions everywhere. The talk is no longer of regime change in Iraq but regime changes in Spain, Italy and the UK.
As Blair spoke of the moral reasons for war he attacked the demonstrators for not taking account of Saddam Hussein's victims. He said because they lived in a democracy tha they could demonstrate, while dissidents were ruthlessly killed in Baghdad. However it was on the streets of New York that demonstrators were beaten up and marches suppressed. The police ruthlessly used batons to keep hundreds of thousands of marchers on to the pavements and arrested over 230 of them. Blair was silent about their right to protest just as he was silent about the British Government's arming of Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War. Any moral position has to start with a legal and political reckoning with those who over the years have repeatedly undermined Iraqi democracy and physically suppressed socialist and trade union organisations there. Trying to topple Hussein without a clear commitment to democracy, for the return of the Iraqi Jews and to allow the development of an independent Kurdistan will mean the continuation of dictatorship under different leadership. The US and the British war aims, which they have never denied, are to install US General Franks as a military dictator using former members of Hussein's Government, and to ensure that Iraq's oil and strategic position are used to dominate the Middle East on behalf of their interests. A US-British led war will not lead to freedom in Iraq and they have never said it would.
On 15 February two million marched through London plus another 100,000 through Glasgow and Belfast.
Many marchers never reached Hyde Park, some in fact never managed to leave the assembly points at Gower Street and the Embankment. Those that did were treated to series of impassioned speeches from Tariq Ali to Ms Dynamite. Several speakers, including my old ASLEF friend Mick Rix and Lindsey Germain, Secretary of the Stop the War Coalition, called for strike action to stop the proposed war.
The marchers from Gower Street split into several columns. Several thousand marched down Tottenham Court Road and finding the number of marchers too many at Cambridge Circus spread out through Soho creating four parallel columns to the main stream on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Every demonstration has creative individuals who make up their own placards rather than carry the ones distributed by the organisers and the SWP. This was different. There were thousands of different placards carried, from "Make tea not war" to "Free Palestine", many were witty and others both witty and obscene. This variety reflected a huge of coming together of imagination, the environmentalists, anti-imperialist movements and hundreds of thousands of normally non active people who were outraged by Blair's pro-Bush policies. The march represented the whole of British society. And it is this that has dragged Blair down the opinion polls.
However not all who were there were pleased. I saw Charles Kennedy, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, hurrying grim-faced onto the platform to make his pro-UN option speech. As I explained in the last Umbrella he knows that at the final fence he has to support the war. He also has to ensure that his Party is to the right of Blair in order to win more parliamentary seats at the next election. However he has to find ways of heading off the protestors from turning to socialist organisations such as the Alliance for Green Socialism and the Socialist Alliance. This is why he looked so rough facing the biggest audience of his life. The vicious contradictions he faces were made worse by the largish number of Liberal Democrats who turned out with their placards to oppose war. However the placards calling for the release of the Turkish Kurdistan militant Abdullah Ocalan, who unfortunately looked uncannily like Saddam Hussein, outnumbered them.
Subversion in the US
Via the Darktales discussion group
Below is an Internet joke that originally started as a relatively as short satire on an American Web site and has been constantly added to by those in the US who see the absurdity of war.
A potentially embarrassing bombshell hit the Bush Administration today as it was revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney controls a company that has virtually cornered the world market in duct tape and plastic sheeting.
The company, GloboWrapCorp, currently sells between ninety-seven and ninety-eight percent of all of the duct tape and plastic sheeting in the world, according to most estimates. While Mr. Cheney's ties to the oil services company Halliburton raised some eyebrows during the 2000 campaign, his investment in the multinational duct tape/plastic sheeting concern went almost entirely unnoticed.But with recent calls from government officials urging the public to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting, lawmakers on Capitol Hill today raised pointed questions about Mr. Cheney's control of what amounts to a global duct tape/plastic sheeting monopoly.
According to information provided to me, almost every dollar spent on duct tape or plastic sheeting goes directly into Dick Cheney's pocket," said Democratic leader Tom Daschle. "If that's not a conflict of interest, then I'm Jennifer Aniston."
While Vice President Cheney released a brief statement disavowing any conflict of interest, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge came under renewed pressure to explain precisely how duct tape and plastic sheeting could be used in the war against terror." If you see someone you suspect is a terrorist, sneak up behind him and wrap him tightly in duct tape or plastic sheeting," Mr. Ridge said. "This is a simple thing each and every one of us can do."
The Justice Department has joined in the call for American citizens to buy plenty of duct tape in the weeks to come. In addition to sealing windows and other openings from chemical invasions during this Orange Level threat, Attorney General John Ashcroft says there are other uses for duct tape that will make citizens feel more secure. Among Ashcroft's suggestions are:
- Mark any old growth forests or other environmental treasures near you with pieces of duct tape to alert terrorists that these should be afforded a mercy killing before Bush administration environmental policies allow them to rot.
- Keep plenty of duct tape around for low-cost health care. Duct tape can be handy in bandaging and healing injuries for the vast populations that will no longer have access to doctors and medical facilities.
- Duct tape can create a low-cost, high pain chastity belt for any young women who violate Bush administration "just say no," goals.
- Place a layer of duct tape across the first amendment to the constitution where there is any mention of freedom of assembly or speech. "This is particularly valuable to misguided citizens in the New York area who might be tempted to be on the side of the terrorists, instead of with us when we bomb Iraq," Ashcroft noted.
- Another layer of duct tape should be placed over the words "freedom of religion" in the constitution. "You can write on a piece of duct tape the words "freedom to worship anyone, as long as it is Christ," Ashcroft noted.
- The implied right to privacy no longer exists, Ashcroft noted, so duct tape should cover the fourth amendment as well. "Once we pass the latest version of the Patriot Act, no one will ever be bothered by the threat to privacy of a supermarket club card," Ashcroft said proudly.
- That part of the constitution that may refer to "unreasonable search and seizures" and "speedy trials," and other assorted peace-time frivolities should also be covered in duct tape," Ashcroft said.
- Make sure that no duct tape covers up the remaining second amendment to the constitution, the only worthwhile segment of the Bill of Rights.
- If there is enough duct tape remaining you may consider yourself personally deputised in the struggle against terrorism and apply tape repeatedly over any loudmouthed peaceniks, traitors or other opponents of the administration. Once these felons are securely taped, you may point them to the Revised Edition of the US Constitution.
Given the likely reaction to an increase in terror-alert level to "severe threat imminent," wouldn't a more appropriate alert color be brown?"
Ex-President Carter
In a recent speech, Carter was careful not to directly criticise President George Bush by name. However he did say: "Some very embarrassing things have happened in this country. "Time magazine in Europe did a public opinion poll on its website and over 350,000 people responded to the question, 'Which country poses the greatest threat to world peace?' "North Korea received seven per cent of the votes, Iraq received eight per cent and the United States received 84 per cent."
Senator Robert Byrdd
Senator Robert Byrdd made a speech to the US Congress on February 12, 2003. It is part of an increasing opposition within the US to Bush's war drive. This was emailed to main members of the huge and legendary Chapel Allerton Stop the War Coalition; however it deserves a wider circulation.
Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences
To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war.
Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing....
[Full text here]
Overheard in the Last Viceroy
Two of my many friends (if they don't leave soon they will become the majority) in the New Labour Party were enjoying their meal at the Last Viceroy in Chapel Allerton. Although strangers to the area they were unable to ignore the loud conversation from a nearby table. The two participants were my victorious friend Councillor Eileen Moxon and some young prospective fogey New Labour candidate. They proceeded to slag off their own Party and colleagues in the loudest terms. The verbatim notes below are only part of the typescript that fell into my hands. It was not always possible to distinguish between the speakers so I have left the part below as received.
- I work 24 hours a day for the ward. Norma makes so much out of doing so little.
- There are no Black or Asian faces at the [Chapel Allerton Labour Party] ward meeting. Norma might not be getting any votes from Chapeltown.
- If we don't support America we will see global anarchy.
- And Britain will be dominated by the French-German Axis for a generation.
- The French are a treacherous race, who are untrustworthy in politics.
- China will invade Taiwan.
- And North Korea will have carte blanche to do what they like."
- I have no idea what some of this means however any printable explanation may win a small prize.
Snippets
Council Tax rises
New Labour Councils throughout Yorkshire have been raising their tax by amount well above inflation:
- Sheffield 6.9%
- Leeds 6.8%
- York 6.55
- Doncaster 12.5%
In the words of the elected Mayor of Doncaster the increases have been to "finance key services". Behind the scenes, Council leaders such as Brian Walker (Leeds) and Peter Box (Wakefield), have been complaining bitterly about the real reason for the above inflation rises; ie Blair's Government cutting the amount of money in central grants. However none of them have the guts to come out and say so publicly. Their failure to support the anti-war movement, along with large increases both in their allowances and in taxes does not bode too well for them in the May elections.
"Sleep" Walker is certain to lose his seat to the Liberal Democrats in Rothwell.
White and Asian
Many activists in Harehills will be contrasting the fines and community service orders imposed on white youngsters by Justice Jones, the Recorder of Leeds, because of their violent behaviour at last year's Carling Festival. The Recorder distinguished between the heavy jail sentences he gave to Asian youth for rioting in Harehills and the current lighter sentences by saying that the violence and arson at Temple Newsam was fuelled by drink and therefore was not as serious. The white youth were mainly middle class and included the son of a New Labour MP.
Councillor Taggart defended the heavy sentencing on all the youth in Harehills but now falls strangely silent over this clearly racist approach of the Recorder. The time has come for Justice Jones to go and for the sentences in Harehills to be reviewed.
Hilldene Hotel
Violet and Joe, for many years leading community activists in the Potternewton Action Group, have sold the Hilldene Hotel and gone into "semi-retirement" in Durham. The photograph is taken from the leaving party. The new owners of the Hotel are already committed to continuing Joe and Violet's work within the community.
-- Half-Celestial Khan
