I joined and spoke at the Stop the War demonstration today (Saturday). I pay tribute to the Stop the War Coalition for its success in mobilising in such a short space of time such a huge number of people. To mobilse tens of thousands of demonstrators in less than 10 days is a remarkable feat of organisation but also shows the strength of feeling in our country on the issue of Lebanon.
I believe that the backlash across the world against the Bush/Blair strategy has had its effect in forcing the US and Britain to the negotiating table much sooner than was ever intended by Bush and Blair.
The draft UN resolution appears to move peace nearer with France playing a pivotal role in forcing the pace of negotiations. The Lebanese government however will not accept the loss of sovereignty over vast swathes of its own land and the Lebanese people of all religions will not now allow the isolation of Hezbollah.
At the same time the people of Gaza continue to suffer the oppressive intervention of the Israeli miltary.
If a cessation of military action is secured by early next week the progressive world must not turn its attention away from the Lebanon for the terms of the peace may be a further injustice perpetrated on the Lebanese and on the Palestinians.
Injustice breeds resentment. Traumatic experiences such as invasion and all the human suffering associated with it breed anger and a culture of revenge. Revenge is the mobilising force for terrorism. For the Israelis their military invasion of Lebanon and the use of intense force may appear to resolve the immediate threat of physical attack. However the long term cost is the potential of a new generation of enemies mobilised by their actions.
If a UN resolution is achieved this week and a cessation of hostilities takes place, let us call upon the UN to launch a fresh and much longer term peace making initiative in the region, addressing the injustices and bringing all parties back into the political process.Tony Blair has blown Britain's opportunity of having a major role in the peacemaking process as few around the world trust the independence of Blair's Britain. We may now need to look to France as the catalyst and coordinator of a new peace confrence for the region, including all parties but especially from Lebanon, the Palestinians, Iran, Syria and Israel.
20 Comments:
John,
Can you and your advisors please conisder mounting an immediate challenge to Blair? I don't think we can afford to let that psychopath remain in office and we shouldn't leave it up to him to decide when he's had enough killing, 'cus he never will.
Though I applaud France's efforts I find it amazing that the draft Resolution has no mention of a deadline for Israel vacating Lebanon, it seems to be very one-sided - I cannot see how this will be accepted by the conflicting parties.
Did Saturday's anti-war march in London add pressure on the Blair government to work for a ceasefire in the Middle East, as the organisers claim? I don't think so.
The Blair regime has proved impervious to pressure and protest. Despite its international isolation, it hasn't budged an inch on the question of a ceasefire. The resolution currently before the United Nations could easily have been drafted by the Israelis. It makes no mention of Israel withdrawing from the Lebanon and the proposed international force is opposed by the Lebanese government.
We are living in a new era, where the welfare state has given way to a warfare, market state in countries like Britain and the USA. These new authoritarian states have largely abandoned the democratic process and do not respond to pressure or demonstations. Surely, therefore, we are obliged to work to challenge and change the nature of the political state system as our first priority.
Marches that are limited to extremely modest demands like Saturday's bring people together. But if they restrict our horizons and don’t at the same time raise the wider political picture, they won't help build the socialist alternative that we all aspire to.
I travelled down on a coach from the provinces to take part in the demonstration, and it was good to know that John was speaking from the platform although I missed his speech.
I was carrying a home-made John4Leader banner - the only indication of John's campaign I saw throughout the day. The platform speakers I did hear made no mention of this important development - the first time in years that we have a chance for a change of direction.
Many people asked me who John was - not many were aware. I know the demo was called at very short notice but we must respond to such things. Even a downloadable poster on the website would be something - I have made mine available to the campaign to adapt as appropriate.
We really need to make an impact at the September demonstration in Manchester. It's time for us all to lay aside many differences and unite to support John's candidacy. Time is short - Blair will go pretty soon and we have to get lots of people to join or rejoin the party by 6 months before the election.
Greetings to all - see you in Manchester.
Like Mike I'm very angry at what is being done. But we need to achieve something positive. Hardly anyone I spoke to on Saturday's demo was aware of John's campaign, and painful though this is we have to have time to build an effective campaign. The press (with the honourable exception of the Morning Star and a few other minor titles) won't help us, so much of this must be done through personal contact at meetings - and - yes - at demonstrations where many like-minded people come together not only to show their views but also to exchange opinions and ideas. So let's have Blair hang on a little longer or we'll end up with his double Brown, who is as far as I know, the only minister who agrees with Blair where it matters enough to have stayed in the same post since Blair first appointed him in 1997!
There's a lot of good in Paul Feldman's analysis, but let him be assured that marches don't have to 'restrict our horizons' but do create an opportunity to 'raise the wider political picture' – as witness the many different posters and flyers I saw and brought home, and the many discussions I and many others had on the day.
paul said "But if they restrict our horizons and don’t at the same time raise the wider political picture, they won't help build the socialist alternative that we all aspire to."
Are you saying that events like this are a hindrance? If the population didn't march then silent assent would have been assumed.
To Frank - well done you, wish I'd thought of the poster, but it was my first march so can be forgiven?
It occurred to me this morning that Tony's change of heart regarding standing down imminently, was perhaps not due to a surge of confidence from the US trip but to instructions from his boss. Are we to expect another excursion into the middle east which Britain is pledged to support?
Correction
The correct URL in my posting above should be Morning Star - sorry.
Frank
well done on the home made banner!
hopefully in september we'll have many more banners there as the campaign grows!
John, How do you feel about the 'We are Hizbollah' chants that have been coming up recently? I am very much against this invasion and barbarous bombardment of civillians; but I am also against it coming (though I accept in much smaller measure) the other way. Sometimes it seems as if Stop the War Coalition are agianst war unless it is on the enemies of the SWP, i.e. the US and Isreal.
Don't you think we should abhor and condemn all acts of violence directed indescriminately towards civillians? Though I accept that what is happening in Lebanon comes first, don't you think we also have a duty to everyday working people in Israel?
It is stances like 'We are Hizbollah' that drive people such as myself away from StWC, and even Labour against the war, which I see as subsidiary. While we should be prepared to work with them, don't you think the SWP's closeness to Islamic-Rightists in particular is a bit worrying, and tat it is a shame they dominate the anti-war movement? Who wants to be tarred with their brush?
I have heard many daft chants on worthwhile anti-war marches over the years el tom. I think that the sensible left (which is what I hope those of us who support John's challenge for the leadership are!) should focus our attention on the need for peace - and on the demands we can sensibly place upon our own Government which contribute to achieving this.
We should be critical of those who give any support to any acts of terror (whether by the Israeli state or aimed at its territory) but our main focus has to be on what we want our Government - who act in our name - to do.
We may have our political differences with the SWP (and we do) but these are much less important than the demands we need to be placing upon our own Prime Minister and Party Leader.
The point that I am making is that they are making it into a 'keep the war going' coalition while we stand Idly by. who will do something about it? I can't persuade them.
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