There are times when the shamelessness of our government is breathtaking. For Gordon Brown to stand craving approval from the assembly that controls the World’s largest illegal arsenal of nuclear weapons, without mentioning that fact, is craven. To stand there and try to stoke populist support for war against Iran, because of its far less developed nuclear programme, is so gobsmacking in its hypocrisy that we must all struggle to find adequate words to condemn Brown. I am again deeply ashamed of my ex-FCO colleagues, who will have drafted this tendentious warmongering, that they know very well will be taken by Israeli hawks as a green light of British support for air strikes on Iran.
Doubtless Brown’s speech of strong support for Israel will have achieved progress in reducing the Labour Party’s £23 million debt. A war on Iran will be a distraction from the effects of the judderings of an unregulated financial system by which there is 1,800 times more “Virtual money” moved than money linked to actual trade in goods and services.
Last year I read Hilda Reilly’s Prickly Pears of Palestine. While I know intellectually of the terrible sufferings of the Palestinians, this work of great empathy brought home how it feels to be a Palestinian facing these levels of oppression. Brown reportedly said that Britain stood beside Israel in “The fight for liberty”. Liberty and Israel do not belong in the same sentence.
Truly puke-inducing stuff it most assuredly was – and the scary thing is that it would make precious little difference which party were in power. Obeisance to racist apartheid Israel is just one of a whole raft of morally reprehensible positions that are required of our senior politicians to safeguard the country's position as First Lieutenant to the US Imperial project.
I would find the whole thing easier to stomach (though no less shameful) if they could just bring themselves to be honest about the whole 'war-on-terror' – Middle-Eastern/Central Asian military involvements thing for once. It's the incessant hectoring, whining moralising lies and double standards that really get up my nose. It seems de-rigeur that the general population be treated in similar fashion to infants being regaled with stories of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. The miracle is that the entire establishment actually manages to keep a straight face and even look suitably sombre for most of the time. Though who knows? – maybe (in desperation) they actually believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy themselves
God how I despise Great Britain and 'Britishness'.
I wonder if he discussed the details of preemptive nuclear strikes against Iran targets as detailed in Benny Morris’ op-ed in New York Times and what is his take on this stunning insight into the Israeli psyche, and whether he gave his blessing to this worthy mission on behalf of english people.
On the other hand, he was speaking to politicians rather than military, and today’s article in Jerusalem Post makes clear that IDF does not really take much notice of parlamentarians. IDF (the most ethical army on the planet) didn’t, apparently, bother to ask for permission to rain 4 000 000 cluster bombs on Lebanon, of which 1000000 has been left unexploded and cost so far lives of 13 bomb disposal men and of countless civilians, mainly children.
I absolutely agree with Sabretache. I squirm when I have to say I'm British.
Try saying your American sometime.
Jeez, that's 'you're'. Murkins can't spell, either.
"Doubtless Brown's speech of strong support for Israel will have achieved progress in reducing the Labour Party's £23 million debt. "
Superb and skilled negotiators, they have extracted their pound of flesh in advance of payment.
It would be intersting to have listened to the advisors who suggested or approved of his wearing a yarmulka at Yad Vashem.
You asked about why Gordon refrained from mentioning that Israel was sat on the largest pile of unauthorised nuclear weaponry in the world – probably shame that the nuclear weapons of which we boast and pay for, are in effect owned and controlled by the US military – and have been since Harold MacMillan signed them away.
Gordon Brown also reiterated allegations of Ahmadinejad’s threat to “wipe Israel off the map”, based on a single disputed translation…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-scher/the-importance-of-cole-v_b_20350.html
…which also ignores the fact that the religious leader, not the president, has the power to declare war, mobilise the military, and act as commander in chief of Iran as per Article 110 if the Iranian constitution.
http://www.servat.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00000_.html#A110_
Sarkozy’s speech to the Knesset called for an Israel-Palestine agreement based on the 1967 border with mutual adjustments and a binational Jerusalem acting as capitals of both – so good for Sarko.