North East Stop The War Coalition Discussion Forum
General Category => South Tyneside Stop the War => Topic started by: Phil Talbot on January 30, 2025, 02:56:31 PM
-
Stopping Yesterday's Wars Today and Tomorrow ...
[A.L.]'Though in 'Great' Britain [&UKo'GB&NI, OK?!] we have eleXeons only occasionally, in a trul[l]y [sp?] 'free and democratic' society, every day is a kind of 'election day' ...
-
Through our collected individual choices, our collected individual belief systems, our collected individual actions, we collectively drive our societies into the future ...
-
Recognizing that we are ultimately 'responsible' for the actions of our own country, anti-war groups such as Stop The War continue to promote domestic and foreign policies that place a priority on internationally-recognized principles.
-
Acknowledging the dangerous shortcomings of narrow, militaristic, state 'responses' to 'terrorism', we continue to encourage a collaborative effort to bring those responsible for 'breaches of the peace' to JUSTICE ...
-
We call attention to threats to civil liberties, human rights, and other freedoms, at home and abroad, as a consequence of war, and of our government's responses to 'terrorism' - recognizing that it is a 'duty' of every 'active citizen' to defend these principles in our own lives and in our communities
-
We continue to promote 'dialogue' with the public on issues of war and peace, including alternatives to war, and the underlying causes of violence [including 'terrorism'], recognizing the necessity for honest debate and the power of good faith human communication,
-
We continue to support movements of people around the world who are seeking non-violent responses to all forms of 'terror-ism' - by states as well as by individuals - recognizing that mutual success will benefit future generations everywhere ...
-
We continue to acknowledge our fellowship with all those people affected by violence and war.
-
We continue to recognize all FellowHumanBeings ... as Brothers&Sisters ... in a human 'endeavour' [=(to) try earnestly/effort] ...
that transcends politics, nationality, religious affiliation, what{so}ever ... and is 'everywhere' & 'nowhere' ... and every 'little' bite/bit in between ... And which/witch was 'central' to war/wor co-eXistence ...
-
In a free and open society we are all 'responsible' for the people we call our 'leaders'.
In a truly 'democratic' society, we lead our so-called 'leaders' - not them us.
Today, and every day, we acknowledge our individual 'responsibility' to lead our leaders towards creating a society in which the 'bulk' of Humanity seems to want to live ... a society that lives up to the possibilities of human potential ... and in which no one has to live in states of terror, fear, violence, and [literal and/or metaphorical] poverty ...
-
The Stop the War movement was set up / 'born' more than 20 years ago to oppose the so-called 'war on terror' - a concept that seemed to others and myself a nonsensical 'contradiction in terms' from the start ...
-
The 'war on terror' might be ['better'?] defined as:
+ a profitable racket for the arms and 'security' (sic) corporations;
+ a violent exercise in paranoid fantasy;
+ a costly episode in outmoded cultural and economic imperialism;
+ a terrible distraction from financial crises and corruption in 'high' (sic) places;
+ a horrible waste of lives, time, money ... and human potential ...
-
Some present &/or former New Labour MPs have admitted they voted in favour of the attack on Iraq in 2003 knowing it to be 'illegal' [according to standard conventions of international law]. {i could 'name names' but won't, for reasons of 'decorum'] In other words: they knew it was wrong; they knew it was illegal; but they did it nevertheless.
-
It is rare to hear/witness those among the 'power elite' (sic) to admit they did wrong/something illegal. When they do most of those who do know they are so low down in the 'pecking order' of 'responsibility' that they will never be called to account for their wrong-doing.
-
In fact, the entire British Establishment knew the attack on Iraq in2003 was 'wrong and illegal'.
In fact, the entire legal department of the U.K. Foreign Office told, prior to events , the government in 2003 that that attack/invasion was (going to be) ILLEGAL [There was/is Conclusive evidence of this to the official 'Iraq Inquiry'].
-
The British Establishment at/@ that time [2003] included:
+ 'senior' (sic) cabinet ministers;
+ 'senior' (sic) mp's, of most parties;
+ 'senior' (sic) military commanders;
+ 'senior' (sic) diplomats;
+ 'senior' (sic) mainstream journalists - such as tax/licence funded BBC 'senior' (sic) political correspondents & editors (who should have had a 'duty' to inform the public properly as to the 'legal status' of wars the country gets involved in, but which in this case they demonstrably did not);
+ 'senior' ... (to say nothing of 'junior' etc. etc ... all of whom remained shamefully silent ...)
-
The British Establishment at/@ that time [2003] included:
+ 'senior' (sic) cabinet ministers;
+ 'senior' (sic) mp's, of most parties;
+ 'senior' (sic) military commanders;
+ 'senior' (sic) diplomats;
+ 'senior' (sic) mainstream journalists - such as tax/licence funded BBC 'senior' (sic) political correspondents & editors (who should have had a 'duty' to inform the public properly as to the 'legal status' of wars the country gets involved in, but which in this case they demonstrably did not);
+ 'senior' ... (to say nothing of 'junior' etc. etc ... most of whom remained shamefully silent ...)
-
It is a 'war crime' to 'obey [war-mongering] orders' you know to be 'illegal' ...
It is a 'war crime' to fail to do everything in your power{s} to prevent illegal wars from happening. [In the case of a 'senior' (sic) mainstream journalist such 'power{s}' are 'quite considerable' - consider the case of ms.alison.little o'th'express, eg: "... the feb.15 march is all very well, phil ... but they are going to do it anyway ..."]
-
Consider also Dame Eliza[o'mi5.?mi6.?what difference do the numbers make/matter?]'s evidence to the 'Official/Establishment' British [ukofgb&ni] Iraq War I/Enquiry ...
-
The 'terrorist' attacks on parts of USA/America on 11th September 2001 were used as an 'excuse'/'legitimization'(sic.) to launch the 'war on terror' - during which the U.S., U.K., and 'allies', have themselves used 'weapons of mass destruction' against large numbers of fellow human beings.
Hundred of thousands of people have died, been physically or psychologically maimed, or otherwise 'terrorized' by these state powers in the name of this 'war on terror'.
At, more or less, the 'same time', the very non-state 'terror' forces these state powers claim to oppose have had their ['claimed'] 'legitimacy' enhanced by the escalation of ['claimed'] 'grievances'.
Meanwhile, in the name of 'war on terror', the USA, U.K., and 'allies' - including other NATO 'powers' - have 'intervened' in [essentially] 'civil wars' in Libya, Syria, and other places, in such ways that the 'war on terror'/ 'war of conquest' now seems to have spread to Africa ... and beyond ...
-
Stop the War aims not merely to oppose 'war crimes'/'crimes against peace', but also to promote/'foster' a more 'positive' Human Agenda ...
-
Stop the War
is a movement 'of the people', not[e]ably without 'charismatic' leaders.
It is a 'movement' motivated by The ['platonic'?] Idea[l?] that: 'Another World is Possible!' - & that this 'Idea[l?]' can be achieved by 'pro-peace/anti-war' act[io]ns on a local, 'diy', human scale [with 'global perspectives' in 'MIND']
We act locally, but think globally.
-
{crossings out by 'bad faith actors' does not change 'the truth'}
-
Specifically, Stop the War would like to bring about an anti-war government in the U.K.[gb&ni.ok?], our 'own' nation - the 'only one' we have a direct 'stake' in the 'sovereignty' of ...
Such a 'government' would:
+ stand [UP] for the peaceful resolutions of international conflicts;
+ bring all its troops home from foreign soil;
+ withdraw from NATO - an anachronistic organisation, which has no place in the 'better' 21st Century [the 'ColdWar is over/'dead&buried', with the so-called 'threats' from Russia, China, Iran, DPRK, etc, being [largely] over-stated 'paranoid fantasies' ...] ...
-
[... 'X.crossing. :-\ :-\z out do not 'negate' truths ...]
-
ps.1 ... how 'they' consciously/deliberately use senses of 'futility'/'power-less-ness in their 'propaganda/mental.torture' routines ...
-
['& ... what difference does 'it' make?' ... The Smiths, etc ...]
:-X
???
Inmates of G.Bay, and other places, were blasted with Brit.knee.Spears, Metal.i.ka. and other elements of 'trashy 'western' culture sounds ... during a 'softening up' process ...
in a 'cynical' attempt to make them seem 'futile' & 'power-less' ... ie, 'dominated' by 'trashy' u.s. ' culture' ...
-
Chomsky [etc. e.g. Marcuse, 'One Dimensional Man' ...] ... on how so much of 'western' culture is 'about' making people feel 'powerless' & 'futile' ...
-
Consider, how the Stop the War march[es] of February 15th, 2003. have been turned by mainstream media into 'exemplar
' of the 'futility' of 'mass political action' ...
A million-plus people marched against the [then] impending invasion of Iraq in 2003 ... but ... what 'difference' did it make? it make[d] 'none' ... 'they' went ahead with the war plans anyway ...
-
... again .. X'ing out, by a.i.'. or what[so]ever does not 'negate "truths"' ... >:(
-
The 'subliminal message' was/is/will be: ... don't waste your time with mass political movements, because that is a 'waste of time' ... and effort ... and even when you have huge numbers on your 'side' ... it will make 'no difference' to the 'power elites (sic)' ... 'they' will just do what 'they' want to do anyway ...
-
[... & the 'masses' can always be easily [enough] 'distracted' any-way ... via ... Britney Spears (sp?) ... Metallica ... &/or ... The Smiths ... & other 'aspects' of 'ad-mass culture' ...]
-
... 'mind' the 'gaps' ... when you leave a 'void' ... spammers and other 'junk' merchants ... will fill/phil it with 'any old[e] b'shit' ...
-
p.ps ... on the 'essential importance' of 'alternative voices' ... ['sir'] Fred Hoyle was 'wrong' about TheBigBangTheory ... he rejected 'it' ... but his SteadyState alternative was a vital counter-point ... stimulating discussion/debate .. and ... out of 'it' came important discoveries about 'cosmic al'co.'my' ... x ...