A view from Russia

This site provides a translation of a site in russia where they are analysing the progress of the war from their point of view. The part that worried me was how they drawing lessons and applying them to a potential war with the US in the future.

The original site is in Russian, so if you can read it, let me know if the translations are accurate.

Stand for Peace and Justice

Argument about the whether this war is justified sometimes appeals to concepts or beliefs such as democracy, freedom and peace, and one's belief in certain values like this is questioned if you don't agree with the actions being taken (eg Howard's claim that peace marchers are giving "comfort to Saddam Hussein" - implying that peace marchers support cruel dictators. Or that if you march for peace you are "not supporting our troops" - this being unpatriotic.

At this site by Znet (a site dedicated to supporting "progressive" issues)
there is an invitation to sign a statement on "Peace and Justice".

I read through this statement carefully, and decided it represented my beliefs perfectly, so I signed up. If you do, you will get an email confirming your signing, with an option "un-sign" should you change your mind.

I've put a summary or short form of the statement below, but you should go to the site to read the full statement.

"I stand for peace and justice. I stand for democracy and autonomy.
I stand for internationalism. I stand for equity. I stand for freedom.
I stand for solidarity. I stand for diversity. I stand for peace.
I stand for sustainability. I stand for justice.
I stand for a policy ... to provide healthcare, education, housing, and jobs.
I stand for a world [which will]... foster solidarity, promote equity, maximize participation, celebrate diversity, and encourage full democracy.
I stand for peace and justice and, more, I pledge to work for peace and justice."

Now of course almost anyone could agree with the statements I have quoted, (or many of them anyway) which are shortened and taken out of context. Bush, Blair and Howard use similar statements themselves. But I've also done this to illustrate that the detailed context matters. The methods we choose to achieve the goals matter. That is where the big disagreements are.

Now I appreciate there are many who will have very different views ... and perhaps those might like to put alternative statements up or point to different sites which we could look at.

Robert Fisk - We bomb, they suffer

Robert Fisk, regularly interviewed on ABC radio in Sydney, is in Bagdhad and provides regular descriptions of the events there.

This report is from the Baghdad hospital.

I had a dream about America

The Bush Administration was defeated in their next election, and a new administration was overwhelmingly elected which supports peace through international cooperation.

Silly, I know, but it was a dream.

Richard Perle Gloats, Jeanne D'Arc exposes his mental midgetary

Jeanne D'Arc, in her Body and Soul Blog links to Richard Perle's spiteful and gloating article in the Guardian, but writes a beautiful and eloquent response.

Perle's article is living proof that the wrong lessons are being drawn from this sickening war by the Bush Administration.

Politician in hot water

The Liberal Party candidate for the electorate of Canterbury, which I am in, is:

Jack Kouzi

I wonder what his childhood was like. In and out of hot water? Was he a bubbly personality?

Today is election day

The NSW elections are on today. I voted as usual, but this time I did two things I don't normally do.

1. I put the Liberal Party last in the preferences
2. I wrote NO WAR on the back of the voting sheet.

(NB for those not familiar, the Liberal Party in Australia is what is usually called a conservative party- it is definitely not liberal (small l liberal, as is often said here).

Now of course, this is a state election, not a federal election, so it would seem pointless to mix federal politics with state politics, but this is the first election where I can send a message to the Liberal Party about this war. I am hoping that many people will do the same thing.

Even though the Liberal Party, with John Brogden leading really has no chance against the Premier Bob Carr, I would like to see the Liberals lose even more seats in the New South Wales parliament so that they understand how strongly we feel about this issue.

Only time will tell whether others think like I do. The Federal Labor Party has come out in direct opposition to the government on this war (ie war without UN sanction) - probably the first time in our history that there has not been bipartisan support for a war.

A word from the past

This little quote from Hitler's deputy is relevant today. Perhaps our Prime Minister has been revising some history. (Found here. Its referenced many places on the internet - just do a google search on the first phrase. The article referenced was written in February, but is still an important comment on the anti-war protests).

"Why of course the people don't want war... Naturally... That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. "

--Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler's Deputy Chief

Robin Cook's Resignation Speech

A friend of mine, Paul Marshall, in his inaugural web log, put up the text of the resignation speech of Robin Cook from the House of Commons - which won applause from the benches. I found a version of the speech at the BBC here.

This is a great speech, and essentially describes the views that I hold as well.

There is also an excellent commentary here on how this speech was delivered, comparing it with speeches by Churchill, Bush, Blair and others. A fascinating analysis of oratory and speeches in time of war.

John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister , also gave a speech straight to the camera, claiming he passionately believes in the stand he has taken, against all public opinion, but there was no passion. Just the usual deadpan, bland, terrrified look in his face.

Another President's View

(ex)President Jimmy Carter wrote a piece about what constitutes a just war in the New York Times a few days ago:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/opinion/09CART.html

He offers the following criteria for a war to be "just" (and in the article comments on each point with respect to President Bush's approach):

- The war can be waged only as a last resort, with all nonviolent options exhausted.
- The war's weapons must discriminate between combatants and noncombatants.
- Its violence must be proportional to the injury we have suffered.
- The attackers must have legitimate authority sanctioned by the society they profess to represent.
- The peace it establishes must be a clear improvement over what exists.

Jimmy Carter argues that the present threat of war meets none of the above criteria, and therefore describes it a "just a war" instead of a "just war".

He concludes with:

"What about America's world standing if we don't go to war after such a great deployment of military forces in the region? The heartfelt sympathy and friendship offered to America after the 9/11 attacks, even from formerly antagonistic regimes, has been largely dissipated; increasingly unilateral and domineering policies have brought international trust in our country to its lowest level in memory. American stature will surely decline further if we launch a war in clear defiance of the United Nations. But to use the presence and threat of our military power to force Iraq's compliance with all United Nations resolutions � with war as a final option � will enhance our status as a champion of peace and justice".

These strike me as rational and practical principles all nations should adopt.


Does "Just" mean simply properly "justified"?
Do we need other criteria?

I'm thinking about the differences in point of view. Views are held sincerely and I want to think about what might lie at the heart of the differences. I need to think about this a bit more before I write more.

Then I'll rid the world of all known diseases and eliminate poverty.

It's all happened before

Joseph Duemer makes a good point about the last undeclared, ideologically motivated, pre-emptive war, and provides some images.

Waging Peace - or What's happened to the United Nations

David Weinberger reports a fascinating and different interpretation of the role of the UN in these times. The article describes a speech by Dr Robert Muller, a former assistant secretary general of the UN, who witnessed its founding, who sees the current situation as a fulfilment of his dreams for the UN.

This is quite a twist on the incessant rhetoric provided by the Bush administration and (slavishly parroted by the Blair and Howard governments) that the UN is now irrelevant, and that the Security Council has somehow "failed" the test posed by the US and UK.

On the contrary, he points out that this is the first time protests against war have been so large, so widespread, and all before the war has started. There is intense debate. Major nations have stood up against the need for war. Alternatives have been proposed, though not followed through. This is, I believe, a hopeful step forward in the overall scheme of things.

Alas, we have had to get out of the way of the raving lunatic driving his massive semi-trailer down the middle of the road, who is swerving like a madman from side to side; but the majority of nations have said NO to war.

If the Security Council had capitulated and supported Bush's demands, this would have been the end of the UN as a meaningful force for preventing war. It would have been seen as simply the lap-dog of the USA, obeying the beck and call of an illegimately elected president who seems to be intent on destroying everything I thought the USA stood for, even if imperfectly carried out.
Instead, the UN has proved its relevence. It is desperately sad that the most powerful nation cannot be restrained from its foolishness, but I take some hope from the fact that the UN has stood for its principles, and waged peace instead of war.

Coalition of the Willing - a definition

Collective noun-phrase for a group of aggressive and generally unpleasant mental midgets.
(cf "Liberal Party of Australia", a misnomer if there ever was one)

Letter to the Prime Minister of Australia


This is what I sent in an email to John Howard today:

I wish to say that I am appalled at the stance taken by the Australian Government to Iraq. I have carefully read the Prime Minister's speech to the press club, and in it I find no convincing reason for an attack on Iraq.

I believe an invasion of Iraq without UN approval will lead to increased acts of terrorism, and contrary to the Prime Minister's stated aims, places Australians at even greater risk, and will lead to great instability in the middle east. Furthermore I believe the Prime Minister's position on this issue to be morally wrong.

The supposed concerns over the terrible way Saddam Hussein has treated the Iraqi people are totally disingenuous. If there were any real concern, action should have been taken when the events were happening. Instead, the very people in the USA who now feign concern for the people of Iraq (Cheney, Rumsfeld) were doing business with this dictator, and doing nothing about the atrocities.

The Australian Government's so-called concern is not consistent with its stand on refugees, where you are happy to send people back to the place "where they gouge out childrens eyes" - further evidence of the government's hypocrisy.

I am proud of Australia and feel lucky and privileged to have been born here - but at this point in history, I am ashamed to be part of a country whose government has put us in with the coalition of the stupid.

US Diplomat resigns
Career diplomat John Brady Keisling has given his resignation in to Colin Powell because he cannot square his conscience with the current course of actions taken by the US government.

He says:

"The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with American values but also with American interests. Our fervent pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international legitimacy that has been America's most potent weapon of both offense and defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson. We have begun to dismantle the largest and most effective web of international relationships the world has ever known. Our current course will bring instability and danger, not security. "

I am always glad to hear about those Americans who will take a public stand against the approach taken by Bush and Blair in this sorry episode in human history. It gives me hope that the USA will pull out of this situation without totally destroying themselves. Just a little hope.