TALES OF MORAL SQUALOR


After two years in which Russia and Iran have been supplying Assad with arms, after Hezbollah has committed thousands of fighters and in which Assad has used, leaving aside the clear indication of chemical weapons, tanks and artillery against defenceless civilians, the US has finally committed itself to supplying the rebels with arms. Cue the Stop the War Coalition[STWC], who as a consequence will be demonstrating outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square today.

Not once have they called for mass demonstrations outside the Iranian or Russian embassies. Not once protested Putin’s unwavering commitment to Assad. No, the crowd -who only a few years back were chanting "we are all Hezbollah now," -single out only the US for its rage and adolescent vitriol.

Now a case could be made for not supporting those fighting the Assad regime, a moral position – just – could be made for not supplying arms to either side and using sanctions and every means of pressure to bear on the regime to negotiate a change of government. However since the Russians, Iranians, and to a lesser extent the Chinese would not co-operate, such a course of action has been long dead in the water.
There is also an, essentially pacifist, case against the use of violence in any circumstances, including the use of force against the Baathist Fascism of Assad.

You note that neither position is that of STWC.[1] The indignation of this squalid crowd is directed purely at the US and UK in particular, and ‘the West’ in general. This might bring you to the conclusion that STWC is little more that a pro Assad/pro Iranian front organisation, a bunch of fellow travellers.[2] What the STWC want is an Assad victory; the rest is just the sophistry and verbiage, seeking to conceal the moral squalor of this aim and present their position as being ‘progressive.’ Such people are way beyond shame.

Lindsay German
I will add that there is something rather foul about a demonstration of this kind in Grosvenor square, the scene of so many protests when America was truly acting as an imperialist bully, supporting every kind of neo Fascist dictatorship in Latin America, or hideously bombing Vietnam ‘back to the stone age.’ * Now that it is opposing the dictatorship of Assad and supporting the forces fighting for democracy and freedom, it has to endure the rancid rhetoric of the likes of Lindsay German.[3]  What a sorry tale of moral squalor.

*The last time I was there was to protest Reagan's invasion of Grenada


[1] It is perhaps superfluous to say that neither position would be supported by me, the first for the reasons I have given, the Russians would sabotage it and it also treats Assad and his opponents in the Free Syrian Army as morally equivalent. The second as I am not a pacifist and believe that evil such as that personified by  Bashar Assad can only be removed by violent means,
[2] I was going to add 'some possibly unwittingly,' though felt it would too greatly impugn the intelligence of the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and Caroline Lucas to suggest that they could be that stupid. In supporting the Assad regime they will be joining the British National Party’s fascist leader Nick Griffin. If ever there was a symbol of the game being given away that it it.
[3] Convenor of the STWC.
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