Wednesday, November 01, 2006

You can't discuss bringing troops home... until they've come home

MPs told us all to shut up tonight, and that Iraq was none of our business. We're not allowed an inquiry into the mess because that might make the government look bad, oh no, I mean it would be disloyal to the troops.

Beckett (new-ish Foreign Sec.) told the whinging, whining commie rats who wanted to examine whether any mistakes may have been made on our Iraq policy at all that "I have no doubt that there will be a time when we want to learn lessons" but that that time had not come.

Great, so you don't "want to learn lessons" yet? Ta very much. In fact, if we can't discuss any of this until UK troops have come back home isn't that, like, an incentive for the government to create permanent war? "Until our troops have come home from Afghanistan..." "from Iran..." "from Syria..." "from Narnia..."

Seeing as there were public inquiries into government fuck ups during the first and second world wars (and I believe in the second world war an inquiry led to kicking out the PM and replacing him with someone more famous) which certainly did nothing to endanger the lives of UK troops I can't see what the problem is. The only possible casualties will be government ministers past and present and I doubt any British soldier would shed many tears over that.

Just twelve Labour MPs voted for this rather weak call to make polite inquiries. The twelve are;

  • Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead)
  • Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)
  • Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent Central)
  • Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Sparkbrook & Small Heath)
  • Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate)
  • John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington)
  • Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway)
  • Alan Simpson (Nottingham South)
  • Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South)
  • Dr Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East)
  • Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby)
  • Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)

Anyone thinking of wanting the left's support for deputy leader of the Labour Party better be on that list (so you can f-off Cruddas)

5 comments:

moll said...

Like the picture - from "Hansi" I believe... Not sure what it more freaky about this cartoon, the Nazi bit or the American bit. Nah, whatever - its all fucked up.

Jim Jepps said...

Yes Hansi - great link - thanks.

My favourite part is when she is wrestling with her conscience about being patriotic for america - until she realises that God has blessed the US and so everything is alright!

Anyone who hasn't seen this I really recommend reading Hansi at the link Moll's provided. It's quite short... and advocates Johnny Cash at the end (wtf?)

badmatthew said...

So few Labour MPs.... far fewer than signed the Early Day Motion; but then the anti-war protest sounded small (150 according to The Independent, a 'lacklustre 100-150' accroding to Stroppyblog).

Put aside the satirical rhetoric, it's doesn't suit. Give me analysis. Why so few? Is it because they did think it would lead to the end of Blair and a rush general election?

BTW, I don't think Chamberlain fell after an inquiry into the fall of Norway or whatever, wasn't it more like a defeat in the Commons followed by political wrangling while it emerged that Chamberlain couldn't continue and would have to go? Now I did hear that Lord Aberdeen went after an inquiry into mishandling of the Crimean War was voted for; but I'm also firmly convinced that Aberdeen's cabinet declared war whilst completely pissed.

And alas Jon Cruddas. Where was he? I don't think Jim speaks for all the left, but I've only just realised that he voted for war in 2003. The shame.....

Jim Jepps said...

"Put aside the satirical rhetoric, it's doesn't suit" - you're saying I'm not funny aren't you????

Now I know why they say you're bad :(

Jim Jepps said...

The only thing left wing about cruddas is that he's implied it - there's nothing left about his voting record *at all* although it's possibly he might be Brown's choice...

The news says that a lot of the labour MPs that might normally rebel didn't because of who proposed the motion - I can't tell you - all I can say is that if they can't even vote for a weak as piss inquiry there isn't much left in Labour worth saving.