High Time We Left

Nick Robinson, speaking on the BBC’s Daily Politics show, for a change, actually managed to hit the nail on the head.

He observed that despite all the highly public ‘disagreements’ and arguments between the Tory ‘opposition’ (I use this term very loosely) and the Labour Government over the number of helicopters in service or the appointment of Sir Richard Dannatt as a political adviser, the two parties have practically identical policies on Afghanistan.

And it is true. The Conservatives, on this issue among so many others, have very little to say about Afghanistan or Iraq that radically differs from what is currently on offer. Both parties, save an honourable few among their ranks, enthusiastically endorsed the war by voting for it. Neither has altered their stance since.

Eight years later, some among those many who voted for the war are beginning to reconsider their position. Many more already have. After nearly a decade we have had ample time to survey the scene, to agonise over the many needless deaths and to debate the ins and outs of why we are still there. Indeed, The Times notes that opinion continues to swing towards withdrawal.

One must have concluded by now, as many did long before the invasion, that it was a bad idea to invade Afghanistan in the first place. Many have tried before and all have failed. The war was borne out of opportunity and mistaken idealism that imposing democracy was a simple matter rather than a process that takes time, experience and many generations.

Our presence in Afghanistan, like Iraq, does us no favours. It is high time that we left; high time that we got out of Afghanistan.

The Foreseeable Future

The resignation of James Purnell as the Work and Pensions Secretary basically sums up the story of British Government and politics over the past two decades – and sadly, it would seem, for the foreseeable future too.

Mr Purnell called for the resignation of Gordon Brown as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister and for an immediate election contest to replace him. Yet, like so many other Labour rebels who have taken to the airwaves in recent days, Mr Purnell did not cite a disagreement with the policies of Mr Brown.

It is the case that Mr Purnell and all the other Labour rebels do not actually have any problems with the current policies of the Labour Party. They merely disagree with the way in which they are being presented and the negative light that the media now continually cast upon Gordon Brown and the Labour Party.

Thus, this is not an issue of policy but personality and rather blatant careerism. Sky News claimed tonight that in resigning Mr Purnell sacrificed his career on principle. Rubbish. James Purnell had only his career in mind and believes that, by ditching Brown, he could further it. Similarly, to which principles exactly was he adhering? Certainly not those of policy or ideology.

Furthermore, if you honestly think that a UK General Election will change anything other than the personalities of those MPs in Westminster and Whitehall then you are sadly mistaken. Mr Cameron and the Conservatives seek to continue the policies and political direction of the current Government with only very minor alterations. If you do not believe this to be true then please prove my assertion to be incorrect with cold hard evidence. If you cannot then you must accept that I am right.

It does not matter whether or not Gordon Brown is replaced as Prime Minister by another Labour leader or by the Conservative Party and David Cameron; the governance and policies in Westminster will remain identical for the foreseeable future, as they have done for the past two decades. Nothing will change.

Unforeseen Consequences

So, Benazir Bhutto is dead. Depending on whom you believe she was either shot multiple times or knocked unconscious, later to die in hospital. Regardless, I suspect this event will not fade away from our headlines for some time.

As always our ever so thoughtful and enlightened Prime Minister, Gordon Brown was quick to make a public statement in which he claimed that:

Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery.

Knowing, as she did, the threats to her life, the previous attempt at assassination, she risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan, and she has been assassinated by cowards afraid of democracy.

This is a sad day for democracy. It’s a tragic hour for Pakistan.

Unfortunately these words were uttered by a man who refuses to give the British people a referendum on the completely undemocratic EU Constitution (a promise on which he was elected) and continues to give away further sovereign powers to an unelected, bureaucratic EU Commission. The Prime Minister wouldn’t know what democracy was if it came up to him and punched him in the face.

Anyway, be that as it may; returning to the original point about Benazir Bhutto’s death, I will not pretend to know much about internal Pakistani politics, because I in fact know very little. However, what I do know is that the country has an enormous problem with Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. This has also had a profound affect on neighbouring Afghanistan and on our troops stationed in that region already undertaking the extremely difficult task of trying to restore relative order and stability.

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The Final Act Draws Closer

The media has been making a big song and dance of the fact that Gordon Brown will miss the official signing of the EU Constitution which is currently being passing off under guise of the Lisbon Reform Treaty.

Rather unfortunately for us though, our fanatically europhile Foreign Secretary David Miliband will travel to Lisbon in the Prime Minister’s stead and put pen to paper as the United Kingdom’s official ‘representative’.

Once again it really does come as little surprise that the media as a collective entity have successfully managed to reduce the incredibly important issue of how our nation is to be governed and by whom, to one of petty, meaningless personalities and theatrical acts of no significance.

Whether or not Gordon Brown signs the treaty document at the official time and place is almost completely irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that he will be signing the EU Constitution eventually, without ever consulting the British people as he and his Labour party promised, and in doing so condemning us to yet further unjust and undemocratic rule from the unelected bureaucrats and politicians in Brussels.

As I have pointed out before, this will be very bad for all of us. Well, except for the politicians of course.