Thursday 1 October 2015

Stop the War "sort of" oppose bombing by Russia

Last week an article appeared on the Stop the West War Coalition's website arguing that "The only intervention likely to work in Syria just now is from Moscow". Trouble is the Russians have actually started bombing targets in Syria forcing the StWC to issue a statement arguing against both UK and Russian bombs.

So what are the comrades proposing to do with their campaign?

Nothing it would seem.

When the West or Israel in particular do anything the anti-imperialist brigade doesn't like they organise "emergency demonstrations" and other protest and other activities.

So is there a protest outside the Russian Embassy? Is one planned?

Nope.

The leaders of the StWC are a wee bit embarrassed. Lyndsey German and John Rees are members of a little breakaway group from the Socialist Workers Party known as Counterfire. An odd name but there's so many little groupscules on the left I think they just ran out of names....and lost their marbles.

Counterfire has adopted a strategy of adapting to the Putin agenda and has never as far as I am aware condemned the us of "barrel bombs" by Assad's forces and consider the West responsible for the war in the Ukraine even though it's only Russia that's on the ground.

Don't mention Chechnya either.

Counterfire, like most of the left also capitulated to the Islam(ist) agenda some time ago. German and Rees it should be remembered were involved in the disastrous link up between the SWP and George Galloway in Respect pandering to backwards religious conservatism in order to try and undermine our way of life.

The StWC  and Counterfire refuse to countenance any assistance to those oppressed by ISIS even at one stage absurdly arguing that the Kurds should not accept arms from the West. Where else they were supposed to get them was never outlined.

Now of course the comrades are in a difficult position. Russian intervention is likely to prolong the Syrian civil war and they are not so bothered about collateral damage (civilian casualties) as NATO forces have tried to be.

Putin is looking to prop up his allies (Assad and Iran) and get a quick(ish) victory to increase his popularity at home. The Russian Orthodox Church has already called for "holy war" against Jihad. Where this will all end is difficult to see.

Meanwhile Stop the War has failed to live up to it's name again.

There will be no demonstration outside the Russian embassy any more than there was one outside the Iranian Embassy when they intervened in Iraq and Syria.

The reason for that was the connections of StWC leaders with Press TV, the mouthpiece of the Iranian clerical fascists.

A revolutionary has to earn a living somehow.

Tehran gold? That'll do nicely.

So expect contortions and all sorts of "smoke and mirrors from the anti-imperialists over the coming weeks!

Meanwhile the old fashioned neo-Stalinists at Socialist Unity are far more honest for once.

Male model John Wight writes sternly:

"The barbarians are at the gates and Russia alone is heeding the call to intervene in order to save not just the Syrian government or Syria, but civilisation itself."

Right. Self interest and Russian imperialism has absolutely nothing to do with it then......

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