My immediate reaction to this phrase is it is inflammatory and inaccurate propaganda, used by totalitarian imperialism which is hiding behind the mask of 'democracy'. Then I thought it was time to calm my anger and at least investigate such a phrase: having read a useful summary on Wikipedia about it, I choose more carefully to reject it (not just because the first time it came to my attention was when I happened to hear George W Bush using it in an interview).
I went on the Hyde Park to Parliament Square Stop the War Coalition demo in London two Saturdays ago; about wanting a ceasefire in Lebanon. Some people were chanting
'Down down George Bush,
down down Tony Blair',
and some were chanting
'we are all Hizbollah' (the placards with this final slogan had pictures of injured and killed children from Lebanon; the slogan could mean 'we are all children of God' or 'we are all members of Hizbollah'). This left me unmoved because I didn't agree although I could understand their feelings. I looked online at some debate surrounding the third slogan and yet couldn't find anything which wasn't simply more name calling, so I'm going to leave it.
I did have a gentle and peaceable chat with a thoughtful lady in her seventies, who I travelled back up as far as Stafford with on the train. She'd come down from Liverpool on a day return to demonstrate; she'd planned it the night before, and was attempting to fit that in and also attending a silent witness the following day on Hiroshima day. I could understand her, and was more deeply moved. On the march I was moved by how many people of many groupings all were there, determined that this unjustifiable set of killings had to stop. That people will join en masse for the sake of others overwhelmed me.
None of this leads me to conclude that views within a anti-war coalition which are different to mine are automatically wrong and I certainly do not think they are fascist. Throwing labels around about religious fascism, especially when done by someone from the Christian right leaves me unmoved and not in agreement.
I am glad that there's a ceasefire. I am also very grateful for writetothem.com for making it incredibly simple to write to my local councillors, MEPs and MP about the issue (I have received replies from each of them, all of which were not in agreement with Tony Blair's hesitating on calling for an unconditional ceasefire).
3 comments:
Thanks for what you wrote Jem... have referred to it on me blog...
I was interested to hear on Any Questions last week, the day after Georgie boy's comments someone saying (can't remember who)that Bush's comment was unhelpful, but that it wasn't an inaccurate description of the taliban style religious government, which from my limited understanding of the situation in Afghanistan seems an apt description of any kind of fundamentalist government (there are certain aspects of it that could be applied to our own Anglo-American governmental style at present, with various 'clampdowns' which apparently preserve our freedom.)
Just an off-the-cuff reflection. Not too much of a knee-jerk, i hope, and certainly not meant to give the impression of approving of GWB's use of language, the man is an ass.
I once heard someone say that GWB is a Preacher rather than a President. I don't know if I agree with that, but I know what they were getting at. He has the power to stir up the feelings of a nation, but unfortunately he says foolish things and pisses everyone off... which is quite frankly very dangerous, as has been proven! I've picked a rather heavy post to say "hello" on, but I thought I'd go ahead anyway.
Impressed by the pictures by the way!
Alice :o)
Jem - when is there going to be another post? Missing some contact with you!
Sarah
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