My Blog

25 February 2007

This was written yesterday, Saturday afternoon, 24 February 2007. The much heralded march by the families and veterans of those who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq has been in progress  for more than two hours. Messages from the service families taking part tell us that thousands of  marchers are mobiling Blair to let him know that the record that has been made to provide funds for the protestors is selling well and rising in the charts. There is so far little or no coverage of the event. We wait, but those of us who remember the coverage of Mrs Thatcher's campaign against the miners and compare it with coverage of the anti-war demonstrations in London and other cities that preceded the war, will have no great expectation. We will not hold our breath. Stories of suffering and death among servicemen amount to official neglect,  stories  of neglect amount to insult. They are legion.  The fact has to be faced - whatever may be the verdict of history on its monstrous acts of belligerence, New Labour is in a league of its own when it comes to manipulating the press and broadcasters. The reckless abandon of the media in maintaining a near news blackout on every aspect of  protest at Blair's vicious and illegal support of America's war defies belief. Today, the BBC found three supporters of the anti-Iran campaign to complain about the help given to 'the enemy' by telling viewers of one of its programmes what the world's two largest aircraft carriers are up to in the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf be it noted! If only the entire US navy would stay in the Gulf of Mexico, even the children of Israel would be silenced.  

Blair’s war of obloquy goes on, intensifying in both Iraq and Afghanistan, despite lies to the contrary.

Truth will out in the end. Those of us who believe passionately in peace, who despise the warmongers, will keep the fires of debate burning even though the fourth estate, the so-called upholders of democracy, have so patently sold out to New Labour and its friends.  We have the strength. 

WINBLOG

HVF Winstone

Author of Gertrude Bell, Captain Shakespear, Leachman – OC Desert, Woolley of Ur, Howard Carter and the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, etc.