Why London is a target
London is a target because of present and past British governments’ support for American imperialist wars. It goes right back to The 1970’s and Margaret Thatcher’s agreement to allow american controlled cruise missiles to deployed on american bases in Britain. She built a relationship based upon uncritical support for then president Reagan which successive British leaders have continued, to the detriment of the safety of Londoners and millions of other people around the world.
Prime Minister John Major allowed Britain to be used as an aircraft carrier for US bombers raiding Libya. He was then instrumental in building an alliance for the first Gulf war, and Tony Blair continued the tradition by serving up Britain as America’s closest ally in the invasions of Afghanistan, the second Gulf war and the continued occupation of Iraq.
Terrorism and Imperialism support each other in that the one provides justification for the other, and so on. When the smoke from the explosions finally clears, and when minds clear, some hard questions will have to be asked. It was clearly only a matter of time before the terrorist madmen would attack London. By his actions Tony Blair has placed his people in the front line of this madness. The result was entirely predictable.
The latest atrocity may seem to demonstrate the efficacy of the methods of terrorism. A small group of fanatics with bombs can paralyse a great city. Yet in the last analysis, the terrorists cannot succeed. These insane and barbaric acts only serve the interests of imperialism. Terrorism and imperialism feed off each other. The barbarities of the one serve as the pretext for the barbarities of the other. And it is always the ordinary people who pay the price.
The mass media will now have a field day. Blair and Bush will use this atrocity to try to justify their policy in Iraq and at home. But when people begin to reflect calmly on these events they will draw very different conclusions. The war on terror has not been won. The invasion of Iraq has destabilized the whole Middle East and made many new recruits for terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda. And the world is a far more dangerous place than it was before the invasion of Iraq.
No one can condone acts of violence aimed at working people going about our daily lives. The innocent victims have not been a party to, nor are they responsible for, the decisions of their government.
The loss of innocent lives, whether in this country or Iraq, is precisely the result of a world that has become a less safe and peaceful place in recent years.
It was argued by many that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. This was well known to ordinary people, and to the security services but tragically, Londoners have now paid the price of the government ignoring such warnings.
We should now urge the government to remove people in this country from harms way, as the Spanish government acted to remove its people from harm, by ending the occupation of Iraq and by turning its full attention to the development of a real solution to the wider conflicts in the Middle East.
Only then will the innocents here and abroad be able to enjoy a life free of the threat of needless violence.
More information from technorati:
London, London Blast, London Explosions, London Bomb, terrorism
Related posts:
in accord with my idea…. i’m from Rome, Italy, war call war. it’s time to change, change pollitics, change minds, becausa, as you told, thi world is not exactly a paradise now…
Cheers
Cristiano
succint, well argued post andy. though one small point (which you are probably aware of but others may not) - UK decided to be “junior partner” to USA after World War II.
You’re right, the barbarian isn’t the way to change the world.
Even one innocent life is a too high price to pay in the name of a fake justice or peace, or in the name of a religion that in point of facts disapproves the use of violence against innocents.
I fully agree with your comment. Thank you because you make me feel not alone one more time.
I really do not understand why those simple but important considerations are ignored by our governments (I am Italian). We hope there will be a time they will be more mature and they’ll stop playing war like children do, being powerful of people fear and ignorance (who voted for bush again?)
Stop the violence.
I can’t see any news in the explosions in London. Last month more than 200 people were killed in Iraq due to George and Tonys war. That wasn’t news either, so why should someone care special attential when now some people in London are killed?
Totally agree with you. And so many people think in the same way. Why are the politicians so afraid to accuse Blair to be ultimately responsible for this and future attacks? Blair killed these innocent victims no less than the actual terrorists: Blair provoked the terrorists, he basically invited them and made the UK a huge and easy target. Of course he is well protected so he is not scared, nothing can happen to him and his family: he is so brave when consequences can happen to others, the ordinary people. He says this is a sacrifice “we” must pay. And for what? He is the one who should pay, and dearly, for the wrong decision he made, consciously, to go to war.
Alex Quest
Just some personal remarks to your article from Germany.
At 1st - I think, its important to reply this:
The spanish government DIDN’T change its politics about Iraq. Zapatero (?) disagreed with Spains engagement right from the beginning of war. What happened was an surprising election right after the Madrid-Murderings. After winning this election, the spanish socialists just executed what they always told before. This was NO direct reaction on the attacks and it was NO deal with terrorism.
The PEOPLE decided to have a new government - because of Aznars lies about the attacks, (he declared ETA guilty for the murderings), not because they were in fear.
Btw: What do you think - would there be any other result in Britains dicision, if Blairs reelection would be decided tomorrow and his reaction would have been that way?
2nd: Basically your argueing is right. There are imperialistic and somehow ‘big’ reasons for these attacks. Of course, EU and US-politics are responsible for worldwide conflicts.
But, on the other hand, these murderings are based on ’small’ conflicts too. The attackers don’t come to Britain or Spain (…or Germany next time) from far away, foreighn countries. They are part of OUR urban community. They live WITH us.
They, and we, we are all part of a representative-war within our society. And they play their war the fashistic way. Its like Ken Livingston said yesterday: These attacks weren’t on presidents, on generals or chancelers, these attacks were on ‘working-class’- everybody. This is a fashist-strategy against urban communities.
And they are supported in destroying urbanism by rightwing rednecks or skinheads on the other side.
So, I think, beside of the argueing about our governments decisions, we have to recognize the conflict within our urban communities. And we have to take this conflict, being aware that fighting against fashism within our communities always means danger for our own levels of tolerance, freedom and calmness.
I hope - this is my 3rd remark - London will stay urban. Even if the attacks will have been done by other Londoners. Your great city always was the model of an urban community for me. Even more than New York City, which is not that mashed up.
Your yesterdays reactions - as far, as I could catch them here - made me love your city again. Staying calm, objective and free is the only way to fight fashism. That way, London still is the model of urban living.
Please excuse my english and the impudent lenght of my answer, although I’m not a member of this site.
Frank from Germany.
Excuse me, but this is the usual justificationist babble. Look, in 2001 the US had a president that was a self-declared isolationist, and in the previous years, while the attacks were being planned, the only outward act of the US towards the Middle East was to push Israel to accept peace talks. So why there, why then?
Terrorists are at war with us westerners all, not with any particular politicians, and if you deny that it’s already half a victory for them.
Besides, I spend a good deal of my time in London, and I consider myself at least a partial Londoner so I think that, If you have any issue with Blair or Bush, fine, but this should be a time of mourning, not of political finger-pointing, which is stale at the best of times, and, sorry but that’s what I think, rightward stupid in times such as these… Our ciy has been wounded, let’s find a way to make it whole again.
And, if you have political issues, vote, don’t post silly things…
Hi, i’m italian, from Rome, my name is carla and i completely agree with you. I just want to say to you how sad it have been for me see london under attack.I’m very sorry.
Hi, I’m writing from Brescia (Italy). First I’m very sad for the things of yesterday, and I’would like to be there to give my hands for help the london people. Now, I thnik it’s not a simply war, as the media try to persuade us. The parts in these war are not so well-defined. I’have many questions in my mind, since the facts in 11 sept, and they are about Bush, and Blair, and Berlusconi, about the possibility that terrorism could be home-made as enemy, because America and Europe need enemies…
Sorry for my english,
a lot of light for you all.
I’m sorry, but I think you’re way off base here. Whatever problems you might have with American international politics, they aren’t the fundamental force behind the recent wave of terrorism - they’re born of a warped form of Islam so well described in a previous post on this very blog.
More to the point, I think hijacking this event to make a political point so soon after the event is tasteless and shows terrible judgement.
I have to ask this simple question. Thanks to the ‘occupation’ Iraqis were able to vote for a govt of sorts for the first time in more than 50 years. The war raghing through Iraq right now is largely one driven by those deposed when saddam fell along thousands of well trained young men whose jobs were lost when the military was rashly disbanded. Pulling out now would create more chaos not less. Many of those fighting the gavt as well as the ‘coalition’ are funded from abroad and are driven by a hatred of the US that predates the first gulf war. We need to sort out the mess our government has gotten us into, not walk away from it. That would unleash a bloodbath to make the current crisis look like a drunken punch up.
Totally with you. I cringed yesterday when Bush talked of continuous war to terrorism because it’s equal to saying “terrorism forever”, “poverty forever”, “corruption forever”.
There are no words for what happened yesterday, still let us not forget that it’s a daily threat for those who live in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan…..
You know, maybe us Americans should pull back and not support anyone. Cause whoever we support someone will hate us for it. We will pull our troops out of every country, we will quit giving money to every country. Hell let the Arabs take back Israel. What the hell it was there country to begin with, right? Oh wait a minute, did Israel belong to the Arabs? hummmm. Anyway, we will quit sending foreign aid to every country who whines about not having food for their people. Their government just takes what we send anyway and spends it on themselves instead of their people. We will close our borders to everyone. Hell this country is so bad, no one wants to come here anyway, right. To hell with you Europeans. BTW, Europe, not just UK decided to be junior partners with the USA during WWII cause your asses were getting kicked. Hell France and Italy were already doing the goose step and the UK was next. We should have stayed out of WWII like we wanted to in the first place. Then where would your asses be. We should stay away when Russia and Iran start pulling there shit in a few years. If you thought the Iron Curtain was bad, just wait. Fundamental Islam wants all who are not Islamic to perish. Not just the ones who support Israel, not just the countries who support USA. Think about it. It really isn’t Bush, it really isn’t Israel. Islam hated the infidels, (people who aren’t Islamic), long before the support of Israel. WAKE UP
It is easy to be gay with other’s ass: democracy is not only voting for a leader but living free and in peace. in my opinion, thanks to (these) occupants there are no hopes for both of them. moreover estremism and terror is coming here too…
To Glen:
Yes!!! It would be so much better if Americans didn’t try to rule the world with the objective to impose their culture and economic power.
At least Americans shouldn’t invent new wars just for political purposes (Bush re-election) and to steal oil from a country that cannot defend itself. And it would be so much better if Americans, who feel so much superior to anybody else, didn’t torture and kill people in their prisons, didn’t ignore the Geneva convention, etc… etc…
Nobody ignores that American did something good in the past: this doesn’t mean that America is a good country now, under the influence of neoconservative fundamentalism. America today if the biggest threat to the world peace! But things will change soon because only a minority of Americans think like you, dear Glen. The lies of the Bush administration are becoming more obvious day after day. America will become again a democratic country as soon as the neocons are wiped out. In the meanwhile we Europeans and the other people of the world are grateful to do without your “help”.
Alex
How about to prohibit the US americans to go out in the world and spread hate and terrorists?
All the problems come from the US americans and BUSHies.
No country should accept US-american travellers!
Cheers, Jim
I believe the middle east was unstable long before the Iraq war started.
I hate to see this turn into finger-pointing and generalized statements about Americans and Europeans. Not all Americans are backing our president and his actions, and not all Europeans are elitist.
This is a time of crisis and loss. Why can’t we just band together during this time? Let’s forget the politics right now and support our fellow humans.
-Courtney
sf.metblogs
Well said, Courtney.
Believe what the liberal press tells you baaaaa baaaaaa baaaaaa.
Turn up the music, and the air conditioning and have women point at their pee pees. ooooo what torture. Let’s quit feeding them gormet meals and point the arrows in their cells away from Meca(sp). We treat those prisoners much better than prisoners in USA that rob banks. Give me a break. We should do to them what they do to their own kind who don’t believe as they do. That’s torture. I didn’t vote for Bush, I don’t like this war. But I don’t think that just because I don’t believe in Alah I should be killed. I also don’t think you should be killed cause you don’t believe either. I am not all that crazy with the way my country imposes it’s ideals on countries that don’t want them, but what countries are those. Iraq? Ask the typical Iraqi. Not the people that just steped over the Syrian border. You know, I might be wrong in my thinking, but I will atleast say I might be wrong. Will any of you……I doubt it.
Courtney is right. All loss of life is terrible. Please forgive my rants. God bless everyone. RIP to all innocent who has perished in this war.
Sorry
I respectfully disagree. Blair didn’t bomb London. Bush didn’t Bomb London. America didn’t bomb London.
Fascist terrorists who act in the name of, but against the tenets of, Islam bombed London.
If it were up to those terrorists, London would no longer be a free city in a free country. Your women would be subjugated. Your freedoms would be abolished. If you did not convert to Islam, you would surely be killed. Such is the ideology of the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist who wants to establish a worldwide Caliphate.
To finger-point at America is to point way, way in the wrong direction. It would be like saying it’s Britain’s fault because they colonized America in the first place. Give me a break.
I found your comments particularly distasteful, arrogant and misguided. America may stumble around like an infant buffoon sometimes, but we always act with good intentions - even when we’re wrong.
Why is London a target? Because it works. It’s not because of political alliances or people in power. It’s because it’s available and it’s an opportunity.
Think of it this way… as a society protecting ourselves against anything that wishes to destroy us — WE as that society have to be right 100% of the time. THEY only have to be right once.
Stop finger pointing and starting finding some solutions. If you don’t like the current ones being used by the current administrations, be a voice for alternative ideas. Pulling out or just ignoring isn’t going to solve anything.
Reading this article, and the resulting posts, fills me with grief.
It is indeed a tumultuous world we live in, where people who can all converse in the same language can hate each other so much. It’s not just Euope versus America, as a lot of people seem to lay evidence too, but all the other many world conflicts. India and Pakistan, the Israelies and the Palestinian’s, etc. etc.
The politics of the world are screwed up, no matter where you go. I don’t agree with how Bush has led this country in total over the past few years, but he has done some good. There are a lot of other world leaders I don’t agree with, in how they act, how they lie, cheat, steal, and yet even commit murder. If you look at any political leader or system they all have their faults, their failures.
And war is not a new thing. There have been some “righteous” wars throughout the centuries, but most have been bloody horrors. Even for the many people that thought World War II was a righteous war (which I do in many ways), you can find almost as many people that think it was a stupid and worthless fight.
Anyone can argue until they’re blue in the face about which leader is good and which one is bad, who is the terrorist and whom is the peace-bringer, what country is the most righteous and which one is evil.
Is there so much hate in this world that we have to turn around after the real cause has been found, even when the group admitted to it, and blame the American’s or some other group of people? Why is it that people - and I don’t care what country you’re from or what race you are - have to focus their anger and frustration at others when the the perpetrator is so clear? America, and those allies that followed, might not have had 100% righteous goals when going into Iraq, and I’m not going to say that the ends justify the means, but can’t you admit that some good came out of this? And instead of blaming the bombings in London on America for “invading” Iraq, why can’t you simply blame al-Qaeda since they outright admitted it and leave it at that?
I can’t agree 100% with what Glenn posted above, but I do feel what he said and I completely understand where he’s coming from. For all the good that America has done throughout the last 200+ years, everyone has to come back and blame them for all the hurt and pain in the world. Even despite the good America does, it can’t seem to outweigh the “pain” it has caused. It’s a fight America can’t win, I suppose.
I love people all over the world. I love traveling. I love to see new things, enjoy new cultures, have great experiences in the great beautiful planet. What I see in this Blog posting and the responses to it scares me.
My suggestion is this. Stop watching/reading/listening the news. Get out and experience life. See things for yourself. Live in the world, and with it’s people. Talk to those who experience things, and don’t just read about them in some biased journal entry or newspaper. There is already too much hate in this world. See things for what they are, and not what you want to make of them.
Think about the people who were hurt in this tragedy, the REAL people that enacted this tragedy, contemplate and remember, and then move on with your life. Love life, and be happy. And please don’t live life hating anything or anyone, because you’ll only bring yourself down in the end.
:) here is a thought…
Everyone inhabiting this earth is responsible for its stewardship as well as its destruction and the phases in between.
Want to see who is responsible for the condition of your life and world, look in the mirror, and reflect on Matt’s widsom. What have you done to make life better? What have you done to create peace and stop the hate? You are a participant by blogging your anger and/or fear in response to an event; how do you choose to be?
Spread compassion and understanding and peace will follow. It is up to each and everyone of us. Losing sight of this allows the terrorists to divide and conquer us, thereby winning again and again…
Look for beauty (and find it in Adam’s photographs). Also, look for individual humans and you will no longer see faceless politics. We need to grieve every life lost and then honor their lives by continuing toward a peaceful world.
Was it Aristotle who suggested our biggest challenge as humans is being angry at the right time, for the right reasons, with the right people…?
Heal, Londoners. Your city is one of the most beautiful and alive places I have been lucky enough to visit.
I find that arguments based on WWII are quite restrictive. We must stop justifying the horrors perpetreted in world with the sufferings of WWII. That chapter of our history will remain in the memory forever, but it’s not quite the issue at hand here.
It’s equally mindless to finger-point one country or anothe as we’re all in it. We should strive, together, to find a way of coexisting with our differences. Something’s wrong structurally and there’s no time for empty blaming.
I do like this War.
The war in Iraq, however bloody - and recent estimates are about 100,000 dead - is still less destructive than the regime of Saddam Hussein. Under Saddam’s supposedly socialist regime, hundreds of thousands of Kurds were murdered and the Marsh Arabs killed in some of the worst acts of genocide of the latter twentieth-century. Before we have tripe moralizing about how Britain brought these attacks on herself, we ought to place the War and fight against terrorism in context. It is utter nonsense, and naive nonsense, to suggest that the West is to blame for the current outbreak of militant Islamic terrorism. The ideological background that has created this terrorism was formed in the fifties, against the background of the forming of secular Arab states in the region post-independence. This inherrently retrograde ideology is the inspiration for the Taliban’s regime and the world view of Bin Laden. It cannot be reasoned with. The idea that we can have world peace if we somehow ‘reason’ with these people is contemptable. If YOU wish to see the establishment of theocratic dictatorial states in the Middle-East and the subsequent persecution of women and homosexuals, just for an easier life for privileged Westerners then you cannot call yourself a democrat. Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network don’t just want the U.S and the U.K out of Iraq - but to establish regimes like the Taliban across the region. The West, especially weak and devided Europe, could lose this ‘War on Terror’. The consequences for our children of a Middle East that is not democratic, that has nuclear capabilities, will be much worse than the atrocities we say in my home city of London this week. For the people that died on the tube line I take, we mustn’t let the forces of reaction win.
There is an argument that the war is for the common good if it is true that it proves to be less destructive than saddam’s regime, but to like war, in any circumstance, is sickening. i am proud that people who like war are, by far, a minority.
The author of this article is clearly an ignoramous.
Looks like propaganda works on somebody
Andy, I put in the link to this post in the comment you left on my blog. To put in a link in Blogger, you just use the HTML for a link.
Thanks for the link.
“Terrorists are at war with us westerners all, not with any particular politicians, and if you deny that it’s already half a victory for them.”
I would say not only “westerners”, but every non-muslim population
What do you expect ?
if some force invades your country, what would you do? you would react, and that includes brutal force, warfare (whatever you call it).
thats it. that is the same human response regardless of nationality, geography and religion.
Tony Blair comes up and basicly says, “these terrorists have a problem with western world and values as freedom and peace” and “if it wasn’t for Iraq war terrorists would find another reason to attack”…
My a**…
Mr.Blair if these terrorists have always had a problem with western values, tell us why they didn’t attack london before. Why did they wait?
You are lying. It all started with the Iraq invasion and you know that it is not a “western-antiwestern” war. You invaded their country, they responded and now you are reaping the rewards.
good luck british. go on. support this guy.
These terrorist’s are a product of your neighborhood. Deal with it. Why blame Americans? Can’t you see it’s religion based? The world has always had religous extremists willing to die. Why not look closely at the liberal laws that allow these cockroaches to breed.
“These terrorist’s are a product of your neighborhood. Deal with it. Why blame Americans? Can’t you see it’s religion based? The world has always had religous extremists willing to die”
based on what evidence?
assumptions
assumptions
assumptions
The attacks on London and this war are incredible tragedies. Ordinary people are suffering the consequences of politicians decisions. I’m an american and I find it strange how some (maybe most) Americans identify themselves with the us govt. Saying “we” attack Iraq — then arguing vehemently about whether it’s justified or not. It’s sad that so many american neocon christians support Bush and in turn support murder of innocents. That’s my two cents — for whatever it’s worth.
you and i both know that your approach would have had all england speaking german today…
so, please don’t try reaching us for assistance when you’re fighting to survive in the streets of london…we won’t be available… wouldn’t want to anger anyone by taking your call…