I agree with much of what has been said on Galloway...
It is perhaps an indication of the political-organisational weakness
of the left/anti-war movement that such a 'maverick figure' (to be
polite) has come to assume such a pivotal public role in the debate
on the war and the nature of the Labour Party and Labour
government.
I, and most of the people I know, opposed the war without seeing fit
to give any ground whatsoever to the brutal Iraqi regime - a regime
that Galloway was, at the very least, happy to be wined and dined
by, while mass graves were being filled with Sadam's opponents.
Galloway is, to say the least, guilty of a knee-jerk petulance
common among some on the left that sides uncritically with almost
any force that stands in opposition to imperialism -even when such
forces often have the blood of thousands of socialists, trade
unionists and human rights activists on their hands.
While his opposition to the war has taken some guts, as has his
opposition to some Labour government policies, his credibility is
undermined by the weaknesses of his alternatives.
I can't quite bring myself to donate to his legal campaign, or
advocate that others do so.
Michael.
Date sent: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 15:04:24 +0100
Send reply to: Divya Tolia-Kelly <[log in to unmask]>
From: Divya Tolia-Kelly <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Thanks Dave . .
It is true that the leadership of E.P. Thomson is lacking here in the
Galloway case , but he has continued to politically active as a Labour M.P.
in opposing Blair's illegal agenda, and has shown himself to nbe one of few
to stand as a representative of his constituency, and really represent
thier anti-war feeling. He is a thorn in the side of the Labour party
because he has exposed thier lack of parliamentary / democratic
consideration of the millions of voices on these anti-war demos. So in this
instance Galloway may have limited the debate bacuse of the limitations of
his political vision, but he has been a singular voice, a rare example of
an MP who has spoken out and mobilised on the ground . . he has argued the
difficult line of being against the victimisation of the Iraqi people for Oil.
The difficulty is that when there is an organised grouping (however much we
object to the beaureacratisation of collective action) a 'face' or an
ellected leader emerges . . often most of us fail to stand as one,
therefore the Galloway's of this world fill the void .. . very much like in
local trade union activism, the fulkl time official isn't always the one
that has the political experience or vision but the one that volunteered to
do the job that the rest of us failed to volunteer for. As a revisionist
Galloway has been an effective opposing voice from Gulf War in 1992, in the
Iran-Iraq war . . and taken a politically precarious position against the
Labour executive . . a rare event. So although it is true . . tyhat in an
ideal world of democratic organisation we shouldn't 'need' Galloway, here
without him the supporters he brings with him (some of whom are simply
jaded Labour party hacks, and others of whom are Glasgows radical left)
provide the basis of a braoadening the coalition . . I agree not always
visionary . . and doesn't always go far enough . . (will read that article
Dave, Thank you)
Anyway . . I think we should send the bucket around to support him at the
next IBG . . his legal campaign . . as an act of political support to
someone being picked off by a multimillion dollar action.
Divya
Divya Tolia-Kelly (Dr)
Lecturer in Human Geography
Department of Geography,
University College London,
26 Bedford Way,
London WC1H 0AP.
United Kingdom.
tel: +44 (0)20 7679 7586
fax: +44 (0)20 7679 7565
[log in to unmask]
http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/~dtkelly
Dr Michael Fisher
Business School
Greenwich University
London SE10 9LS
Tel: 0208 331 9740
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