On the Current Duality in the UK’s Political Direction

TND Guest Contributor: Phil Butler  |

People in the United Kingdom are fed up with war, waste, and leaning on wishful thinking. For those unsure of this fact, you only need to refer to the growing popularity of the Labor Party’s Jeremy Corbyn. As further evidence, the recent dissent on David Cameron’s Britain bombing plans in Syria tells us all we need to know about the situation in the UK. Cooler heads and logic would appear to be edging out opinion foreign disputed can be settled militarily. But what’s even more crucial in Britain is a society coming to terms with government’s divergence toward public interest.

Corbyn, a longtime advocate of the UK disarming its nuclear arsenal, has also recently attributed the Ukraine situation to US and NATO meddling. He’s also not alone in theorizing the former Soviet bloc nations should never have been swept up by NATO. Recently questioned the United States’ opposition to Iran being part of the process for peace in Syria, a variable he said could; “bring about a permanent peace and save a lot of lives?”The Labor leader who’s always sided with the poor and for human rights, is at odds with flag wavers like Michael Fallon, who said the other day:

“It is “morally indefensible” for Britain to rely on other countries to tackle the so-called Islamic State in Syria.”

Also related to the mess in Syria, the UK’s opposition leader stood up for the Syrian refugees at a rally organized by Stand Up Against Racism and Fascism NGO. Corbyn called on not only the UK’s Tory government to take more refugees into the country, but also to the EU to do more. He suggested that if Germany and other nations could do more, then so could the UK:

“Turkey has already accommodated two million refugees….Germany has already taken several hundred thousands and the other European countries. Surely we can do a bit better than that. Governments of Europe have got to do far more…to prevent those people drowning in seas.”

As for bombing ISIL without what UK parliamentarians suggest is a “cohesive plan”, that’s the sentiment of people in the UK reflected. Most there on the streets of London or Manchester, simply don’t understand why they must undergo austerity, while the government in power “bombs away” millions overseas. This is especially poignant when one considers the US and the coalition (including Britain) have failed utterly to even put a dent in the IS. While the UK media is largely owner by the same people who put David Cameron and Barack Obama in office, the people on the street appear to be simply not so obtuse as their American or German counterparts. I stated as much on Sputnik Radio international just this week.

On the home front, it should also be said, Syria’s Assad is not always painted as the face of evil. This article at politics.co.uktells us Mr. Assad’s best weapon is his popularity. Corbyn helped to organize the recent Stop the War Coalition event in Parliament where activist Peter Tatchell accused MP Diane Abbott of goes so far as to ignore Syrian refugees. The point was well made, as Syrian refugees were not even allowed to speak at the event. One disgruntled refugee commented; “Only Westerners are allowed to talk about Syria.” This leads me to my ultimate point of contention in this report, the obvious parting of ways between Britain’s current leadership and the people of those British Isles.

As the entrenched British media helps wage its propaganda war to blame Russia at every turn for the UK’s and US’ ongoing crisis, down underneath the corporate media drawing table people grow more and more weary. Bucharest to Brussels and Belfast, bad news has pummeled the populace. This fact is the single most significant factor in the rise to power of socialist or even communist leadership in the world today. Corbyn is a prime example of an overall outcry for leaders to “stop” the nonsense of war. British Telecom and most other media tries to shift the refugee crisis firmly onto the new Russian air offensive, when everyone in Britain knows NATO, the US, with Britain in tow instigated the so-called Arab Spring that’s left the Middle East unraveled.

Back to Corbyn’s role, it must be noted the new labor leader’s position versus David Cameron’s side is crisp, intelligible, even dynamic. This goes a long way to making my argument of a UK government largely split from its Queen and its leadership. This piece shows not only Corbyn’s disdain for the war mongers, but it betrays the deeper implications of America’s “Arab Spring” hegemony. Corbyn commented on the connection of Cameron and other leaders with Egypt’s al-Sisi’s, who’s recent visit to London prompted the labor leader’s comment that Cameron’s welcome showed “contempt for human and democratic rights, and threatens, rather than protects, Britain’s national security.” Al-Sisi met with Cameron and British Secretary of Defence Michael Fallon to beg for the same kind of support NATO and the coalition gave the Libyans for his country. The visit caused widespread protests from anti-war activists and others.

Finally, I’d be highly surprised if Corbyn did not end up being the people of Britain’s next choice for PM. Once it’s been established that banking and money are in fact behind all these wars, and once the key collaborators in these affairs are known, the UK will surely undergo a transformation far quicker than any other EU or North American nation. Just look at the Newweek revelation that showed Britain’s part in a massive arms trade with Egypt. The £48.8 million ($76.3 million) in trade for military vehicles alone was up 3,000 percent. Not everyone knows that the UK is the largest foreign investor in Egypt by far, having tossed in over $25 billion in the last five years alone. Al-Sisi is actually a key to understanding what is going on in the region overall. This is “who” the perpetrators of Arab Spring wanted in charge in Egypt, and Corbyn has done everything but name him as the puppet.

Curiously for now, the “coincidental” downing of the Russian Kogalymavia (Metrojet) Flight 9268 over Sinai brings to the forefront another separation in Britain and the world. Cameron, and supposedly British Intelligence say the jet was probably taken out by ISIL. 1000 media outlets have parroted this too. Meanwhile the Kremlin claims there is no evidence of such sabotage. For many who’ve been immersed in the whole east-west propaganda wars, this seems entirely strange given British Intelligence nor American experts EVER provided evidence of what happened to Malaysian flight MH17. That mystery is still ongoing, and far past the news cycle. Less mysterious is the Cameron/Al-Sisi partnership, which was most vehemently expressed when an Egyptian reported asked the British PM what he (Cameron) intended to do about the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK, given that it was outlawed in Egypt. Cameron responded by promising a review of policy by the end of the year, and efforts to produce a much more “robust” approach to that situation.

The fires of division are well lit in the United Kingdom. Corbyn and others leaning to the far left continue to gain ground, if not in parliament for now, then with the growing mass of discontent there. A recent rally in central London titled “Stand Up to Racism” reflects of the sentiment I see from my UK colleagues at almost every turn. Online British colleagues reflect, just as this rally did, citizens mobilized to, as Roger McKenzie, Unison union assistant general secretary, said, “start of the ‘new politics’ in Britain.” Like I said at the outset, people are sick and tired of failed policies that would “bomb” even the innocents, in order to solve far off political issues. When Corbyn walked into this rally, he was met with thunderous applause. When was the last time David Cameron or even the Queen Mother was met with thunderous cheers? I’ll tell you this much, every time the BBC or other media are shown lying to people, every time another mini-scandal about some Brit politician arises, another citizen of the UK swaps to the only side that makes sense, the labor leader Corbyn’s idealism. Is the UK in for a tough ride? Well, the current government and ruling elite are. Duality and opposing sides work great at football matches, but not where the will of the people departs from that of leadership. War is not the answer, fixing Britain is.

Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

This work was published at the New Eastern Outlook and is reprinted with permission.