Why haven't the Left got Georgia on their minds?

Blackleaf · Why haven't the Left got Georgia on their minds?

In 2003, thousands of people in several countries (many of them members of the Stop the War Coalition) marched through the streets in protest against the invasion of Iraq by America, Britain, Australia, Italy, Spain and many other countries.

However, there has been a notable absence of anti-war protesters over Russia's invasion of Georgia.

"Why is this?", asks the Daily Mail's Richard Littlejohn.

Why haven't the Left got Georgia on their minds?

19th August 2008
Daily Mail

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN

A "Stop The War" demonstration in London in 2003 by people opposed to the Iraq War. Strangely, the anti-war protesters have been very quiet over Russia's invasion of Georgia

Pity I was away last week. I must have missed the march through London against the Russian invasion of Georgia. What a magnificent sight it must have been - half a million protesters standing firm against tyranny and supporting freedom and democracy.

I'd have loved to have heard Red Ken denouncing the bloodthirsty gangster regime in Moscow, George Galloway comparing Vladimir Putin to Hitler and Tony Benn declaring it was all about oil.

What's that you say? There was no such rally? I suppose they must all have been too busy demonstrating against Chinese oppression in Tibet and demanding a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

No-shows: Littlejohn wonders where the protesters are for the war in Georgia

Or perhaps not. Funny how the Not In My Name crowd always overlooks aggression by Communist or 'former' Communist regimes.

There's no such reticence when it comes to portraying George W. Bush as the new Hitler or daubing swastikas on the Israeli flag. Look at the protests against the wars in Iraq and Lebanon.

The same people who can't wait to burn the American flag in Trafalgar Square are only too happy to ignore Russian, Chinese and Iraqi genocide.

Where were all the marchers when the Russians were crushing Chechnya? Why so silent on Tibet? They must have been looking the other way when Saddam slaughtered the Kurds.

It hasn't been difficult to find apologists for the invasion of Georgia. We're told that the 'American-educated' Mikhail Saakashvili provoked the Russians beyond all reason. What did we expect encouraging the spread of democracy in former Soviet satellite states?

No wonder Moscow feels threatened when independent countries it once ruled by military might become members of the European Union and apply to join Nato.

Putting a Western missile defence system in Poland is like waving a red rag at a bull, the sophisticates say. Putin has no option but to retaliate.

I don't remember them demanding the withdrawal of Soviet nukes pointing at Western capitals from East Germany. Back then, the Guardianistas were all for one-sided disarmament on our part.

The Left has always been picky about their protests. While they rightly denounce white racism in South Africa, they stay silent on black racism in Zimbabwe.

They bang on about American cultural imperialism, but have nothing to say about Russian or Chinese military imperialism.

America is constantly denounced for its 'yuman rites' abuses, but you never hear a dicky bird about the denial of basic freedoms in China or throughout the Muslim world.

Europe's Leftists define themselves by their hatred of the U.S., yet cheerfully tolerate all kinds of tyranny elsewhere. They're against 'torture' at Guantanamo Bay, but take a relaxed view of Chinese and Russian death squads.

There are still plenty of 'comrades' in the Labour Party and the trades union movement who regret the day the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. They're only too willing to give succour to the enemies of freedom and democracy around the world.

Dominated: A Russian military convoy leaves a Georgian army base last week

So the official line is that the war in Iraq was nothing to do with Saddam boasting that he had weapons of mass destruction and defying a whole slew of United Nations resolutions to which he agreed after the liberation of Kuwait. It was all about oil.

Yet the invasion of Georgia was justified because Russia was 'provoked'. So we can assume that Putin never gave a moment's thought to Georgia's pipeline to the West?

What about the announcement last week by a Russian general that Poland was now a prime target for a nuclear strike because it had the audacity to agree to site a Nato defence shield within its borders?

I must have missed the CND press release on that one.

A new survey says that British attitudes towards the United States are governed by ignorance of the facts.

For instance, most people here and in Europe believe America sold Saddam most of his arsenal. The truth is that just 0.46 per cent of Iraq's weapons came from the U.S. Russia supplied 57 per cent, China 12 per cent and the cheese-eating surrender monkeys across the Channel were responsible for 13 per cent.

The U.S. is routinely portrayed as anti-Islamic. But in 11 out of 12 of the most recent conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, America has sided with the Muslims.

Other widespread myths such as Americans being denied medical care if they don't have health insurance are simply not true. Filthy, unregulated Russian and Chinese factories and power stations spew out poisonous gases, but America is branded the world's biggest polluter, even though it has done more to cut carbon emissions since the year 2000 than any other country.

The 'liberal' media has a vested interest in perpetuating such lies. The Left seems to be gripped with some kind of political penis envy of America, which can be assuaged only by sucking up to tyrants and dictators.

If we are entering a new Cold War, you can guarantee that the Left will once again be on the wrong side.

There's nothing new in this. Forty years ago this summer, the big demonstrations in London were against America's war against communist North Vietnam, not the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.

So no change there, then.

dailymail.co.uk
__________________

Holebender

Demonstrations might influence our own government, but what chance is there of a foreign government even noticing, let alone being influenced?

Dave Coull

The "Daily Mail" is the borderline fascist rag which supported Adolf Hitler and whose most famous headline was "HURRAH FOR THE BLACKSHIRTS!"

Writing in that long discredited rag, Richard Littlejohn says "Funny how the Not In My Name crowd always overlooks aggression by Communist or 'former' Communist regimes".

That word "always" is simply wrong, as is the implication that the "right" doesn't. I was amongst a large crowd of left-wingers protesting against the crimes of the USSR when Kosygin, then premier of the USSR, and other USSR leaders were having lunch with the leaders of the Tory Party in the Carlton Club, in London.

And yes, Russia is a capitalist country. True, it has a rather authoritarian leadership which acquired power by questionable means. Same as Georgia. Same as the USA, come to that. Of course the regime in Russia is corrupt and has links with organised crime. Same as Georgia. Same as the USA. Leading politicians had links with the KGB. But George W. Bush's daddy was the head of the CIA before becoming president. No difference.

Georgia is the country of Joseph Stalin. He was born and raised in the town of Gori, the same town from which Georgia launched its massive military attack on the South Ossetians. A huge statue of Stalin, put up by the Georgians, NOT the Russians, still stands in the main square of Gori.

Russia could hardly avoid getting dragged into the conflict started by Georgia. It is a (relatively) democratic country nowadays, and their own citizens in NORTH Ossetia would have gone to the aid of their compatriots in South Ossetia whether the Russian government liked it or not, and any attempt by any Russian government to prevent that would probably have led to it becoming an EX-government.

I don't "support" what Russia is doing, but neither do I buy into the crap anti-Russian propoganda coming from discredited characters like Littlejohn.

A border dispute that you can hardly avoid getting dragged into is a very different matter from invading a country many thousands of miles away, such as Iraq.

"The Left has always been picky about their protests."

EVERYBODY is picky about what they protest about. Not just "the left". There are millions of things wrong with the world. You can't protest everything. You have to make decisions on priorities.

"While they rightly denounce white racism in South Africa, they stay silent on black racism in Zimbabwe."

My son, who could certainly be described as on the "left", wrote a letter to "Socialist Worker", which they printed, protesting about black racism in Zimbabwe. However, the apartheid regime in South Africa was different in having official, legal, institutionalised racism. That was what made it different, and particularly objectionable.

"They bang on about American cultural imperialism, but have nothing to say about Russian or Chinese military imperialism"

Who is this "they"? I am on the "left". I oppose all imperialism.

"America is constantly denounced for its 'yuman rites' abuses, but you never hear a dicky bird about the denial of basic freedoms in China or throughout the Muslim world".

Simply not true. I have protested against the Chinese government. And I am well aware of and condemn the denial of basic freedoms throughout the Muslim world.

"Europe's Leftists define themselves by their hatred of the U.S."

Complete rubbish.

"yet cheerfully tolerate all kinds of tyranny elsewhere. They're against 'torture' at Guantanamo Bay, but take a relaxed view of Chinese and Russian death squads."

Completely untrue. I bet I have done more protesting about Russian inhumanity than Richard Littlejohn has done, or 'Blackleaf' come to that. Amongst other things, back in the 70s I was one of just three people (all of us on the 'left') who started the "Campaign to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olymipics" in protest at human rights abuses in the USSR. Maggie Thatcher and Ronald Reagan jumped on our bandwaggon much later, and for completely hypocritical reasons. But it was us that started the campaign.

"The Left seems to be gripped with some kind of political penis envy of America".

Not me. In some ways I feel kinda sorry for the average male American. Most of them are circumcised, and I think that is a terribly cruel thing to do to a helpless baby. Anyway, despite everything being bigger in California, the fact is, my American wife chose to emigrate seven thousand miles to be with ME.

sandmountainslim

I am getting tired of the press accusing Russia of invading Georgia!
The Ossetians INVITED the Russians in to keep the peace after a Georgian rocket attack killed hundreds of innocent civilians.
Wp

agentmancuso

Littlejohn is an A***hole.

Jimbo

Neil

The fact is that thye western supported Georgian government invaded Ossetia in a deliberately genocidal attack. The hosest question for Littlejohn to ask woulf be why, when the right calim that all the invasions & attacks we do are motivated by a concern for maintaining peace & human rights they aren't enthusiasticly supporting Russia now?

One answer is that both the "right" & Litlejohn are wholly corrupt liars who only ever talk about human rights when it gives them an excuse to bomb somebody. There may be another possible answer but if so perhaps Blackleaf could say what it is.

Incidentally why is not bombing Russia, a country whose government is considerably more "captialist" than our own, said to be a "left wing" issue. Is not bombing the USA purely a left wing issue? If so extreme socialism seems triumphant.

Red Justice · State of independence: South Ossetians hold victory parade

Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:18 am (PDT)
Russia Today
News
September 20, 2008, 11:08

State of independence: South Ossetians hold victory parade

State of independence: South Ossetians hold victory parade
It is 18 years since South Ossetia unilaterally declared its
independence, sparking a bloody war with Georgia. But it wasn't
until last month, following another attempt by Georgia to seize the
territory through force, that the tiny nation was finally recognised
by its large northern neighbour – Russia.
On Saturday, South Ossetians are celebrating their newly-won
statehood with a victory parade in the capital Tskhinval.

Military vehicles will be parading through the city's streets,
followed by Russian peacekeepers and a procession of children.
They'll be carrying balloons to remember those who died in the days
following Georgia's attack of August 8, 2008.

The President of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, will present rewards
to those who have distinguished themselves during the last year.
Many in the military are expected to be honoured for their bravery.

At the Memorial Cemetery in school number five, Tskhinval, wreaths
will be placed on the graves of those who died in the first conflict
with Georgia between 1989 and 1992.

A photo exhibition called `August 8', devoted to the recent war in
South Ossetia, will be opened in the city.

Later, the city will host an evening concert featuring many Russian
performers.

But amid the festivities, some South Ossetians feel they are still
victims of the war - especially those who live in Georgia.

For hundreds of years, Ossetians and Georgians had been living in
each other's countries. But during the 1991 war, many Ossetians were
forced to leave their homes in Georgia under threat of slaughter.

There are three Ossetian villages in the Karelsky district in the
middle of Georgia, not far from Gori, and one of them is completely
empty.

The ghost town has become a solution to the Georgian refugee
problem, changing the demography of the region once again.

Georgian villager Givi Gabarashvili is preparing a plot of land in
Karelsky that once belonged to Ossetians. They fled north a decade
ago, seeking safety and a new life in Russia's North Ossetia. The
plot will soon have new tenants - Georgian refugees.

"People have been coming to look at the house. The Georgian
government is trying to put Georgian refugees in these empty homes,"
Gabarashvili said.

The new Georgian residents will be arriving in the next few weeks.
And while they will have new homes, the Ossetians who live in these
villages could soon find themselves the new refugees of this
Caucasian tragedy.

Makieva Dali, an Ossetian woman with a Georgian husband, says she is
worried for her future.

"If the government wants to kick us out of here, they can go ahead
and do it. I have nothing to lose. I will be the first to go.
Anyway, the government doesn't care about our villages. Our
situation cannot get worse," she says.