Derek Wall - How to win friends and influence people ...
Noticed this comment , by Derek Wall, via a post on the new Labour Left Forum blog :
The ordinary Labour Party member, concerned, opposed to Blair, wanting peace...ultimately you have each taken a gun and shot a child in Iraq. Are you going to stop the killing? Love to see you all sat in the road with the rest of us opposing the arms trade...but I guess I will have to wait a long time to see you put your weapons away and stop the killing.
I must admit I was surprised to see such a cheap and sectarian shot from Derek. As John points out in his response, many Labour Party members are involved in anti war activities and have 'sat in the road' . Many have spent the last year trying to get the message across in the Party and campaigned for a leadership candidate with principle. Given the changes in the Party and the control at the top (evidenced by Brown silencing any chance of a contest), to be sneered at for not stopping the war is not exactly constructive.
Many of us would love to boot out Blair/Gordon and the pro war MPs, but the odds are against us. Given the Party is in power we need to do what we can to influence and put pressure on, being told we have blood on our hands is hardly helpful or comradely. Still i'm sure the Greens have clean hands and sleep well on the moral high ground. We are pretty angry and demoralised after the farce of the leadership campaign, but hey kicking someone when they are down is easy isn't it. We should be your allies, so why direct anger at us?
We all choose different strategies as to how to bring about change in this crappy capitalist society. I am not saying being on the Labour Party is the best or most effective and I am questioning it.I have considered the Greens as an option. Cheap comments that I have as good as shot a child are not going to make me rush towards them in a hurry.
Whatever group or Party we are in we do, and should, work together on campaigns. This sort of emotive holier than thou attitude can only do damage.Its disappointing.
The ordinary Labour Party member, concerned, opposed to Blair, wanting peace...ultimately you have each taken a gun and shot a child in Iraq. Are you going to stop the killing? Love to see you all sat in the road with the rest of us opposing the arms trade...but I guess I will have to wait a long time to see you put your weapons away and stop the killing.
I must admit I was surprised to see such a cheap and sectarian shot from Derek. As John points out in his response, many Labour Party members are involved in anti war activities and have 'sat in the road' . Many have spent the last year trying to get the message across in the Party and campaigned for a leadership candidate with principle. Given the changes in the Party and the control at the top (evidenced by Brown silencing any chance of a contest), to be sneered at for not stopping the war is not exactly constructive.
Many of us would love to boot out Blair/Gordon and the pro war MPs, but the odds are against us. Given the Party is in power we need to do what we can to influence and put pressure on, being told we have blood on our hands is hardly helpful or comradely. Still i'm sure the Greens have clean hands and sleep well on the moral high ground. We are pretty angry and demoralised after the farce of the leadership campaign, but hey kicking someone when they are down is easy isn't it. We should be your allies, so why direct anger at us?
We all choose different strategies as to how to bring about change in this crappy capitalist society. I am not saying being on the Labour Party is the best or most effective and I am questioning it.I have considered the Greens as an option. Cheap comments that I have as good as shot a child are not going to make me rush towards them in a hurry.
Whatever group or Party we are in we do, and should, work together on campaigns. This sort of emotive holier than thou attitude can only do damage.Its disappointing.
posted by stroppybird at 10:10 am
|
