May, Take the High Ground on This
By Adam J. Young

Once Trump had said his speech declaring perhaps both sides committing acts of violence may both be in the wrong during Charlottesville protest, Theresa May stood up in a port in Portsmouth and announced to the world that “fascists” were bad.

If this was the 1930s and she was living in Nazi Germany (or modern day Ukraine), that would have been a brave and courageous act but she said this in 21^st century Britain where everyone and their pet goldfish thinks fascism is bad. Her moral high ground has no real significance when everyone else is already on it and banging the same drum.

However, as of yet May has nothing to say about Trump’s vastly more important speech declaring his continued support of the Afghan war. 17 years in, 2,400 dead US soldiers, 20,000 wounded and the wastage of over $1 trillion took from the American taxpayer. Continuing a policy created and furthered by the Neo Con infected administrations who have had dubious motivations for Afghan nation building. Trump going against his idea that had rallied supporters with his powerful message of a “America First” foreign policy. Finally striving for independences from foreign interests and the Bill Kristol warmongering types.

If May had announced, much like her condemnation of a minor protest in America, that the Afghanistan debacle needs to be finished, as it should have done in 2003, she would have finally broken the post war fiction of the “special relationship” that we have with the US state. We may share a language, and our cultural values tread on similar waters but we have gained nothing from trying to buddy up with the US government in its nation building. Right down to a fast destruction of our Empire after the war egged on by the USA, to the Irish Troubles where they undermined us for selfish Cold War reasons, and finally with the Iraq war and the Middle Eastern problems adding to our debt, weakening our integrity, and making us less safe. The USA has weakened our power much like the EU has in its own way.

Since our foreign policy is made in bureaucratic offices in Washington, we have destroyed any worthwhile debate to be had on our endeavors in the nation’s interests. I imagine Boris Johnson, a reader of Lew Rockwell, is entirely against our silly adventures into Syria, as he was before being made Foreign Secretary, but he is silenced into making the same trite phrases against Assad and Putin as butchers, putting himself squarely on the side of the actual butchers and Islamo-fascists, the supposed “moderates” alongside many prominent Neo-Conservatives.

However, if you think working with real fascists is bad, your argument is worsened by those of the pacifist left, best represented by the Stop the War Collation. A tired relic of Cold War fascination and a permanent longing for the USSR to destroy the Capitalistic Yankees. As Orwell quite rightly stated, a pacifist is objectively anti the country they reside in.

So, it has become a diluted debate between Neo Con Americophiles on one side and pacifists, who are nothing short of Americophobic, on the other.

The middle; the noninterventionist, “UK First” strategy. A policy that treats its army with the respect they deserve by not sending them out to die in impossible to end wars. Having a friendly attitude to our neighbors, but remaining firm when it comes to decision making, and keeping our borders secure from anyone wanting to do our citizens harm. It is truly hard to find a major mainstream political group, MP, or governing body that dare support this policy.

As we voted to leave the EU, the power of independence and freedom from foreign entanglements has never been more openly talked about. If we want real independence, that can only truly mean from both Washington and not just Brussels. It only takes one politician in power to say it before more, who truly believe, to start coming out against silly wars that only serve to weaken Britain reputation. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for May to take a moral high ground on this one.