Sunday, October 17, 2004

TUC, Iraqi Trade Unions and the ESF

The TUC have issued a statement on the appalling treatment of the IFTU and Subhi al Mashadani at the European Social Forum.

Whatever happened to plurality? Has someone been appointed as a Grand Inquisitor to seek, find and destroy purveyors of heterodoxy on the "Left" (whatever that means anymore). Where are the "39 Articles of Faith" you have to sign up to to be a member? Who agreed them or did they just appear in the culture by a process of osmosis. Sure, there are a basic set of core beliefs, including, in no particular order: human rights, liberty, equality, anti-racism, ant-fascism, fratern/soror-ity, anti-slavery, dignity, respect(all of which have universal application). [This is not a complete list but just some that spring to mind]. People should not be witch-hunted because their application of an ideal does not fit with that of others. People and organisations invited to something like the ESF should be treated with respect and not denied a platform by self-righteous bigots.

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