More Boswelox

In today's Grauniad there is a letter in support of Richard Gott's travesty.

The letter ends

What is not in doubt, however, is the certainty that, as in the 1930s, war has again become a legitimate instrument of foreign policy, thus confounding the established shibboleth that we live in a democracy.

How does war as an instrument of foreign policy confound the idea that we live in a democracy? Surely the overthrow of a fascist regime (which is what the war was) supports the idea that we live in a democracy?

To those who doubt the Iraqi regime was fascist Oliver Kamm says

Saddam Hussein’s regime is properly described as fascist – among other things – because fascism provided the inspiration and model for it. As the historian Walter Laqueur writes in his valuable survey of Fascism: Past, Present, Future (1996, p.162):

The Iraqi political system is [i.e. under Saddam] not just a military dictatorship or a one-party system. It has been striving for totalitarian rule, with a massive use of terror and propaganda, the cult of its leader, unbridled nationalism, and military aggression that have taken it as far on toward full-fledged fascism as most European fascist regimes and movements did in the 1930s.

To argue that the war "confound[s] the established shibboleth that we live in a democracy" is to argue for a government by plebiscite. No decision is taken by government until all the people have been consulted and a vote taken. That is but a form a democracy. And a largely unworkable form. Our present democracy is a representative democracy. Yes it has flaws (for example by only calling for a vote every four years it encourages a lack of engagement among the public) but it can claim to work and is a democracy.

Surely the current "established shibboleth" is that we don't "live in a democracy". This shibboleth is supported by the objectively fascist R*E*S*P*E*C*T.

The fascist nature of R*E*S*P*E*C*T is demonstrated by their support for a "defeat, for the US and British forces". As the forces US and British forces were fighting were Ba'athist and the Ba'athist party is a fascist party then they were calling for a victory for fascism.

Now I think calling for a fascist victory makes you a fascist. Those dedicated to the "non fascist way of life" (and anti-fascist way of life) must oppose fascist and fascist supporting parties.