Who now remembers that it was Dwight D Eisenhower, in his farewell address from the White House, who first warned of "the military-industrial complex"? Today, that complex is a full-blown political party, the War Party, effectively the One Party in the One Party States of America.
And Hillary Clinton is giving that War Party what it wants most: an election which it cannot lose. So it is giving her what she wants most: the money to win that election.
Instead, the Democrats should draft Jim Webb, or he should stand as an Independent. And win. Failing that, the Republicans should nominate Ron Paul, for all his faults economically. And if they don't and Webb doesn't stand either, then he should stand as an Independent. And win.
Here in Britain, we have long had two pretendedly distinct manifestations of the War Party, and the third party removed its Leader in order to make way for one who had wanted to support the Iraq War (like the previous Leader, who had cheered on the War Party's dismemberment of Yugoslavia and been rewarded with the absolute monarchy of Bosnia-Herzegovina for a time).
Now he too, has been removed, and the contest to succeed him is between two War Party stalwarts from among the economic neoliberals and, correspondingly, geopolitical neoconservatives who are the coming force among the Liberal Democrats. So that's three War Parties. Out of three?
No, because Britain does also have a Peace Party. Are you in it? If not, why not?
...but is it registered...the electoral commission doesn't seem to thinks so...
ReplyDeleteHe should tell this nasty East German Block Party operation where to go. In fact as many people as possible should set up mass parties like this through the media and the blogosphere and refuse to have anything to do with this "Commission". Like the Liberal who got rid of ID cards after the War. A "Commission" to decide which political parties are and aren't allowed to exist? Has Britain really come to this?
ReplyDeleteNot registering things like this is what the Electoral Commission was set up for. It can cope with joke parties and politically fringe parties. But a serious, mainstream alternative to the Establishment cartel parties is exactly what it was invented to prevent. Look at its persecution of UKIP, for a start. And that's just a glorified golf club. It would have a field day with the BPA.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2:35 PM is right, people who want proper parties should just set them up anyway, with enough publicity that the Electoral Commission would be visibly interfering in the electoral process by insisting on "registration" (State/Political Class approval).
Of course that is the whole point of it. But it can't really be seen to be, can it?