In the 21st Century the  ‘big stick’ is primitive thinking

Letter to Beverley Guardian on Armed Forces Day and Afghanistan and Iraq

26 JUN 2009

Cllr Whitfield’s letter of 19 June needs a response. His rhetoric was impressive, but deeply disturbing. Let me start with the reference to “fledgling democracy”. We and our allies in the West have a proven record of squashing emerging democracies without mercy if the democratic will of the people differs from our view. This includes many examples in South America, as well as Palestine’s recent choice of a government. In Iran, democratically elected Dr Mosaddeq was ousted by an MI6 and CIA inspired coup in 1953, starting a trail of unrest which leads directly to the current situation in Iran.

His letter says much about the sentiments of the participants on Beverley’s Armed Forces Day, and there is no doubt that most people who join the armed forces do so for the best of reasons, but do they and we know enough about what is behind current conflicts? He ignores the fact that most recent examples of British warfare have been either overtly illegal (Iraq) or only justified belatedly by the fig leaf of UN acquiescence (Afghanistan).

He also ignores the effect of these unnecessary military adventures on the combatants themselves. Suicides amongst veterans of the Vietnam War now far exceed the number of deaths in the conflict itself, and the same is true of British combatants in the Falklands episode, as reported by the BBC in February 2002.

Our experience in canvassing for the recent Euro election in areas with families of military personnel was that current participants in Afghanistan have little sympathy with the official reasons for their being there. They feel they are not protecting democracy, nor protecting the UK from the danger of attack. 

Vigilance is needed in abundance – but it should be focussed on the decision making of our own government, as much as on the ambitions of any potential aggressor. 

We are a nuclear power, planning to spend over £76 billion on keeping our nuclear arsenal shiny, our best friends the USA spend more on ‘defence’ than the whole of the rest of the planet put together. These are hardly the actions of peacemakers. The qualities of the nation which inspire are those of freedom of speech, protection of the poor and vulnerable and promotion of civilised values. In the 21st Century, metaphors like ‘big stick’ are best left behind as examples of primitive thinking.

 The Armed Forces Day was a nostalgic event, and we all enjoy such experiences. However the military, which wants recruits, was using pride in our history to disguise a recruitment opportunity. The day fed on the fact that many young people are desperate for jobs and ‘action’ (note the advertisement on the back of the programme). 

W J Rigby

Follow-up: Simon Jenkins, Obama must call off this folly before Afghanistan becomes his Vietnam

Bill Rigby:  

Tel: 01482 862085

Your Candidates For Parliament

Andy Chase, City of York

Cllr. Jillian Creasy, Sheffield

Cllr. David Blackburn, Leeds West

Martin Hemingway, Leeds

Cllr. Dilys Cluer, Scarborough & Whitby

Shan Oakes, Beverley

Bill Rigby, Beverley & Holderness

Mike Jackson, East Yorkshire

Martin Deane, Hull North

Miriam Hawkins, Wakefield