Helmand Lions and Donkeys

The Script Says..

The Ministry of Defence Generals and Government Ministers trotted out their carefully scripted  reactions to the today’s 100^th death of  British soldiers in their mission impossible.

 

The intention was clear. First, genuflection to the memory of the brave fallen. Second, assert that they did not die in vain. Third, blame other nations for not sending their soldiers to die in a hopeless cause.

 

Why are our reporters so mealy mouthed?. Listening and watching throughout the day, I heard only powder puff challenges. One mentioned that Karzai is not much more than the mayor of the capital city. There were tentative references to the purpose of this mission which was sold here as a three year reconstruction effort in which not a shot would be fired.

 

There was no statement in the Commons, so it was not possible to question the complacent defence ministers who have wrong in their statements for every one of the past 30 months.

Repeatedly they have said that they were winning the drugs war. The truth is that we have abandoned the drugs war. I am sure there is sincerity in the statements of politicians on all sides and the military top brass made today. But they are as deluded as the First World War Generals who sent millions of young men to ‘die as cattle.’ None can give a plausible reason for the present futile conflict or give any idea of how years, or decades, it will last.

 

I would have liked to add my tribute today. There is nobility in the courage and sacrifice of our brave soldier lions. There is none in our military and ministerial donkeys.

Justice is bad politics

Jenny Willett made a strong case for justice for overseas pensioners.

Jenny (Cardiff Central) has been appointed the LibDem spokesperson on Social Security. There are a million British pensioners living overseas. Half of them have frozen pensions.

Jenny quoted one woman of 80 whose pension is frozen on £15 a week. Superficially it’s a compelling case. The cost is not. It would cost a cool £3billion to do justice and raise the frozen pensions and pay arrears.

 

As the minister Michael O’Brien said the women on £15 would get income support from her new country. To accede to the Jenny’s plea would mean taking money from British taxpayers to reduce spending in other countries. Everyone is sympathetic but that is never going to be top of any party’s agenda. Even the LibDems.

Tough and stupid

Quite a reasonable answer at Home Questions this afternoon from drugs Minister Vernon Coaker.

I said’ the 2005 drugs act was passed with all party support. Always a worrying sign. It was passed just before the last General Election when all parties were hungry for Brownie points by acting tough on drugs. The act classified Magic Mushrooms as class A, the same category as Heroin. That was tough, it was also very stupid. Is it sensible to send mushroom eaters to prison when we do not have a single prison that is free from cocaine and heroin use”?

I could have gone on, but that is about all that is allowed in an oral question. In his reply Vernon Coaker was friendly and said that drugs policy is now moving in the direction I have advocated for many years.

 

There is some truth in that.

Comments

[valleylad]

I wouldn't pretend to any expertise on the stans, but I believe this is mainly a political issue - failing to acknowledge that a large part of the problems in Afghanistan is due to those areas of Pakistan that its own government can't control, but for some reason Pakistan always has to be part of the solution not the problem according to our Government. Frankly without putting serious sustained and unpleasant pressure on Pakistan the only way out I foresee is calling it a day and giving up - which would mock those who have given their lives to support this governments folly.

[paulflynn]

The alternative is to consolidate the real gains made in the Kabul Area. Mission impossible is for a foreign army to determine the political make-up of all of Afghanistan. For centuries all invading armies have been routed.
100 lives have lost, Al Quaeda still operates from its base, the drugs problem is the worst ever, terrorism is still a threat. the country is as corrupt as ever. What purpose has been served by their sacrifices?

[John]

Hi Paul having read the exchange with Mr Coaker it is indeed heartening tosee the move towards harm reduction in drug policy as recommended only the other day by the Scottish forum which went as far as saying Cannabis should be regulated by the Government

I also noticed how Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative) described cannabis as a Killer!!! How can MP's who are supposed to be intelligent and informed spout such nonsense. It really is worrying that probably many MP's think this erroneous rubbish. Don't they read the reports from the ACMD or maybe they prefer to get their science from the Daily Mail.
With alcohol killing over 8,000 last year and tobacco over 100,000 I for one know which are the real killer drugs in our society

[paulflynn]

John you have been mis-informed. MPs are a cross section of society. They are not all intelligent. Nicholas Winterton is the Daily Mail made flesh.

There are hopeful signs. The recent UN document shows signs of sense, the European Convention is taking shape, even Government policy is shifting to harm reduction. But they do want anyone to notice.

[John]

quote "John you have been mis-informed. MPs are a cross section of society. They are not all intelligent"

thanks for making me laugh out loud !!

So Nicholas Winterton does get his science from the Daily Mail I thought so.

What is interesting about the Point that was made by Mr Coaker is that indeed mushroom use has fallen by over a third but I guess that the remaining 2/3rds that still do use mushrooms now get their supply from street dealers who also push truly dangerous drugs like heroin.So money that previously was going to legal shops selling mushrooms and from what I remember also VAT was levied is now going to finance god knows what.

It is indeed hopeful that the European harm reduction initiative is filtering through to Government. These things take time but the wind is starting to turn in no small part due to your efforts...