Dying for Hubris

One life

A middle aged man from Connahs Quay had a birthday this week. The card he received from his son said 'looking forward to seeing you in September', Dad. He had two tickets to watch the Wales-Japan rugby match. Two days earlier the father was told that his son had been killed in Iraq. He was the 162nd British fatal casualty. One more has died since.

A few days before the Commons voted to commit British troops to Iraq, President Bush offered Tony Blair a way out of the conflict. He feared Tony would be thrown out of office by the public's anger at the war. Bush suggested Britain could 'help in some other way.' There was no need for Britain's presence.  The outcome of the war would have been the same without us. This war  had been  longed planned by Bush and his Neo-Cons.

Labour and Tory MPs were 'whipped' to vote for intervention. 139 Labour and 16 Tory MPs defied the whip and voted against British involvement. Others were bullied, conned or bamboozled into voting against their better judgement for sending British troops.

Slowly but inexorably we are withdrawing our troops. They serve little useful purpose except to protect their own lives. What emotions do MPs feel? Are those who voted for war disturbed because they needlessly condemned the love ones of 163 British soldiers to lifelong grief - to a wound that never heals?

For what cause did they die?  Apart from serving a politician's hubris?

Two lives

The brief life of a young Newport man dominated the Civic Centre meeting on drugs on Friday.

On prisons statistics the young man will be included as a 'success'. He went to prison as a heroin user and came out clean. Another of my my constituents, a young woman, had the said experience. She will be recorded as another 'success' for the prison drug rehabilitation services.

She lived a week after leaving prison. He lived a day. Both took their usual doses of heroin. Their bodies would not tolerate the heroin and it killed them. The family of the young man are  highly intelligent, loving model parents. They continue seeking answers and remedies that will avoid similar tragedies. There is a gulf between prison services and local support organisations.

Before the splendid Kaleidoscope charity came to Newport, there was a 17 month waiting list for treatment. To their great credit Newport Council have put their faith in Kaleidoscope. Irrationally, the rest of Gwent has handed the work over to GPs who are reluctant to do it. Inevitably there will be a return to long waiting lists and more avoidable drugs' deaths.

Gutless snipers.

I thought Tories had reached rock bottom when they chose  croaking Iain Duncan Smith as Leader and Lord Archer as prospective mayoral candidate for London. They were the folly of a deluded party out of touch with reality.

David Cameron convinced them that he is a Tory Blair - at the moment when the country has fallen out of love with Blair. They seem dazzled by Boris for London. As a London resident, I will certainly vote for him in the primary. In the serious election, Londoners will enjoy laughing at Boris and vote for Ken again.

The opinion polls reflect the abject failure of Sham Cam and his nightmare bye-election results. The hope that Tory Blairism could work the magic of the real thing silenced the majority of right-wing Tory MPs who believe Cameron to be Green LibDem, limp-wristed aesthete. They want Toryism red in tooth and claw.

It's hard trying to guess which backbenchers who are baying for Sham Cam's blood. I have a shortlist of 47. They have grumbled and complained to me about his lack of right wing fervour. Branding them 'gutless snipers' today may force them to break cover.

When they do, it will not be two, or six. It could be the majority of the Tory parliamentary party.

Then watch the sago hit the fan.

Comments

[Paul Flynn]

Thank you John and apologies to Valleysman. I was clearly gobsmacked by the speed of the answer.

The figurees I quote on addict pre-1971 are less than a 1,000 (maintained on the NHS) and 280,000 now. Prohibtion works?

[John]

Just want to correct my above post.Of course heroin ws illegal in 1969 I meant to say that the distribution of heroin on prescription by doctors was made illegal

[John]

Pre 1969 there was little or no illicit trade in Heroin as it was available on prescription.

The number of addicts managed by there doctor was small and many of them led productive lives.

Then we listened to the moral madness of America and made heroin illegal.Within 2 weeks illicit inpure heroin was available on our streets.The affects of Prohibtion are now almost 250,000 addicts many resorting to crime to fund there habits.Overdoses almost unknown before Prohibtion unless a concious effort of suicide are now common place.

This is madness how long do our citizens have to suffer the havoc that Prohibtion causes all of society.

[Alan Jones]

Another Welshman dies in Iraq.
In Wales we have no quarrel with anyone, except.......
In the words of Bob Dylan :
"When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"
When will these reckless politicians cease interefering in the affairs of other countries?

[Alan Jones]

Another Welshman dies in Iraq.
In Wales we have no quarrel with anyone, except.......
In the words of Bob Dylan :
"When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"
When will these reckless politicians cease interefering in the affairs of other countries?

[valleylad]

It wasn't me, your eyesight must be failing :)

Too many good people have died over an unnecessary & illegal war justified by lies. Until those responsible are made to pay it will fester in British political life.

I'd like to see all of those who voted to support B.Liar justify it face to face to their constituents as in their constituents interest, or better still get their kids to take the Queens shilling.

This war has been spun from beginning to end, I have no doubt that when the troops are eventually evacuated, it will be spun again as a "success". I'll measure that by how many more rights & freedoms women, gays and apostates have compared to under Saddam.

One of my favourite US folk singers (Tom Paxton) has recently rewritten one of his most famous songs "Lyndon Johnson told the nation", the new chorus goes:

""Hey! George W. told the nation,
"This is not an escalation;
This is just a surge toward victory.
Just to win my little war,
I'm sending 20,000 more,
To help me save Iraq from Iraqis.""

Plus c'est la meme chose, plus ca change!

[Paul Flynn]

Congratulations, Valleylad. that's the quickest response I have ever had.

I have talked to many MPs on that vote. if they are in parliament for the next 50 years, i doubt whether there will be a more important one. Who do they blames? Blair? Themselves?

[valleysmam]

great posting Paul
yes time the Houbris stopped