Friday, May 12, 2006

Free Speech

Freedom of speech is an essential element of a civilised society. We are not an homogenous band whose brains all follow the same pathways, and it is invariably the case that today's heretic or revolutionary will develop to become tomorrow's leader, and often then fall to become despotic.

Those that fear the words of others may be moving into that final phase, when everyone around them poses a threat, where a word spoken out of place can mean isolation, imprisonment, even death.

One million people marched through the streets of London to protest against the invasion of Iraq. The government ignored the pleas of all these people, and the majority of the population who agreed we should not invade.

Now we are paying the price. We shall gain nothing from the invasion of Iraq or the use of our army in Afghanistan. We have already paid money, for weapons, for rebuilding an Iraq devastated by bombing, even though a Defence Secretary said that all essential services would be protected, that they would not be bombed.

Our streets are no longer safe. Suicide bombers, born and bred in England, have been so incensed by the actions of our government that they choose to destroy themselves and to take innocent people with them, or to leave them maimed and weakened by a senseless campaign.

It's easy to condemn the suicide bombers, but they are taking such actions because we created conflict. The war against Al Quieda is yet another myth. Who started the fight in the first place?

We remember Vietnam. We know that there was no chance of victory. There is no hope of beating the rage that is eating away at the hearts of so many.

The British must stop interfering with the lives of other people. We have enough to do here. Let them get on with it. Bring the troops back home.

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