The Syrian air strike debate

This week MPs voted that Britain should join in a US-led coalition of air strikes against so-called Islamic State militants in Syria. Labour leader, Jeremy Corby gave the House of Commons a rare glimpse of democracy by allowing his MPs to have a free vote. So on their heads be it. Some have argued that allowing this free vote has split the Labour party. I disagree and would argue that it has given MPs the freedom to vote for what they believe in, be it right and wrong, which in turn makes them accountable.

If MPs are accountable for their vote then they must provide their rationale. Enter Labour MP Hilary Benn with his speech in favour of air strikes in Syria:

“We are here faced by fascists. […] And what we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated. And it is why, as we have heard tonight, socialists and trade unionists and others joined the International Brigade in the 1930s to fight against Franco. It is why our party has always stood up against the denial of human rights and for justice. And my view, Mr Speaker, is that we must now confront this evil.”

Personally I think there's something fishy about Benn’s concept of human rights and justice, but all the same the media lapped this up like a slobbering dog. The telegraph called it the ‘ speech of a true leader’ while Guardian called it ‘riveting’. British media yet again gunning for conflict.

What Benn is using in his ‘riveting’ speech, is historical examples such as the Britain fight against fascism to come across all noble. According to Benn we now have a moral duty to bomb Syria..but there’s not mention of aid, nation rebuilding efforts or the re homing of Syrian refugees. No. Bombing appears to be both moral and noble and that’s all that matters.

The term ‘evil’ is also used in his speech. I hate it when politicians use those terms, it sounds so self righteous. We’re good their bad and that’s our justification for action, it simply reeks of George Bush’s neo-conservatism. The sheer arrogance to define morality is like a plague upon western politicians, puffing up their chests and spitting out their nonsense.

For me Frankie Boyle summed it up perfectly during the commons debate with this tweet “Kind of disturbed by the palpable excitement in parliament. The truth is our politicians like wars because they make them feel important.”

How they should be feeling when making these sort of warmongering speeches is with their hearts. To empathize with people in Syria stuck between rebels, Assad and ISIS being massacred from all sides. To think of them and think logically that bombs will result in the death of thousands of innocent men, women and children. What can you possibly think is noble about that?