In These New Times

Cailean Bochanan

9th June, 2010

The response of the British government to the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla represents a low point in democratic representation in this country. A newly elected government thought it appropriate to fail to condemn a flagrant act of state terror. Of course, they are themselves no strangers to the practice of state terrorism and associated cover-ups. On a broader level, a government in tow to City, military-industrial and Zionist interests could hardly act otherwise: Britain is an oligarchy, not a democracy.

As a strategic, long term  goal, we must break the power of such lobbies over the political process. In the meantime, it is  up to us to deal with the democratic deficit and what better way than to set up an alternative body, a sort of government in internal exile, to represent the feelings of a significant proportion of British people who wish to disassociate themselves from the stand of “our” government on this issue, as well as the ongoing carnage in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is important to recognise just how isolated the British government is on this issue: it is swimming against a massive tide of support for the Palestinian people, not just on the street but, crucially, at governmental level. The sovereign and democratic stand of Turkey is only the most notable case of this complete break with the pro-Western, pro-Israeli consensus. It is crucial, therefore, that such a body not only organise opposition on the ground but  make representations at governmental level, supporting and participating in international initiatives and taking advantage of the opportunites provided by the new alternative global media, Press TV, RT, Al Manar etc. It is time to recognise that resistance to globalisation is occurring at both state level and on the street and to exploit all the possibilities of the this counter-globalisation, anti-imperialist tide: it is time to tune in to the new multipolar reality.

By monitoring and representing public opinion in this country on the world stage, we doubly expose the complicity of the British government: they, as well as Israel, must be isolated. We also start to lay the foundations of a British democracy.