Where is the Stop The War Coalition ?

[BertiWooster]

Five years ago the US and Britain went into Iraq

If I recall correctly, an estimated 1 million people took to the streets of London to vent their anger .

We have now another 'Superpower' riding rough shod over and and attempting to destroy a tiny neighbouring country .

Why are the same people not converging on London , to the Russian Embassy , to protest against this flagrant abuse of power , by this bear - , burning effigies of Putin and his ' puppet' president , Medvedev ?

Is this a Case of double standards ?

[bazwillrun]

the best bit of all is Gdubya harping on about how wrong unjustified and illegal it is !!!

phrases with words like hypocrite, and deja vu spring to mind.

how he has the gall to spout such schite is beyond belief

[sp1814]

I saw this question in Metro newspaper this morning, and I reckon that people aren't taking to the streets because it's not our government involved.

People in the UK get the most riled up when it's something directly attributable to the British government (Poll Tax riots, support for the miners, anti war protests).

I reckon there's an awful lot of people who haven't a clue about the cause of the current conflict in Georgia - or indeed who the 'bad guys' are.

[Oneeyedvic]

Why would I protest at what the Russian Government is doing? I don't recall them having an election at which I could vote.

I also don't recall the Russian government listening to English voters about their foreign policy.

[rov1200]

Because we are riddled with guilt. As your question said the US and Britain went into Iraq.....illegally. Therefore not for us to judge when other countries do the same thing.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Is it me, or is this question one of the dumbest ever to appear on here..?

Hmmmm, I don't know... What possible GLARINGLY BL00DY OBVIOUS difference that might account for us not going and protesting might there be?

[BertiWooster]

Do I assume that you were one of the protesters - if so , are you saying that , just because it is another country doing the aggression , that it doesn't warrant any protest ?

Of course those in the kremlin are not going to stop this conflict ,simply because joe bloggs is protesting in another country .

However wouldn't it give some comfort to these people to see some visible sign that other ' ordinary ' people elsewhere in the world care about their predicament

Also , were the protesters in 2003 marching only in protest against this country's involvement in iraq , and not the US - whose election process they couldnt take part in ? - Not as far as I recall .

Today Georgia - who next ?

This war may not affect us here in Britain , but can we assume that this type of conflict wont at some time in the future have repurcusions here in the west .

[RevFunk]

So a million people on the streets of London achieved what exactly?

Errr still in Iraq 5 years later....

[Gromit]

This conflict is not clear cut, and there is confusion as to where the blame lies.

The first offensive seems to have come from Georgia on its own people in South Ossetia, killing Russian Peacekeepers (who were there by agreement) in the process. Many Russians living in Georgia were killed, and there was a threat to those remaining. The area had proclaimed its independence from Georgia in the early nineties.

Were the Russians expected to sit back and watch as its citizens were ethnically cleansed?

If there is any taking to the streets to be done, I think I might head for the Georgian Embassy, as they seem to have started it.

[keyplus90]

I think those million people are on holidays as children�s schools are closed. So lets see what happens after the holidays.








By then war would be over, every one does not take as long as American and British in a war������

[anotheoldgit]

It was suggested on the radio this morning, what if Mexico had suddenly sent troops into Texas, what then?

Once again "double standards", spring to mind.

[123everton]

There's an awful lot of gas and oil in the area and a strategic pipeline, so that's not it.
There were huge protests in London during the Vietnam war which we were'nt involved in, so that's not it.
There were huge protests over Tibet which we're not involved in, so that's not it either.
When we have clarity on the legality of partition and separtism we can ascertain who's in the wrong
This is a local matter and not clearcut as a previous correspondent has indicated.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Memories are so short.

The global Stop the War marches took place in the context of sabre rattling in favour of war being made by the US and the UK despite the fact that the UN weapons inspectors were still clear that no weapons had been found and that inspections should continue. The case for war was made on bad evidence and was clearly politically motivated. You will, of course, recall that Colin Powell now regards his utterly farsical address to the UN as a blot on his record.

Whether rightly or wrongly, the marches were intended to demonstrate the strength of public feeling in order to attempt to influence the decisions of our political masters at the UN.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's not the same with the Russia/ Georgia situation, is it? I'm not aware of any UN resolution one might hope to influence.

Oh, and it wasn't just lefties on the march, depsite Raggy's convincing assertion; there were people from across the political spectrum. Just in front of us at one point were three ladies carrying a banner stating they were from Tonbridge Wells Conservative Club.

[Avatar]

Those million angry protesters made f**k all difference last time so presumably its even more futile when its not even their own government they're protesting about.

[Dicko_82]

Double standards entirely in my eyes.

Personally feel the vast majority of the so-called peace protesters who made up the million odd people were nothing more than Leftie's with a hatred for all things American & Muslims who didn't want to a Muslim country attacked.

How many of those million people would of been on the streets if the shoe was on the other foot & it was Iraq attacking the U.S.A. I wonder??

And why were so many of those so-called peace protesters carrying the flag of Palestine?? Hardly one of the worlds most peaceful territories is it now