Demonstrating outside the US Embassy, London, 25 January. Photo Workers.
Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, and after decades of US meddling in that country, there is no peace in the region. Nor is there likely to be while foreign powers interfere.
A change of government in Britain has not changed policy. If anything, Starmer is ramping things up with talk of “boots on the ground” – as his arrogant article in the Daily Telegraph on 17 February made clear.
Commitment
Starmer continues to impose the costs of war on British workers – billions spent already supporting Zelensky and a renewed promise to keep on spending. His commitment to the Ukrainian president is clearly greater than his commitment to Britain.
You cannot produce armaments without steel and a reliable energy supply. And Britain’s defence and other hi-tech companies are being sold off to US corporations, on the cheap.
Horror show
Starmer wants to send “peacekeepers”, who may be drawn into an escalating conflict they are ill-prepared to fight and which Britain’s industry and resources may not be able to support. Like most of his government’s announcements, this has the whiff of a fairy tale – with the potential to turn into a horror show.
‘What are Britain’s armed forces for?’
What are Britain’s armed forces for? Surely to defend Britain’s borders and national integrity. Britain should not be involved in overseas conflicts. When that’s happened in the past, as in Afghanistan, it has made a bad situation worse.
Trump is painted by politicians and media as the bogeyman, illiberal and aggressive. But like Starmer, much of his foreign policy is continuity policy.
The call for European countries to increase military spending, because the US “won’t guarantee security” is one often repeated since NATO was founded.
Expense
Starmer is only too happy to meet that call, at British workers’ expense. Trump is not talking about cutting US nuclear weapons or communications spying based in Europe – and Britain is their main location.
British workers are concerned about the increasing prospect of war in Europe, involving Britain. But so far they have largely left debate and decisions to others.
Debate
The British people must force a debate on what’s in our national interest and not leave it to politicians – who are all of one mind. What good will come of a European Army? What good will come of increased US economic and military dominance?
If “we must do something”, as we are constantly urged, let that be to rebuild industry and infrastructure in Britain, and end the political culture that denies the importance of manufacture here, preferring dependency on the USA or EU.