"ALL CAPS IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE."

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

UK LABOR PARTY RETURNING TO PACIFISM

The Post-Blair Labor Party is shaping up to be every bit as pacifist as the pre-Kinnock Labor Party. Similarly, in the U.S., the new Democratic Party has become every bit as pacifist as McGovern's 1972 Democratic Party. BBC:
Ministerial aide Jim Devine has become the second member of the government to quit over plans to renew the UK's Trident nuclear weapons. The Livingston MP quit his job as a parliamentary private secretary at the Department of Health. Deputy Commons leader Nigel Griffiths quit on Monday in protest at Trident.

Although a Labour rebellion is expected in a vote on Wednesday, the Conservatives back renewal of Trident, making a government defeat unlikely. It is understood Mr Devine hopes to speak during Wednesday's Commons debate on Trident, when MPs will vote on the £20bn plan to replace the submarine-based Trident nuclear weapons system. Ministers say the long lead time in developing and building the replacement submarines means a decision needs to be taken soon on replacing Trident.

Conservative leader David Cameron made clear his support for the plans on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday. He said: "I think it needs to be done and I've always supported Britain having a nuclear deterrent, so when Trident comes to the end of its life it needs to be replaced."
...
The Liberal Democrats say Britain's stockpile of warheads should be cut by 50% but a decision on replacing them should be delayed until at least 2012. The Lib Dems will vote against the government's proposals on Wednesday, with as many as 100 Labour MPs who also oppose renewal.

Announcing his resignation on Monday, Mr Griffiths, MP for Edinburgh South, said: "I'm resigning with a heavy heart but a clear conscience.
Let's see now, we live in a world where nations possess nuclear weapons, and nations do occasionally threaten each other. But, Mr. Griffiths has a clear conscience as he resigns in protest against the very idea of Britain having a deterrent against its being attacked by nuclear weapons.

What kind of conscience can be cleared by ensuring that his own people, his own home, is no longer safe from nuclear holocaust?

Well, at least he feels good about himself.

Reliapundit adds: here's a little UK Labour party history for those who care; WIKI:
The 1983 Labour manifesto, strongly socialist in tone, advocated unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher personal taxation and a return to a more interventionist industrial policy. The manifesto also pledged that a Labour government would abolish the House of Lords and leave the EEC. Among the Labour MPs newly-elected in 1983 in support of this manifesto was Tony Blair. Foot's Labour Party lost to the Conservatives in a landslide. Foot resigned and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock as leader. Gerald Kaufman, once Harold Wilson's press officer and during the 1980s a key player on the Labour right, described the 1983 Labour manifesto as "the longest suicide note in history".
Let's see.... "strongly socialist in tone, advocated unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher personal taxation and a return to a more interventionist industrial policy.". HMMM... everything proven to fail! (BTW: they also disapproved of Reagan's Pershing deployment - which led to the downfall of the USSR. So they were WRONG AGAIN!

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