It is now an archive for my newspaper and magazine pieces. My blog can now be read at: www.spectator.co.uk/stephenpollard
Politics, economics and culture from the master. Unmissable.
Melanie Phillips home page
Melanie Phillips' peerless blog. Read, and learn.
Daniel Finkelstein's Times Comment Central
A daily must-read.
Tim Worstall
Lots of interesting nibbles - and a ruthless swatter of economic gibberish.
Harry's Place
Must-read left of centre blog from writers who understand the threat to the West.
Clive Davis
Always interesting selection of culture and politics, from an Anglo-American bent.
Samizdata
Libertarian blog, packed every day.
Norm's blog
The thoroughly sensible thoughts of renowned left-wing academic Norman Geras, Professor of Government at Manchester. And cricket, too.
Public Interest
Peter Briffa's inimitable take on The Yazzmonster and other assorted demons.
Reform
The public sector reform group; their website is an invaluable source of data and ideas.
Centre for the New Europe
The leading European public policy think tank.
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| September | 04 |
| 2006 |
Democratiya now has available to watch on its site a DVD of testimonies from Saddam's victims made by the Iraq Memory Foundation - the only one with English subtitles. I've just watched it and it is powerful stuff.
I wonder how those who marched in favour of keeping Saddam in power will feel when they see it.
MessageSpace
The argument about the pros and cons of the attack on and occupation of Iraq is old hat now, and few of us are going to be persuaded at this stage to change our minds. But as one who marched against the war, I just wonder whether you (Stephen) advocate military intervention against every repressive dictatorship and occupation of the dictator's country, even without the authority of the UN Security Council: and, if not, what special factors made Saddam's Iraq a legitimate candidate for action which breached (and therefore undermined) the UN Charter, set a precedent likely to be exploited in future by strong countries to justify intervening in the affairs of weak ones, has drawn the occupiers into a quagmire from which there is no obvious escape route, and overall has made a bad situation incomparably worse for the great majority of Iraqis?
BrianB
You seem to be trying to make the comparison between the state of Iraq before the war and the state afterwards. That is, of course, interesting but not relevant to the decision to go to war. That decision must rest with an assessment of what happens if you do nothing (and of course other, perhaps lesser, alternatives). I found myself unable to make that judgement at the time although I have some relevant specialist knowledge. I think the question should be addressed to you. What particular knowledge did you have that allowed you to be sure that you were right while the rest of us were struggling with hopelessly inadequate information?
I dismiss the point about precedent. There are many other precedents but no great power needs, or generally chooses, to invoke them.
Brian:
Imagine for a moment that half a dozen houses in your street are on fire. Each one contains young children who will die if nothing is done. Now there is no way that you can possibly rescue every household, but you do have time to rescue people from one or two houses.
We cannot rescue everyone; does this mean that we must rescue no-one?
It is practically impossible to liberate everyone in the world from tyranny. But sometimes we can.