Our challenge to Blair (2003)

From the April 2003 issue of the Socialist Standard

Just before he gave the green light for the current slaughter we sent Blair the following challenge.

Mr. Blair,

I have been asked by our Campaigns Department to issue a challenge to you to publicly debate with a representative of the Socialist Party. This would concern what you would see as your ‘moral’ perspective regarding the impending war on Iraq.

In such a debate, the Socialist Party will seek to clearly demonstrate three things:

1. That, in pressing for war, you are primarily serving the interests of factions of the capitalist class in the USA (and Britain), capitalist factions which are bent on expanding their corporate interests in the Middle East;
2. That you are acting against the interests of ordinary working people in Iraq, Britain and the USA, and, indeed, against the interests of the world-wide working class;
3. That, given the nature of modern warfare, you and your administration will have to share responsibility, with George W. Bush and his administration, for the murder of innocent people in Iraq.

In case you should feel that security issues might preclude you from participating in the type of public forum favoured by The Socialist Party, we can say that we would agree to your choice of venue.

I look forward to hearing from you in early course.

Yours for a humane and war-free socialist world.

The Socialist Party.

The reply from Downing Street:

‘The Prime Minister has asked me to thank you for your letter of 11 March inviting him to a public debate with a representative of the Socialist Party.

Sadly, the very heavy pressure on the Prime Minister’s diary at the present time makes it impossible for him to join you for a debate, and he must therefore decline your kind invitation. He is sorry to have to send a disappointing reply.

Yours sincerely,

Katie Kay’

We can understand that Blair has more pressing things to do at present – like organising a war to install a puppet regime in Iraq which will help ensure a secure and steady supply of oil for western corporate capitalism.

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