People’s power deliberately ignored
Once again America’s position regarding the Middle East exposes a growing flaw in the western democratic ideal. It’s all happened before, of course, but the numbers that took to the streets in the wake of the ‘allied’ invasion of Iraq had not been seen in a very long time – in the US or mainland Europe. Yet the invasion continued. A small band of neoconservatives in the Republican right in the US, and a very small group surrounding British PM Tony Blair at the time, ensured continuation of a war policy that had no electoral mandate, and faced clear rejection by a majority of the public. Yet politically correct rhetoric triumphed over public will. So much for the standard bearers of democracy.
A similar trend is on display regarding usual US/EU backing of Israeli aggression, even when it clearly transgresses into the realm of war crimes. But the world is changing. Advances in media outreach, especially via social media, have taken these wars, and their outcome, to middle and working class homes, across the world, like never before. And this growing discontent is not only influencing public awareness on a massive scale, it will also dent the western political system unless those in power appreciate and embrace these winds of change, as opposed to continuing with their rigidity.
Indeed, a change in attitude is already beginning to appear. The British foreign secretary, for example, has demanded an immediate ceasefire, calling the situation ‘intolerable’ for civilians trapped in Gaza. Even the Americans are beginning to get upset by repeated shelling of schools and bomb shelters. And the UN will not be able to fend off allegations of war crimes forever. Now, the more vested interests in western power circles stick to the old says, especially when thousands are falling victim to Israeli aggression, the more they will alienate their own people. A smarter policy would be to leverage public discontent, across the western world, to rein in Tel Aviv. Our people, western leaders should tell Israel, will not stand for such crimes any longer, no matter what sort of political influences your lobbies exercise.
