Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 31-1-2020: Leaving on a Jet Plane

31st January, 2020.

Right … let me put the in print … so to speak …

“The insularity of the English, their refusal to take foreigners seriously, is a folly that has to be paid for heavily from time to time.”
From ‘England, Your England’, The Lion and the Unicorn essay collection, by George Orwell.

I have to admit, I’ve been reading Orwell’s The Lion and the Unicorn over the past few days.

That quote?

That quote seemed both apt … … 

And relevant: given what we’re leaving, at eleven o’clock tonight.

We’re leaving the European Union.

And, speaking as a Remain voter?

I think we’re making the biggest mistake of our lives.

~≈Ü≈~

Not In My Name, Thank You.

Can I tell you something, here … ?

Can I … ?

I have to admit, I, personally, never approve of Britain being part of the coalition that took part in the invasion of Iraq in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the USA.

I felt the Afghanistan invasion was dubious: but had a certain amount of justification.

But the Iraq invasion … ?

No.   I felt that was a US war.   One that Britain had little excuse to be part of, and that we joined on very shaky grounds.

If I’ve understood things correctly, we had very shaky evidence to invade Iraq: the Dodgy Dossier was possibly only the start of it.

And — again, if I’ve understood things correctly — the UN mandates the coalition went into Iraq on the back of, were based on, again, very shaky ground.

Shaky: and having little in the way of international agreement.

So to see, today, that the UK’s House of Commons has been recalled, to discuss the chemical weapons attack in Syria, last Wednesday, is … 

Well … 

It’s something I’m concerned about, let’s put it that way.

PM: Speaker agrees request to recall Parliament on Thurs. Will be a clear Gov motion & vote on response to chemical weapons attacks. #Syria
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) August 27, 2013

~≈î≈~

Now I realise I’m only one person.

But I’m one amongst many who felt that the Iraq War was not a good thing.

I felt we went in on shaky evidence, and an incomplete UN Mandate.

So, on seeing that Parliament is being recalled, I have to wonder about a lot of things.

Firstly … ?

Granted that a UN weapons inspection team has gone into Syria to check on what happened in the area of Damascus where the attack happened.

My hope, here, is that the team finds evidence — good evidence — of what chemical weapons were used.   And, more to the point, by whom.

Once that’s put beyond doubt … ?

Once that’s so far beyond doubt that the leaders of Russia and China agree who was behind it, AND agree UN action against the perpetrators is needed.

Once that’s done … ?

Once that’s done, then I’ll be happy.

Possibly,