Addendum: The references to 'Lib Dems' in the following articles are short for 'Liberal Democrats,' the prominent UK political party.
Liberal Democrat pacifists and
non-interventionists will no doubt have had difficulty adjusting to the
decision to assist the government in supporting the coalition that is currently
intervening in Syria and Iraq. Here, I will provide a few simple suggestions
for how we can keep to our principles, but also avoid irresponsibly divisive behavior.
1. No Irresponsible
Dissent
Disagreeing with the
decisions a party makes is perfectly reasonable. And criticism, per se, is not
inadmissible. But criticism of one's own party is not the same as criticism of
individuals and organizations outside one's own in-groups. Even if party
loyalty is not an absolute, it is certainly a very weighty consideration.
As with so many matters
pertaining to liberalism, the true test of loyalty is not the issues where most
members agree, but the issues where there is a fundamental split on an issue of
grave ethical importance. The true test for us is for grassroots and top level
Lib Dems to maintain unity, even when it is genuinely heartbreakingly painful
to go on.
2. No Excessive Suspicion
And on that note, I must
admit that (in fairness) I have not heard anyone accuse the Liberal Democrats
of 'squishing dissent,' so I think it's all the more important for us to show
some humility as well. The swaggering and jeering of some individuals from some
parties may lead people of good faith to suspect them of cynicism, but this
doesn't mean every person who voted 'yea' voted opportunistically or
maliciously; any more than everyone who voted 'nay' was necessarily a sincere
pacifist or non-interventionist.
3.
No Fair Weather Liberalism
I would ask each one of us
who opposes the recent decision: did you expect the vote to go the way
non-interventionists and pacifists would prefer?
a. If 'yes,' do you think
(no disrespect intended!) that this might have been a slightly naive
assumption?
For, sad to say, the
current of history remains against our ideals; for the time being, at least!
b. If 'no,' are you
prepared to persist with the Lib Dems even when heartbreaking decisions like
this become party policy?
(For this second question,
don't be too quick to answer! Yes, the choice is yours, but those of us who are
persisting are doing so partly in the hope that we may be able to provide a
voice for non-interventionists and pacifists within the party. Spare a thought
for non-interventionist and pacifists Conservatives right now! At least in the
Lib Dems, the default response to us is not likely to be sneering and ridicule.
As for the Tories, I am not so sure!)
4. No Surprises
It is difficult to say
that non-interventionism, let alone full pacifism, is in any way a 'mainstream'
view in UK politics! And the history of the Liberal party, one of the two
famous predecessors of our party, was hardly a party either of pacifism or of
non-interventionism either. Still, perhaps historians could one day provide an
account of pacifists and non-interventionists in the history of our party and
of our predecessor parties, if it has not been done already.
5. No Hero-Worship
Of course, it is also
important to avoid rose-tinted views of our history. For example, while the
late Charles Kennedy took a very brave and principled stance against Iraq (I
find it very difficult to cynically suspect he had more to gain than to lose
from this!), he was categorically not a non-interventionist. His support for
other interventions such as in Kosovo is proof of this.
I say this not in order to
make a value judgment about Kennedy himself, but merely in order to
dispassionately remind each one of us non-interventionists or pacifists in the
Lib Dems that the general current of history is against us, as it has been in
the past; and sentimentally clinging on to a romanticized vision of past heroes
cannot help us. Whatever the merits and demerits of Kennedy's career may be,
the ghosts of past heroes cannot do our work for us.
6. Keep the Faith!
Tim Farron announced right
from the start that the five tests were not intended as 'once-and-for-all,' but
rather, they are subject to revision and review when necessary. Let's remain
vigilant, and if we see an opportunity to convince the Lib Dem leadership that
our party's support for the intervention is less defensible and plausible than
before, we can raise this topic in a constructive manner that may help people
get on side, rather than alienating those who have disagreed with us up to now.
Keep strong!
Ultimately, pacifist and
non-interventionist Liberal Democrats can't be dewy-eyed idealists. We must be
principled and realistic, so that, one day, the Liberal Democrats may be
renowned as the party that says 'no' to humanitarian interventionism, and 'yes'
to all forms of positive and constructive engagement with people in the world
outside our country.
Originally published on
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