It is now an established fact that after the Second World War two powerful democratic states America and Britain have helped the military to overthrow elected democratic governments in many developing countries to keep their political hegemony. Even they promoted military dictatorship in those countries and actively helped them to stay in power by repressing the people.Whenever the government of a developing country did not suit their purpose western media started campaigning against these democratic governments as corrupt and inefficient and promoted a military man as iron man, although he might be a tyrant or even a more corrupt man like Pinochet of Chile, Marcos of Philippines or Shah of Iran
Democracy and Western hypocrisy
Abdul Gaffar Choudhury
It is now an established fact that after the Second World War two powerful democratic states America and Britain have helped the military to overthrow elected democratic governments in many developing countries to keep their political hegemony. Even they promoted military dictatorship in those countries and actively helped them to stay in power by repressing the people.
Whenever the government of a developing country did not suit their purpose western media started campaigning against these democratic governments as corrupt and inefficient and promoted a military man as iron man, although he might be a tyrant or even a more corrupt man like Pinochet of Chile, Marcos of Philippines or Shah of Iran.
In the 70s of last century Henry Kissinger, the-then Foreign Secretary of the USA had destroyed the newly established democratic government in a number of Asian and South American countries including Bangladesh. He was even accused of plotting the murder of many democratic leaders of developing countries like Sheikh Mujib and Allende. There is a proverb that what you do to others eventually comes back to you. What western countries did to the Asian, African nations for the last few centuries it seems now that it is coming back to them.
American democracy is already under dark shadows. When Eisenhower was the president of America and supreme commander of the American armed forces and high-powered spy plane U2 was sent to Russia for surveillance, the President as the supreme commander of the Armed forces was not informed about this. For this incident a summit between Eisenhower and Khrushchev which was scheduled in Paris was cancelled because of Russias refusal to attend. President Eisenhower said with great anguish, My government is not running the country. An invisible government is running America.
Almost in the same decade of the last century there was a rumour that British democracy had also come under threat. Harold Wilson of the Labour Party was in power then. Suddenly he resigned from the premiership. The reason for his sudden resignation was not very clear. Though it was said that Harold Wilson had resigned for health reasons but the explanation did not get much credibility in the public mind. Some newspaper circulated a news that Wilson resigned under pressure from the British establishment. He was accused of having secret link with the Soviet Union. At that time cold war between the East and West was at its zenith and the PM was pressurized to resign. The rumour went further that if Wilson did not agree to resign then he would be dismissed and a temporary caretaker government would be formed under the premiership of Lord Mountbatten, who was a military man and a relative of the Royal family. This rumour was not supported by any quarter but when it was published in some newspapers it created confusion in the public mind about the real situation.
After the collapse of the world socialist camp this century has witnessed an unabated rise of the supremacy of capitalism in Europe and America. The rise of new con under Bush Dynasty in America and the rise of old conservatism in Britain from Thatcher to Cameron is having a glorious period. Even in America the present President Obama is not immune from the attack of the most powerful new con camp for his anti-war and social welfare policies. Even in Britain Labour Party was taken over by Blairite leaders who were more conservative than the conservative party and was trying to make the Labour Party a shadow of conservatives under the leadership of Tony Blair. They call themselves New Labour. Blairs last government survived only by the support of Tory Party in the no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.
After the Iraq war the Blairites were defeated in the leadership election of Labour Party and Ed Milliband was elected leader who promised to revive some of the old Labour Partys policies and save the welfare state from the naked aggression of capitalist establishment. Though he was a leader of middle-path, he was attacked by the most powerful rightist ruling and elite class and its most powerful media. The mouthpiece of global capitalism The Times and Sunday Times constantly vilified Milliband leadership and that vilification was successful when Labour Party was defeated under the leadership of Milliband in the last general election. Cameron, the leader of Conservative Party, whose main aim was to destroy the basis of welfare state in the name of austerity won the election miraculously and formed the government without making any coalition with Liberal Party this time.
This victory of Tories was hailed as the defeat of old Labour and Blairites Labour leaders thought that they have another chance to revive New Labour as a shadow conservative party. Perhaps, Torys victory in this election and Cameron governments subsequent more clear anti-people policies have shocked the ordinary people of Britain and perhaps they are now realizing that they have done a great mistake by giving mandate to the Tory Party to rule the country single-handed. This public mood might have reflected in recent Labour Party leadership election.
The Blairites attempt to take over leadership and the powerful media propaganda on Jeremy Corbin, the new leader have failed. Corbin, the newly elected Labour leader in spite of massive attack form the mighty Rightist media of the country including Times Group of newspapers has owned a decisive victory and formed his new shadow cabinet, which is a great dismay for the ruling capitalist circle.
Jeremy Corbin is a tried and tested Left oriented politician who opposed Blairs Iraq war and always stood for the rights and privileges of the working class people. His election victory is a great attack on vested interest. The possibility that one day he might become the PM of Britain has alarmed the whole capitalist system of Britain. They are now more united and have started vilifying Corbin from all sides. Before Corbins victory, the Rightist media propagated that if he was elected Britain will face a civil war. After his victory now they are trying to portray him as an enemy of Britain and an unwanted intruder in British politics.
Jeremy Corbin is undaunted against these vicious attacks. He spoke about the Syrian immigrant crisis and blamed both the USA and Britain for the creation of ISIS and Jihadists. He expressed his opposition against bombing in Syria. Now the cat is out of the bag. Not a politician, but a British senior serving General has now warned that the armed forces would take direct action to stop a government led by Jeremy Corbin (The Sunday Times, 20 September, 2015). This comment has alarmed a vast number of British public. The question is if this general is threatening to make a military coup in Britain if a leftist government comes to power? Many people are protesting the Generals comment and The Sunday Times have been obliged to publish their reactions also.
In The Sunday Times Letters to the editors column Jim Newcomb, a reader responded, These comments clearly illustrate the lengths that the Generals would go to today. Another reader, Mike Harwood wrote, For a senior General or anyone else to warn that there would be a direct challenge from the army if Corbin became Prime Minister is treason and should be treated as, as such by the current government. This is -I hope- not Chile in 1973. Another reader, David Middlemiss commented, I am astonished that your editorial, while having plenty to criticise Corbin about his first week as a Labour leader finds no room to condemn what would be tantamount to a proposed coup against a democratically elected government. There are more letters in last weeks edition of The Sunday Times (27 September 2015) on the audacity of the British senior
General.
These are the ominous signs that democracy is under dark cloud in the western countries at present. The demon of global capitalism has not only destroyed the base of democracy in the developing countries but is posing threat for its western creators also. This is the time when a unified peoples war against this demon has become necessary worldwide. Otherwise what is happening in some African and Asian countries today will become a reality for western world also and that will bring a great disaster for humanity.
London: Friday 2nd October, 2015
