Aesop’s Fable; Terrorism is understandable?

So George Bush was in Ireland today, attending meetings at Stormont and other such activities including attending an integrated Primary School. A protest was held, claiming George Bush not welcome, due to the fact that he is a terrorist. Now this isn't one of the three posts I have yet to publish from last week, but they will surface. Now I want to discuss any points here.

The first is why the People did not want George Bush to come hear. George Bush's Government is the cause of War in Afghanistan, the War in Iraq and helps to fuel the Palestinian Occupation. The Bush administration removed the Taliban from any power in Afghanistan, and where they were not the best of Country leaders they kept a hold on the Drug trade. The Bush Administration took the most liberal Country in the Middle East, Iraq, and turned it into a waste land. The murder of Sadam was a blatant desecration of Human Rights. The Bush administration claims their war to be successful. Since the invasion of Afghanistan the amount of Afghan Heroin in Britain and the US have exploded. The British have lost a total of 100 troops to date, burying 5 today. Today it was announced that more troops would be sent to Afghanistan, bring the troop number up to 8030. The American government have failed to keep to the Millennium Goals to cut down on fuel emissions. George Bush's government are the biggest of the terrorists, despite their "War on Terrorism"... What a joke.

So in one way I agreed with the protest against Bushes presence here, however in other ways I thought it was unnecessary. Firstly I don't believe we have the right to make anyone feel unwelcome in our country. Secondly George Bush should not be the current worry of the Anti Afghan/Iraq War - Palestinian Occupation. Currently the American elections are underway. The Party candidates have more or less been accepted as Barrack Obama for the Democrats, and John McCain for the Republicans. George Bush is on his way out and so attentions from the antiwar pressure groups should be directed at the new candidates. Don't get me wrong, I still agree with the AntiBush Government groups, not the Bush unwelcome protest.

So as I said there were protesters in Belfast City Centre. One man stood outside the Tesco's Bank Buildings shouting his political views. One statement he made hit me hard, and put quite a few thoughts through my head.

"War is the Rich Mans Terrorism... Terrorism is the Poor Mans War" - Man in Town

This is a Sentiment that I have heard often before. Every time a group of people have faced oppression, and wish for their Freedom, a basic Human Right, this sentiment has been used. It is not a justification for violence, but an excuse.

The Dalai Lama was accused of the sentiment recently after protests by the Tibetan people. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been quoted as saying "The Riot is the Voice of the Unheard", in reference to the Black Civil rights demands. Malcolm X has also been quoted on numerous sporting this sentiment; "Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery". However the earliest example of this sentiment that I have came across, comes from the mouth of the Greek Slave Aesop, from 2000 years ago. Number 18 in Aesop’s fables "The Wolf and the Lamb" has been decoded to mean "A tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, so it is useless for the innocent to seek justice through reasoning".

I don’t really know where I am going with this, but it has caused me to think quite a bit. These protesters that are against war excuse the war of the Poor and oppressed. Is this a double standard? I know that I understand the Fight for Freedom, but can’t understand how any Governing body can take part in a war. How can any Governing body justify the oppression of another group of people…. Is this a double standard??

I think I’ll end this here…

God Bless
Peace