gaza - if only 'the left' existed

Harry's Place has had 'a good war' as far as the blog's coverage of the Gaza crisis is concerned, but few on the so called 'left' would agree. Harry's Place has been human, honest, fair minded and realistic about the war, but in the current climate if you say anything in favour of Israel or against Hamas you are a war criminal. Any consideration of the Israeli point of view is unacceptable to the hate and violence worshiping 'anarchist' fashion victims and trustafarians to be found at internet ghettos like indymedia, or the Stalinist actors and dentists typified by the SWP, George Galloway and their homophobic fundamentalist allies. Their contribution during this tragic war has been to achieve similar levels of racism and bigotry as the BNP in the form of their unquestioning support for the anti Semitic Hamas movement, now being translated into racist attacks in Britain.

A recent Harry's Place guest post, 'imagine if there was a left', perfectly shows the problem; there is in fact very little real Left left. Certainly not if it is anything like this;

a left which is social-democratic, liberal, humanist, anti-fascist, secular, internationalist and having some real links with an effective labour movement. I am talking about an idealised left, of course, untainted by Leninism or nationalism and which would find the current alliance between Trotskyist-Stalinist
groups and Islamists to be unthinkable.

The sad fact is that the progressive left described above, the one supporting justice and freedom from oppression for everyone, is almost extinct. It is getting so bad that the best name for most of the people currently ranting against Israel while supporting Hamas might almost be 'National Socialist'. This was the perverted mix of socialism, nationalism, racism and fascism, with a splash of eco hippy occultism, that spawned the Holocaust. This coalition is pretty much exactly what you'll find protesting outside the Israeli embassy in London, with the added bonus of religious fanaticism, plus a few anarchist nihilists from the stock broker belt. All we need now is the rise of an ego maniac politician with a moustache, and a good line in hateful bullshit. The true anarchists and free thinkers would be the first to go, along with the gays and the gypsies ... and the Jews.

• This London MET policeman's blog gives a unique cop's eye view of the 10th Jan anti Israel demo in London - fascinating stuff and seems honest. There is also a great description of dealing with the 'swampies' (police slang for protestors), at the Heathrow Climate Change Concentration Camp in 2007.

• why the police riot is also revealing.