In what has been the most heated item I have seen in years certainly on the web and in forums across the world, the British teacher imprisoned by the Sudanese courts Miss Gibbons is now back on British soil. This was due to the efforts of two UK muslim peers, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and Lord Nazir Ahmed who’s efforts must be praised. Sadly it had nothing to do with our leaders or foreign ministers. Hopefully the fanatics, spurred on it has to be said by outraged Sudanese citizens demanding the death sentence and marching swords in hand to the Sudanese courts, who were calling for “Air Strikes” will keep quiet. It won’t stop the “merely outraged” from asking that all aid to the Sudan be suspended. Conspicuous by their absence were the moderates who did not parade in the streets and March upon our government to do something. I think it was Edmund Burke back in the late 1700’s who said "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing”. Sadly the episode has shown that a British citizen in trouble abroad cannot depend upon the efforts or goodwill of the UK government or it’s embassies to help out. You can already see the BNP and other right wing movements making political capitol out of this. The whole episode of appeasement and laissez-faire reminded me of a poem by Phil Appleton entitled The responsibility.
I am the man who gives the word,
If it should come, to use the Bomb.
I am the man who spreads the word
From him to them if it should come.
I am the man who gets the word
From him who spreads the word from him.
I am the man who drops the Bomb
If ordered by the one who’s heard
From him who merely spreads the word
The first one gives if it should come.
I am the man who loads the Bomb
That he must drop should orders come
From him who gets the word passed on
By one who waits to hear from him.
I am the man who makes the Bomb
That he must load for him to drop
If told by one who gets the word
From one who passes it from him.
I am the man who fills the till,
Who pays the tax, who foots the bill
That guarantees the Bomb he makes
For him to load for him to drop
If orders come from one who gets
The word passed on to him by one
Who waits to hear it from the man
Who gives the word to use the Bomb.
I am the man behind it all;
I am the one responsible.
Doing nothing, it sorta sums appeasement up doesn’t it?