Holy Cow! A British socialist, wrote a Guardian article in favour of war on Iraq! (link via Insta)

It's a good article, by Julie Birchill. She is much harder on the "it's all about oil" argument than I am:

"It's all about oil!" Like hyperactive brats who get hold of one phrase and repeat it endlessly, this naive and prissy mantra is enough to drive to the point of madness any person who actually attempts to think beyond the clichés. Like "Whatever!" it is one of the few ways in which the dull-minded think they can have the last word in any argument. So what if it is about oil, in part? Are you prepared to give up your car and central heating and go back to the Dark Ages? If not, don't be such a hypocrite. The fact is that this war is about freedom, justice - and oil. It's called multitasking. Get used to it!

My other favourite quote is a concise explanation of why a socialist may be in favour of this particular war:

If you really think it's better for more people to die over decades under a tyrannical regime than for fewer people to die during a brief attack by an outside power, you're really weird and nationalistic and not any sort of socialist that I recognise.

You might think by now I'm in favour of the war. I'm not sure, actually -- it depends on the follow-through. I'm only certain that a lot of the arguments made about it are stupid. I applaud Julie Birchill for combatting that stupidity.