Farce

George Galloway : Socialist Workers Party : Respect Coalition : Leftism.

History repeats itself.

I've mentioned the 'orrible demise of the WRP before from taking funding from "bourgoise middle eastern regimes" - but it seems Galloway is bang to rights. The Money shot:

The evidence gathered by the Subcommittee, however, suggests that Galloway was well aware that Zureikat was conducting oil transactions on his behalf. The IIS Letter, dated January 2000 and authenticated by Tariq Aziz, indicates that Galloway and Zureikat met with an officer on December 26, 1999 to discuss, among other subjects, a request to increase the amount of oil that had been allocated to them by Aziz. Galloway has confirmed that Zureikat acted his representative in Iraq for all matters relating to the Mariam Appeal. Aziz verified Zureikat was Galloway`s business representative in Iraq and conducted oil transactions for purpose of raising funds for the Mariam Appeal. Zureikat`s commercial activities relating to oil allocations granted to Galloway stretched from 2000 through 2003. A significant number Zureikat`s commercial activities resulted in large payments to both Galloway`s wife (approximately $150,000) as well as his political campaign, the Mariam Appeal ($446,000).

Forget the crap about his wife, what we have here is a clear prima facia case of political corruption - Galloway was an active agent for the Iraqi dictatorship. His career. His prominence. Everything he is and has today comes from the regimes preparedness to stump up the readies for him to campaign on its behalf.

He is no tribune of the people, no voice of the oppressed, agent of the working class, Herald of socialism or anything of the sort. Whatever you think ogf the sanctions and what they did, it must be clear to anyone of good conscience that to take money from the hand of the Iraqi dictatorship would invalidate any good motive.

Galloway obfuscates:

Galloway added that the fact that the Mariam Appeal, a political campaign, had received more than $446,000 from Jordanian businessman Fawaz Zureikat "cannot be news to anyone. The Charity Commission investigated the Mariam Appeal, it scrutinised every penny in and every penny out and totally exonerated me from benefiting financially through the campaign."

Money may have no smell, but he took it through close collaboration and with conscious connivance.

The SWP have sacrificed everything they ever had on supporting this man and, whatever you think of their policies, they have sucked most of the people who are willing to be active for change into their orbit and into his.

I think this tragedy arisies from the absence of a movement, of any genuine general struggle, which means radicals orientate to anyone who looks like a challenge, who looks like their taking on the state. Anyone with a slight grasp of history will know that radicals have been led up the garden path by charlatons before. How far the leftists are willing to keep going is a matter for debate. Anyone would think they were doing it deliberately to discredit socialism - time for planet ICC anyone?