Sack Dannatt

Militarism

No matter what - whether you are an opponent of the Iraq war, an opponent of the army or militarism, an opponent of Blair - you have to demand that Dannatt go.

Flat - no question. A military officer has stepped into politics, and the line must be held, pour encourage les autres.

The danger of letting soldiers, with their dashing uniforms, the residual loyalty many give to those who risk their lives in their work - all of that means that serving soldiers should be kept away from politics. Pakistan, Turkey and Thailand are all examples of what happens when the military begins to think it is the soul of the nation's politics. America is what happens when politicians trade on their military records - the fight against militarism begins with the struggle to keep the soliders in their place and the supremacy of the electoral structure in place.

If soliders start appealing directly to the people they becokme uncontrolable.

Sack Dannatt.