The word “Orwellian” is one of the most overused in the English language. Yet occasionally it is justified. At the Stop the War Coalition’s recent conference in London, there were chants of “No more war” as visitors tried to drown out a pro-Syria counter-protest by activists who want to see civilians protected.
Stop the War is opposed to any Western initiative that involves the use of weapons, planes or ammunition. In the past, it has invited supporters of the Syrian government to address its events – the pro-regime nun Mother Agnes was a guest in 2013 – while refusing to host anti-regime Syrians. So the chants of “No more war” brought to mind images of Airstrip One in Nineteen Eighty-Four, with its reality-inverting “War is peace” slogan. Ensuring that Western governments stay out of Syria won’t ensure “no more war”: it will merely make it easier for these“peace” activists to ignore the carnage.
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