Britain is no longer the Empire

Conversation with David Clews, publisher of Unity News Network

Let's start with what connects Polish and British matters. A fewer days ago, “The Times” published an article on a fresh initiative by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, proposing to make a fresh alliance to support Ukraine, with the participation of the UK, Poland and the Baltic States. What do you think of this idea? The UK, which has already spent over £12 billion to aid Ukraine, would afford even more spending to keep the government in Kiev?

– Where Mr. Zelenski's name appears, there's always quite a few money involved... And someway you always find them for him. I don't know how much your audience is aware of the dynamics of British politics. Keira Starmer's government, which became the least popular of the prime ministers in evidence time, proved to be a full disaster. He started by cutting off the heating allowance. In the UK, older people received £300 to aid them cover gas and electricity costs. Keir Starmer picked this up all but for those entitled to another benefits. 1 billion 100 million pounds were saved in this way, while ensuring that Ukraine would receive another 3 billion pounds a year. Donald Tusk's initiative must be seen in this context. The task of greater engagement of the Nordic countries in Ukrainian affairs is just positioning before president Trump's return to the White home to sustain the war in Ukraine as long as possible.

What about the British? I mean, many people in the United States are aware and there are many debates about wasting money on a corrupt government in Kiev. Are the British aware of what is going on and are there any public discussions about the nature of the Kiev regime?

– The government's propaganda run began immediately, in February 2022, not only in the media, but abruptly there were Ukrainian flags everywhere. All this is dead now. People have completely lost interest. We inactive have quite a few sympathy for Ukraine in the United Kingdom, but besides for Russia and Poland. It's an argument in the family, good people would have smoothed the full dispute a long time ago alternatively of escalating it. Unfortunately, they do not know everything about how many victims, wounded, maimed if they were aware of the scale of corruption in Ukraine – their anger would be even greater. I think that many people just lost interest, fell into apathy, while the number is disgusted and this group is constantly increasing with all pound that Zelenski gets.

The English's interest in conflict in Ukraine may be smaller, but the British political class is inactive profoundly involved. We remember that in 2022 Boris Johnson sabotaged Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul. It appears that Starmer is continuing this policy and that the United Kingdom will take over the function of the main instigator in Ukraine.

– I think it is crucial for your viewers to realise that Britain is governed by the regime, sometimes Torysian, sometimes Laborist, but this British government full supports the conflict in Ukraine. Tories or labourists – it does not substance much. They all support the Kiev regime, even Nigel Farage, whom you are certain to associate, although he will express any skepticism, but he will never go besides far beyond the scope of British safety services, media and establishment. He criticises that "some actions were not necessary", but will not take a step further. Britain's commitment is primarily ideological. They just don't like Russia. Rusophobia is not just a relic of the Cold War, for example, for many it is motivated by Russia's position on monosexual unions. It is adequate that Russia does not promote, LGBTQ, that it inactive believes in household values there. For many people in the British establishment the same evil. So they feel pathological hatred for Russia. I was talking about it on 1 of my last shows. It's hard to tell where it comes from, but it's a sincere hatred of Putin, of all Russians.

It's not just a question of differences that are obvious. But there are so many similarities. Personally, I think Poland is closer to Russia than Donald Tusk would like to admit. Looking from the Polish perspective, it is rather apparent that Poland differs from Russia. But it is equally apparent that Poland is much more akin to Russia than Donald Tusk and him would like to admit. Looking from the Polish position through alienation of neighbours from Belarus and Russia and beginning Poland to NATO's commitment, to American influences, to influence of globalists – in the long word Poland is sowing seeds of its fall. I am very disappointed by the reaction of the Polish political class to this conflict.

You spoke of ideology and ideological basis for support for Kiev in the UK. I have a business question. We know examples of political celebrities from the United States (leading huntsman Biden) who are financially active and conducted their private interests in Ukraine. Is something like this happening in Britain?

– No, it's not that bad. It's funny, but we don't have corruption as openly as in America. As we know, huntsman Biden was in the power of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, akin arrangements were made by Mitt Romney's boy and Nancy Pelosi's son. It's different with us, Boris Johnson can sign an intimate book-writing contract, ride a well-paid tour with lectures. However, this is something another than what the Americans do, who simply utilized Ukraine as a center for money laundering and all another wickedness. In the UK, 1 goes uncritically to the communicative that here is the fight of good and evil, and it is we who are good to you. Even if you have relatives or associates on the services of a war-industrial complex, it's not as violent corruption as the 1 in America.

I would like to ask another example of Britain's direct commitment to the escalation of the conflict with Russia. The UK military budget is growing, including military aid to Ukraine. In the next year's budget, over 55 billion pounds were planned for these purposes. But British and German soldiers are already at the borders of Russia, as part of a common corps in the Baltic States. This is just a step distant from open conflict and intervention, in the form of the post-October Revolution. For the first time in over a century, British forces have been in east Europe.

– It's crazy due to the fact that we don't truly have an army anymore. We don't have a decent army that's been disorganized and decimated for decades. Meanwhile, many members of the British establishment are inactive surviving the illusions of imperial power. Remember the erstwhile defence minister, Ben Wallace, telling us how we won the Crimean War? These people think Britain is inactive a power. Nope. We're not anymore. We have no strength, we are a United States satellite state, and sending our soldiers to the another end of Europe is simply pathetic.

I am absolutely convinced that British military advisers besides operate in Ukraine. Ukrainians are incapable to usage even Storm Shadow missiles themselves, which they want to attack Russia, then the British must prepare them, operate them, enter coordinates to call the Ukrainians at the end and let them press the button. That's why Putin said any direct attacks on Russia would be considered crossing the red line. The Russians know very well that it is not the Ukrainians who launch these missiles. This is the work of the British and NATO, and only thanks to them is Kiev able to carry out specified attacks. If any missiles hit Russia, not even Moscow, but anywhere in Russian territory, it will mean direct British commitment. The UK will become a organization to the conflict in Ukraine.

I wanted to ask you from your media experience. In Poland we are subject to open censorship, especially in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. What is the situation in the UK, is it possible, for example, to criticize the policies of Kiev and Zelenski or to have an nonsubjective view of Russian politics, or are there formal or unofficial regulations that prevent this?

– No, what we deficiency is simply a place at the authoritative table. Alt media are doing their job, but of course the position we took after February 24, 2022 was never presented in mainstream media. Only in the last 3 months – 4 months, any information about Zelenski and his people, known only to the ruling, began to break out. The vast majority of people in this country watch the BBC, Sky or ITV, or it only reaches for what YouTube algorithms suggest. So fundamentally we can talk and talk about what we want, but their tubes are immense and ours is inactive small. We cannot so compete effectively with the mainstream e.g. by reporting real news about Zelenski and the situation in Ukraine.

When we tried to explain the context and background of the events on February 24, we tried to explain their causes – people seemed to lose their minds. Just as in the case of their wars and conflicts, people like to see them in terms of good and evil, not inquiring on actual motives. In this case, it's comic adequate that personally I'm not 1 of president Putin's fans, I don't like him at all. I do not like the way Russia governs, which I inactive see as a mostly oligarchy, which does not place citizens' needs first. I besides believe that if Putin were a serious leader, this conflict would have ended much faster, but the growth of the Russian war-industrial complex and of the interests of people making money from the production and trafficking of arms seems to be the most important. I am so critical, but I am sometimes called Putin's "defendant," while I am as far distant as possible. However, I effort to realize why Putin acted as he did, which does not mean that I support a peculiar military operation or that I consider it to be good. On the contrary, I would like it not to happen, and I would like us to put an end to this conflict, in which the tenacity of the West and NATO remains the biggest obstacle. As Konrad mentioned at the beginning, the peace was already on the table during the Istanbul negotiations, Putin in a motion of goodwill withdrew troops from Kiev erstwhile Boris Johnson appeared and called “We fight further!”. And now it's been 2 and a half years, and the war is inactive going on.

Speaking of oligarchy, it would be worth talking about the US. But first, let us look at the British-American relations. I late observed a peace demonstration under RAF Lakenheath against the return to the UK of American atomic weapons. The United Kingdom inactive wants to pretend to be the British Empire erstwhile it is actually a U.S. land carrier. I would like to ask your opinion on the American presence in Europe, in peculiar in the UK.

– I'm 100% against it! And despite all the differences, I support the U.S. nuclear-weapon actions in the UK. It is frequently heard that Britain has an independent atomic deterrent system. That's not true. The Trident rocket strategy is an American system, based on American atomic warheads and it is the Americans who have the last word in managing it. A fewer years ago, Britain was incapable to even carry out independent strategy tests. As you say, we are only a European landing ground for American aircraft, while it is in our interest that no American missiles, no American weapons, nor anywhere in Europe. They are a immense origin of instability and conflict. I do not realize why so many people who consider themselves sympathizers of conventional and right-wing values support American commitment to Europe.

Each country should regain its national sovereignty, while in Poland I saw the construction of new, immense American military bases, I heard about the construction of a wall on the Polish-Belarusian border. Of course, many people will find work, many people will earn, and they will not think about the broader context, that all day the United Kingdom, Poland, another countries become increasingly dependent on the US. It is tragic especially for Poland, which always fought for its independence, as during planet War II torn apart by Germany and the russian Union and later erstwhile it was in the russian sphere of influence. Today, the political class is overjoyed erstwhile it sold Poland to the American zone. This is not actual independency or sovereignty. It's just replacing 1 of yours with another. I have no uncertainty about that. We don't request NATO bases in Europe, we don't request abroad troops. It's not radical, it's just normal.

With mention to what you said about Britain and the historical background, there are similarities between our countries. Our nations seem to endure from what I would call a geopolitical phantom pain. We Poles inactive frequently think in terms of the erstwhile Republic of both Nations, covering the full part of east Europe, including modern Belarus, Ukraine and even the western part of Russia. Similarly, any British people, reasoning of the United Kingdom today, inactive see the British Empire from the past. Am I right?

– Yeah, and that would be funny, due to the fact that we're definitely not anymore. This is truly like with Poland, due to the fact that would you now gotta play the Polish-Lithuanian union? That would be absurd. Meanwhile, in these categories, elites operate, this mixture of immersed in the past, neoconservatives and globalists. In the UK, this can be seen very clearly, for example, in the army, in officers' circles, recruited from good families, going to the best schools, to the best universities. They inactive believe Britain is simply a global power that has long ceased to be. He's a light shadow of himself, an American military base. It's just embarrassing.

If Britain and Europe prove stupid adequate to send troops to Ukraine, they will face a violent awakening due to the fact that they will meet soldiers trained in combat there. These people have been fighting for a long time, due to the fact that this war truly started in 2014. fewer people here are aware of this, but fighting, artillery and rocket fire have lasted for so long. NATO forces, the troops of the European states, could be in real shock by going to the real war zone.

Finally, I would like to ask you how you feel about the phenomenon I call looking over the eyes of erstwhile supporters of Donald Trump, especially those outside the US. quite a few hope has been attached to this election campaign, quite a few people would like to see a man of peace in the president-elect, individual who would halt all wars or at least decision them distant from Europe, to another parts of the world. Meanwhile, the first information about the fresh administration tells us to exercise caution and healthy skepticism, since we see in its composition neocons specified as Marco Rubio, Michael Waltz, and Archduke Elise Stefanik.

We have another evidence. In my opinion, Donald Trump has made a deal with the pro-Zionist structure of power in America due to the fact that they are working together to fight Iran. I don't mean to brag, but I'm beautiful good at looking ahead. Ukraine is yesterday's news. After October 7, the American strategy turned towards Israel, which is far more crucial to the American political class than Ukraine. Zionist lobby in the United States is very powerful, especially on the right. People like Ben Shapiro, Bill Ackman, people like that, the regular Wire environment. They're neoconservatives. They believe in Israel, and in Trump they see only a tool paving the way for conflict with Iran, a vital threat to Israel. Israel would not be able to attack Iran alone, there is no way. He is only capable of bombing women and children in Palestinian cities. This was besides confirmed by the invasion of Lebanon during which the Israel defence Forces were incapable to establish a level playing field. They request American firepower, and they request neoconservatives to get it. In the US there is simply a very strong judaic lobby and a very strong Zionist lobby. Not all Jews are Zionists, not all Zionists are Jews. Evangelical conservative Christians are besides active, believing that planet War III is the way for Christ to come again. That is their faith, and Trump is surrounded by these people. Let's name 1 more name, Mike Huckabee, the fresh ambassador to Israel, sworn Christian Zionist, not even recognizing Palestinian rights to the West Bank.

That's what I've been predicting for a long time. The U.S. will turn distant from Ukraine, and many will love it, while any fresh war with Iran will begin. Sam Trump may not even want it. I inactive think Trump doesn't like war. But there's always a chance he'll be gone. Would we like J.D. Vance, a full neoconservative, much more open to the demands of the war party? Have you heard of Peter Thiel, the owner of Palantir, who deals with CIA contacts? He is the 1 behind JD Vancem and, like another people in this circle, is not 1 of the most sympathetic, preparing for war with Iran, considered an existential threat to Israel. Meanwhile, any war in the mediate East would be a disaster for Europe. We are talking about tens, if not hundreds of millions of Muslim refugees coming to Europe. This is 10 times more than Merkel invited in 2017. So we have something to worry about, and I'm not certain about Trump in the next 4 years. I utilized to be his large supporter, but I don't think he was the same man he utilized to be. We hear he took $100 million from Miriam Adelson, a determined ultra-Zionist. In this situation, war in the mediate East may prove inevitable.

- ...and where we anticipate war, we find instigators and someway Britain always appears. It is known that British forces are straight active in the conflict in the Gaza Strip, supporting Zionists from the Cypriot Akrotiri-Dhekelia base...

– Yes, the UK is active there and again it is simply a mix of different approaches: in part it is simply a belief that we inactive have the Empire, others are simply in love with Israel. In the UK Zionist lobby is very strong, Keir Starmer has a judaic wife, he is himself an ultra-Zionist and he burns to draw Britain into conflict in the mediate East. The only advantage in this situation would be to incite the left-wing Labourists to effort to overthrow the Prime Minister. In British politics, 1 thing is unchanging. Whether you are on the right or on the left, you must not criticize Israel. Let us look at Jeremy Corbyn, a politician not from my fairy tale, on many issues besides left-wing, but on many things I agree with him. He is sincere, openly speaking out against what he considers to be injustice. Meanwhile, all British media, all British state apparatus united to destruct Jeremy Corbyn and lie about him. I besides always stress that during COVID Jeremy Corbyn would be a much better leader than Boris Johnson, due to the fact that he would not bow to Bill Gates. He wouldn't kneel to large capital. I besides believe that Jeremy Corbyn would be a better prime minister to the conflict in Ukraine. He'd just say, let's just stay distant from him. And I'm certain he'd be a hell of a lot better off about the Gaza massacre.

It's about time we moved on from labelling people to the left and right. Either you support the sovereignty of a nation and you're against wars, or you're against national interests. Not everyone must like my view, any call it extremism, but I'm not the 1 who starts the war, they are. They're the ones who fund them, give them guns, and get distant with it. Look at Tony Blair, he's a sir, and everybody loves him. How many millions did he kill? That's what's scary, that's what we gotta get free of. Unfortunately, the electorate just doesn't see it. The electorate sees the fact that there are monoparties, in different shades, which support all these wars.

Thank you, David. I think it is very crucial to emphasise that the anti-war movement is outside the conventional left and right. The same political processes we see in Poland We have people coming from various political sides of the barricades, occurring against war and instigators. It is crucial that we learn about the British experience, the fact that in the UK we are besides dealing with a division into a pro-war globalist camp and those who advocate peace and sovereignty of nations.

– Our opponents are trying to make this as complicated as possible. In Britain, the slogan of the contjihad is loud, I don't know if you've heard it, but you most likely know the name Tommy Robinson. He's on the payroll of an Israeli lobby in the UK. We have a large Muslim community in the Islands and many people declare discontent about it. So this anger takes place and focuses on, for example, overthrowing the authorities in Iran. And many fall for it, despite specified apparent duality. And I'm just consistent by saying I'm just against all these wars. no of them had to happen, and since they did, no of them has anything to do with us. Europe should live in peace since 1991. erstwhile the russian Union collapsed, there was no further request to keep NATO. The pact became redundant since the Warsaw Pact was dissolved. However, NATO has survived, showing what it is capable of in Serbia and the erstwhile Yugoslavia. This is simply a series of disasters, including the overthrow of Gaddafi in Libya (even without the formal engagement of the Pact he was active in), Afghanistan, Iraq. And all that without democratic decisions. Did you vote in Poland on the decision to send Polish soldiers to Iraq? No 1 always votes in cases like this.

And that, despite all this, is an optimistic message that we could convey to our viewers that despite Boris Johnson, Donald Tusk, Kier Starmer, pushing us to planet War III, we are inactive working on a real Polish-British alliance, an alliance for peace. Of course, an alliance not of governments and elites, but of average people. As a Pole surviving in the British Isles, I can confirm that I see not only similarities between our countries, but besides the pursuit of the peace of our peoples are similar. And that is the good news we can convey to our Readers.

– I agree 100%. This is the minute to ask the basic question: why are we even conducting these wars? The planet has never been more dangerous. The scenes we saw in Ukraine and Gaza should never take place in civilized times. I am not a pacifist erstwhile the time comes to defend myself, but we are not talking about defensive wars, we are talking about violent aggression, in rule rejecting a compromise. average people know that sometimes you gotta put your ego aside and agree to compromise, but the people of power do things differently. They don't compromise, they choose tyranny.

David Clews (born 1982, in Renfrew) is simply a British writer and journalist, editor-in-chief and publisher of Unity News Network.

Konrad Hand and Matthew Piskorski spoke

Think Poland, No. 49-50 (1-8.12.2024)