The truth about all those war lies

FEW weeks ago I について言及するd a little 容積／容量 called Falsehood In 戦時 which, like so many of my 調書をとる／予約するs, went walkabout from my 棚上げにするs and has been absent without leave for several years.

This week, thanks to the good offices of my friend Michael Dillon, the boss of Soho's Gerry's Club, who 位置を示すd the 調書をとる／予約する roaming around the internet, we were 再会させるd. I am glad to have it 支援する.

Falsehood In 戦時, by a Member of 議会 called Arthur Ponsonby, 調査するs an 'assortment of lies 循環させるd during the 広大な／多数の／重要な War' - that is, World War I. It is a fascinating collection.

Ponsonby starts by 配置する／処分する／したい気持ちにさせるing of the myth my 世代 grew up believing - that the 原因（となる） of the war was the German 侵略 of '勇敢に立ち向かう little Belgium' rather than our secret 義務s to フラン.

He argues that there was no public appetite for our かかわり合い to フラン, so that 'the 侵略 of Belgium （機の）カム as a godsend . . . The 政府 jumped to take advantage of the pretext, fully 高く評価する／（相場などが）上がるing its value in 決起大会／結集させるing public opinion.' In other words, it was an 演習 in spin-doctoring, as were our 正規の／正選手 denunciations of 'the 臆病な／卑劣な Hun' who would throw 負かす／撃墜する his ライフル銃／探して盗む and run when he saw us coming.

Ponsonby makes the point that if the Hun was all that 臆病な／卑劣な and enfeebled, why was it taking so long to vanquish him?

Or as コマドリ Cook put the same argument in another 状況 during his 辞職 speech this week: 'We cannot base a 軍の 戦略 on the 仮定／引き受けること that Saddam is weak and at the same time 正当化する pre-emptive 活動／戦闘 on the ground that he is a 脅し.' But having it both ways has always been a feature of falsehood in 戦時.

Not that the lies are always 審議する／熟考する. It was 広範囲にわたって believed in 1914 that ロシアの 軍隊／機動隊s with snow on their boots had been seen passing through this country on their way to the Western 前線. This may have started with a bearded 兵士 on a train 存在 overheard 宣言するing that he （機の）カム from R oss-shire. How the snow got into the story, nobody knows.

THEN there is the tale of little Alf's stamp album. A British 囚人 of war in Germany 令状s home: 'The stamp on this letter is a rare one; soak it off for little Alf 's collection'. Although there is nobody in the family called Alf, and nobody who collects stamps, they do as bidden.

Underneath the stamp are the words: 'They have torn out my tongue - I could not put it in the letter'. The bad news, that would be, not the tongue. The story was 広範囲にわたって believed by people who were unaware that PoWs' mail did not 耐える stamps.

Ponsonby 特記する／引用するs dozens of 平等に gruesome examples, some of them 審議する／熟考する lies, others what are now called '都市の myths', passed on from the gullible to the gullible.

Some of them will undoubtedly resurface during the Iraqi war, as they did during the Afghanistan （選挙などの）運動をする.

Ponsonby 結論するs: 'Is その上の proof needed that international war is a monster born of hypocrisy, fed on falsehood, fattened on humbug, kept alive by superstition, directed to the death and 拷問 of millions, 後継するing in no high 目的, and bringing 前へ／外へ in its travail a hideous brood of 争い, 衝突 and war, more war?' Or to put it in a いっそう少なく flowery way, take it all with a pinch of salt.

Short-changed

I SUPPOSE it takes courage of a 肉親，親類d to sit around a （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する with your 同僚s knowing that most of them are thinking: 'What a 完全にする prat.'

本人自身で, in Clare Short's shoes, rather than 直面する the 閣僚 after her embarrassing climb-負かす／撃墜する this week, I would sooner 苦しむ myself to be tarred and feathered.

And where is 粘着するing to her 職業 going to get her? Tony keeps her on because for the moment she is a useful idiot. The moment he feels he can 捨てる her without repercussions she will get the door of No 10 slammed in her 直面する.

Not for the first time, Tony Blair's own judgment is open to question. He 選ぶd her, remember. Most of us wouldn't have had her in the 閣僚 room sharpening pencils.

She was mad to 脅す 公然と to 辞職する, mad to say she was considering her position, mad to ネズミ on her 約束.

Whatever it is Clare Short 現実に does in her obscure 閣僚 地位，任命する, can she be 信用d to do it with a 冷静な／正味の, （疑いを）晴らす 長，率いる?