Sunday, October 27, 2013

Is the UK government committing genocide?

Reblogged from Toxic Drums:

I watched the video below and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.  NxtGenUK has a giant talent for poetry and facts as well as an astute political awareness.  This is very important.



So I was impressed - and it got me to thinking how I consider these policies of the UK government to be close to genocide, so I looked up 'genocides in history' on Wikipedia.  It sent shivers down my spine.  Clearly I have to do some more research but for now this is part of the opening paragraph on Wikipedia:


It is defined in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) of 1948 as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the groups conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

UK Children Services confiscated over 10,000 children in 2010 from their parents (and it seems the number per annum is increasing).  More than 10,600 people died within six weeks of being found 'fit for work' in the first 11 months of the Atos test introduced by the DWP (that is about 12,000 per annum and probably rising). We know people are committing suicide because of the insane and ruthless welfare cuts.  Legal aid has been slashed.  People are forced to work for their benefits putting other people out of work and on benefits.  It is expected that the deaths due to fuel poverty will rise yet again this year.  Approaching half a million people use foodbanks and the Red Cross has launched an emergency food parcel program for the UK.

It is clear that significant aspects of genocide are occurring.  There is no doubt that a 'national' group, the poor, is being targeted (the poor include disabled, sick, elderly, and unemployed).  It is clear that they are being destroyed in part.  It is clear the welfare reforms are causing serious bodily and mental harm to members of the group.  It is clear that the policies are inflicting conditions of life which are bringing about physical destruction in part.  And there is frightening evidence of forcibly transferring children to another group.

Discussions about charging IDS and other members of this government with genocide have stalled on a number of accounts including 'intent'.  A valid question would be: if it is not 'intentional' is there some serious suggestion that it is 'accidental'?  IDS has lied about the death toll figures.  Those figures were mysteriously removed from the government web site but reappeared when a storm blew up.  His department has repeatedly, and illegally, refused to respond to FOI requests about the death toll.  The DWP have stated that they are no longer counting the death toll after Atos examinations.  Possibly a majority of the UK population 'know' this is an assault on the poor.  I say that because there are those who clearly see it that way and then there is the 'negative' press 'justifying' austerity by denigrating the target (the poor, the sick, the mentally ill, the elderly, the disabled etc).  By denigrating the target it is an implicit acknowledgement of the assault because the suggestion is 'they deserve it'.  There is quite a large consensus that what is happening is a crime;  The problem is prosecuting the government.

Is this UK government indulging in the international crime of genocide?

There are attempts to deal with the genocidal aspects of 'austerity' as discussed on Vox Political: Greek case for austerity “genocide” creates hope in UK.

Please give me any leads you can and I will attempt to investigate further.