British actors call for peace

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Nine British theatrical figures and artists have urged world leaders not to wage war as a response to last week's attacks on the US. The letter to the Daily Telegraph came from a group including playwright Harold Pinter, actor Corin Redgrave and artist Maggi Hambling. The actors made an appeal for leaders to stop what they called the "madness" of a "new world war". The letter argued that a war against Afghanistan, Iraq and the world's poorest countries "will not rescue any victims of September 11, or make the cities of America and Europe safer". The letter went on: "Terrorism cannot be defeated by bombs, bullets or secret intelligence. 'Poverty' "Terrorism is the language of hatred and despair. "Out of the carnage and rubble of a new crusade will come new terrorists, even more desperate and ruthless than before." The letter criticised past Western policies towards Afghanistan and Iraq. It also said that human rights and civil liberties were being "trampled on" by politicians "fanning the flames of intolerance with their preparations for war".

Discuss....

― MarkH, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think this lot help the anti-war cause. Rightly or wrongly, their names have been associate with a rabid-anti Americanism. In this case, where a far wider spectrum of people are cautious about military action, this kind of support only gives the warmongers an excuse to characterise the opposition as being the usual lunatic Pinter-Redgrave fringe.

― Nick, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

At least Simon Callow doesn't seem to have got involved. If I were a military leader that would be like waving a red rag to a bull.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am very anti-war, esp. this one: so it wd therefore be ultra-cynical and flippant to say I am even MORE against this kind of kneejerk-leftsleb-lookitme self-promo. Pinter = highly original writer and dramatist, who entirely switches off intellect and cliche-detector when "discussing" politics. Hambling = flouncy self-obsessed waste of space. Redgrave = MI6 plant.

― mark s, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with Nick, if it was Vinnie Jones or somebody from EastEnders the British public would sit up and take notice.

― dave q, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Pinter=supporter of defence committee for Slobodan Milosevic, Corin Redgrave=former WRP (including reading out hilarious (1979?)party political broadcast 'We will leave NATO and join the Warsaw Pact'). last people any serious anti-war campaign needs.

― stevo, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am very anti-war, but this kind of letter makes snicker.

Yeah, like Chirac or Blair is going to be swayed by Corin Redgrave's opinions. It's just another example of the rabid egotism of entertainment folk...

― Nicole, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Maybe if we threatened to send in Beckham and Posh Spice... I know I'd surrender, whatever the war was about.

― Paul Strange, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Glenn Close was in Union Square at the impromptu shrine/memorial that has sprung up there over past week and tried unsuccessfully to get up a chorus of "We Shall Overcome", which I thought was about as appropriate as singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at a Black Panther meeting.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wrong!!! British actors call for MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― rezna, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Funnily enough was just reading an old Paris Review int w/Pint where he says (1966) "Generally, I try to get on with what I can do and leave it at that. I don't think I've got any kind of social function that's of any value, and politically there's no question of my getting involved because the issues are by no means simple - to be a politician you have to be able present a simple picture even if you don't see things that way."

― Andrew L, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That's so cute!

― Nick, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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