Counterfire log in

Militarism

Permanent war: Britain’s global military reach exposed

With a permanent military presence at 145 base sites in 42 countries or territories around the world, Britain is far from a ‘nation in retreat’, writes Terina Hine
Why is there £21.5bn more for the military but no money for key workers?

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine
No money for school meals but Johnson found £16.5bn extra for the military

Boris Johnson has chosen to up defence spending over the necessary measures to protect lives during a pandemic, writes Lindsey German
International opposition to the war on Yemen is growing

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham
Protest works: how the anti-war movement weakened the warmongers

Recent reports show how social movements can impact directly on militarism, writes Chris Nineham
Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes - book review

Keenie Meenie exposes, with thorough research, the activities of a booming, highly lucrative outsourced industry, and its intimate ties with the British State, finds Susan Ram
20 Dictators Currently Supported by the U.S. - book review

David Swanson, 20 Dictators provides robust evidence that the claims for US foreign policy are contradicted by its behaviour, argue Phil Armstrong and Catherine Armstrong
Fight to fund health, not war

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham
Why socialists oppose imperialist wars

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander
If you are against the West's wars you need to be against Nato

Chris Nineham looks at Nato’s interventionist history and its deranged bid to expand operations to every corner of the world
Where is the love?

An anti-arms trade campaigner explains what the DSEI arms fair is and why it is so important to join the protests against it when it comes to London in September
Sudan: fury on the streets

Months of fearless mass protest force one of the world’s most brutal military regimes, and its external backers, into a power-sharing deal, reports Susan Ram
The environmental cost of the United States war-machine

The sheer scale and perpetual nature of US military operations make it unimaginably destructive for the planet, argues Pete Morgan
The Russians are Coming, Again - book review

Kuzmarov and Marciano's analysis of the US media demonisation of Russia warns of the danger of a new cold war, in full historical context, finds Martin Hall
Gavin Williamson: delusional and dangerous

Gavin Williamson's latest speech with jingoistic rhetoric and calling for more military spending shows just how out of touch with reality he is, argues Lindsey German
Climate chaos is the most political issue of our time, to stop it we need systemic change

Climate breakdown is a political issue, and to stop it we need to tackle it at the root, argues Jim Scott
Stop bombing Yemen

Our movement has set its sights on the UK's barbaric arms trade, reports Jonathan Maunders
The politics of Remembrance

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article
Saudi rogue killers? Why the West is so quiet about the death of Jamal Khashoggi

The murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Turkey will irretrievably tarnish Saudi Arabia’s reputation in Western public opinion, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Military propaganda must end

The MoD is attempting to rebrand life in the military in order to recruit vulnerable young people, argues Jago Corry
Syria: the solution is not more military intervention

As Theresa May prepares to back Trump in escalating military intervention in Syria, Stop the War published the following letter in response
The Salisbury incident: facts not necessary

After Porton Down experts revealed that they can't confirm the origin of the nerve agent, it's clear that the government is trying to manipulate the public argue Johnny Charles and Harry Rogers
Did the West provoke this crisis with Russia?

A US army study, 'Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?', suggests NATO expansion is the key driver of tension with Russia
'Making France great again': Macron to bring back compulsory military service

Macron is at one with Trump in his quest for a return to national ‘greatness’ with his call for compulsory military service argues Susan Ram
Russia and imperialism today

Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian state, but does it pose the threat that advocates of the NATO alliance often claim? John Rees looks at the profile of Russian military power today.
Fear and loathing in the Trump White House

The blunders of the Trump team have provided cover for the consolidation of a quasi-military clique at the highest levels of the US state, writes Sean Ledwith
Armed force on the streets: the French experience

France’s state of emergency has suspended civil liberties while failing to stop the menace of terrorism
Obama: the peacenik’s president?

Don’t believe the hype, the Obama administration’s war record is bloody and shameful, argues Lindsey German
Trump and Nato: continuity and change

As the dust begins to settle on the result of the US presidency, Jonathan Maunders disentangles the reality from the rhetoric in Trump's nascent foreign policy
Libya: hindsight is not good enough

The anti-war movement argued unequivocally against intervention in Libya, and the Foreign Affairs Committee proved it was right, argues Chris Nineham
Failed coup, new clampdown

President Erdoğan is using the defeat of the coup in Turkey to repress opposition, as this analysis from the Turkish and Kurdish Centre Day-Mer explains
Responding to terror: Brussels, anger and understanding

Frank Barat argues that we have to understand the root causes of terrorism if we are to achieve a peaceful world
Back on the attack: the meaning of Cameron's defence review

Not only is new money being pumped into the military – it is being targeted on strengthening UK ability to intervene internationally
Starvation and austerity: the price of Britain's military spending

Look at what could be done with the £37 billion Britain spends annually on its military and foreign wars
'We Are Many' - telling the secret story of people power

A great virtue of the film is how it shows the impact 15 February 2003 had on movements that followed and even now is shaping politics
Destroying Libya to 'save it': David Cameron has no regrets

The anti-war movement's prediction that western interventions would set the Middle East on fire, have proved tragically true, but that will not stop politicians fanning the flames

Militarism

Militarism

With a permanent military presence at 145 base sites in 42 countries or territories around the world, Britain is far from a ‘nation in retreat’, writes Terina Hine

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine

Boris Johnson has chosen to up defence spending over the necessary measures to protect lives during a pandemic, writes Lindsey German

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham

Recent reports show how social movements can impact directly on militarism, writes Chris Nineham

Keenie Meenie exposes, with thorough research, the activities of a booming, highly lucrative outsourced industry, and its intimate ties with the British State, finds Susan Ram

David Swanson, 20 Dictators provides robust evidence that the claims for US foreign policy are contradicted by its behaviour, argue Phil Armstrong and Catherine Armstrong

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander

Chris Nineham looks at Nato’s interventionist history and its deranged bid to expand operations to every corner of the world

An anti-arms trade campaigner explains what the DSEI arms fair is and why it is so important to join the protests against it when it comes to London in September

Months of fearless mass protest force one of the world’s most brutal military regimes, and its external backers, into a power-sharing deal, reports Susan Ram

The sheer scale and perpetual nature of US military operations make it unimaginably destructive for the planet, argues Pete Morgan

Kuzmarov and Marciano's analysis of the US media demonisation of Russia warns of the danger of a new cold war, in full historical context, finds Martin Hall

Gavin Williamson's latest speech with jingoistic rhetoric and calling for more military spending shows just how out of touch with reality he is, argues Lindsey German

Climate breakdown is a political issue, and to stop it we need to tackle it at the root, argues Jim Scott

Our movement has set its sights on the UK's barbaric arms trade, reports Jonathan Maunders

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article

The murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Turkey will irretrievably tarnish Saudi Arabia’s reputation in Western public opinion, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

The MoD is attempting to rebrand life in the military in order to recruit vulnerable young people, argues Jago Corry

As Theresa May prepares to back Trump in escalating military intervention in Syria, Stop the War published the following letter in response

After Porton Down experts revealed that they can't confirm the origin of the nerve agent, it's clear that the government is trying to manipulate the public argue Johnny Charles and Harry Rogers

A US army study, 'Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?', suggests NATO expansion is the key driver of tension with Russia

Macron is at one with Trump in his quest for a return to national ‘greatness’ with his call for compulsory military service argues Susan Ram

Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian state, but does it pose the threat that advocates of the NATO alliance often claim? John Rees looks at the profile of Russian military power today.

The blunders of the Trump team have provided cover for the consolidation of a quasi-military clique at the highest levels of the US state, writes Sean Ledwith

France’s state of emergency has suspended civil liberties while failing to stop the menace of terrorism

Don’t believe the hype, the Obama administration’s war record is bloody and shameful, argues Lindsey German

As the dust begins to settle on the result of the US presidency, Jonathan Maunders disentangles the reality from the rhetoric in Trump's nascent foreign policy

The anti-war movement argued unequivocally against intervention in Libya, and the Foreign Affairs Committee proved it was right, argues Chris Nineham

President Erdoğan is using the defeat of the coup in Turkey to repress opposition, as this analysis from the Turkish and Kurdish Centre Day-Mer explains

Frank Barat argues that we have to understand the root causes of terrorism if we are to achieve a peaceful world

Not only is new money being pumped into the military – it is being targeted on strengthening UK ability to intervene internationally

Look at what could be done with the £37 billion Britain spends annually on its military and foreign wars

A great virtue of the film is how it shows the impact 15 February 2003 had on movements that followed and even now is shaping politics

The anti-war movement's prediction that western interventions would set the Middle East on fire, have proved tragically true, but that will not stop politicians fanning the flames