In war, the ordinary people always pay the piper
Lebanon’s 1975 war saw refugees enter Cyprus; chaos in Syria saw more people seeking asylum. Another influx followed the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. Cyprus had no involvement in these battles, but they affected the island.
In the New York Times, Maureen O’Dowd wrote that Donald Trump said he can not only destroy the trade of any country, but also “can destroy the country”. Widespread destruction has come to the region because the US and Israel decided their nations needed defending from Iran.
When people feel deep sympathy in these wars, it’s not for Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, or ruling clerics in Iran, but the unfortunate, ordinary people who did not want, or call the war piper but pay the terrible price of someone else’s tune. The bagpipes, beloved by Irish and Scots, were once banned by the English because they stirred insurrection emotions in their Celtic subjects, pipers led the way into battle. Now battle music is media propaganda.
I heard an American commentator say that the incurred price rises (we non-involved people are likely going to pay) are ‘a small price to pay/worth paying.’ Who asked us? Highly paid, well-protected people issuing such sound bites are far from the action. What is the worth of the lives of innocents disrupted, displaced or ended in catastrophic strikes, children breathing in war pollution if not killed or maimed. Is the havoc of delayed or suspended international flights, and struggling economies worsened immaterial, as long as US and Israeli citizens are safe.
Cyprus has aligned itself to the USA, identifies as European. It befriended Israel, but friendship with both countries may come at a price to Cypriots if only by association. Anti-Israeli/American revenge lone wolf or wolf pack crimes by their enemies, happened far from the Middle East region, we are on the doorstep.
Cyprus, like Ireland, does not want war with any nation, yet they have been pulled into disputes due to present alliances or past history. Both islands made agreements with a mutual, former enemy. Cyprus has British Bases. When the Irish won their freedom civil war ensued. Charismatic Michael Collins, who signed the treaty allowing England six counties in the north, was assassinated. The bases in Cyprus are strategically far more important to the UK now than the north of Ireland. Both islands are apparently peaceful, but a tremor of unease over future reunification lingers under the surface of outward calm.
The poor, when the aftermath of disruption of commercial shipping kicks in, will suffer price rises in everyday life that will not affect lifestyles of wealthy governing elites now at war. Last year, one of our biggest concerns was drought, we had a bumper tourist season. This year our tourism may be affected, not for the first time, by alarm over proximity to neighbouring conflicts.
A drone attack created mostly groundless panic in areas far from Akrotiri. Mad shopping, overstocking anxiety took over, even radios, a salesman told me, people wanted for government alarm announcements, sold out in two large stores.
If we act as though we expect an attack, why would tourists not perceive that as a reason to stay away. Keir Starmer’s decision not to jump in with Iran as Tony Blair did unjustifiably with Iraq, was a considered one. The UK’s slow motion naval response was lambasted at home, while France quickly heaved to, to protect an EU member.
The bases are not for turning over easily. Like it or not, Cyprus today is as strategically essential as it ever was. Maybe the war will end soon, maybe it will get worse. A small price? One worth paying? Who has the right to say that on behalf of those who should not be paying at all?