Posts by Andrew Paul Wood
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James,
Have you been paying attention to what has been going on in Iraq, or do you get your news on Iraq solely from Fox?
The Al Qaeda war in Iraq is unlikely to have exploded into what it did without the massive destabilisation caused by the US invasion. Saddam was an evil, ruthless bastard, but Al Qaeda was very much a threat to his secular tyranny which I doubt he would have tolerated.
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I am genuinely terrified by the prospect of an American attack on Iran. The deja vu may actually overpower me. Mind you, I feel much the same way about Peter Jackson filming Tintin - why oh why?!
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Ok, with all that extra information I considerably more concerned about what the police are up to - but I put that down more to teething problems with new legislation during an unprecidented situation.
And to a certain extent I feel Helen was entitled (if misguided) to say what she did - if only to try to calm things down, especially when you have the Maori party accusing the Government of making Maori look like terrorists (inserting a mysteriously implied 'all' rather than the more legitimate 'some'.
I need to step back and re-assess my position as more info comes in. We indeed live in interesting times. -
"who at the very least have illicitly used firearms, constructed molotov cocktails and trained themselves in how to use napalm, should not be charged"
It matches with what the media have been reporting from what little the Police have released, and I would assume as PM she would have access to the full picture - and one must also assume that as PM Helen has carte blanche to release certain information as she see's fit. Moreso if it was under Parliamentary Priveledge (which I don't think this was)
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There is a difference between action and grandstanding. I have never yet heard of Greenpeace putting their enormous resources to the task of doing something useful like developing renewable energy sources for the third world. Rather, it remains a sort of ecologically-minded Outward Bound to soothe the guilt of the middle classes of the first world.
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Well Kowhai, how about Moana Jackson above - and it does seen to be a murky tenor coming out of the Maori Party.
And to be fair, I should also have added "I can't be a terrorist, I'm a middle class centre-left Pakeha" and "I can't be a terrorist, I'm crusading for the environment". I apologise for the unintentionally racist slant.Actually, I have been gleefully awaiting the day some nation or other uses antiterrorim legislation against Greenpeace the next time they do something willfully obnoxious to make a point, just to see if it will stick under international law. I recall Greenpeace blocking the entrance to some port or other to prevent a shipment of coal - which must have been lovely for the folks desirous of electricity and the other ships.
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Terrorism - noun, The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.
If the cap fits. Interesting how some people are getting their panties in an uproar about the way the term in being used - terrorism is hadly a lifestyle choice, nore is it exclusively reserved for people of Middle-Eastern descent. There seems to be this hinted-at rhetoric coming out of parts of Maoridom that suggests the word can't be used of anyone of Maori descent because they are indigenous.
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Don't drop any matches then, that straw is pretty dry because it's booze o'clock and it hasn't had a drink yet TGOF!
I'm off to an exhibition opening, Andre Hemer who is a very exciting young painter. -
Ah Mr Wilson, may I direct you to Pitcairn Island
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for similar reasons Animal Lib Antivivisectionists also give me the sh-ts - their propoganda seems to suggest that all scientists are sadistic monsters who enjoy torturing kitties and bunnies, rather than considering the possibility they really might be trying to find cures for terrible diseases through the most effective methods.
And Russell, the great thing about the net is it eliminates the PA at the office door who won't let you talk to the boss. Now that's true democracy. Given that NZ politicians have always been relatively accessible to mere mortals, the Net allows the rest of the world to enjoy what we in NZ have had for some time.