I/S is most unfair

Lefthandpalm Idiot/Savantwatch feels that the good I/S wrong in his/her comments on the recent ASEAN free trade agreement. He/she suggests that the government is guilty of inconsistency in pursuing a FTA with a group of nations that ingludes the violent thug tryanny of Burma:

The government signed an FTA with ASEAN, which includes Burma. So, we rightly isolate Fiji for being a dictatorship, while we sign up to trade with an even worse dictatorship, murderous regime which massacres its own people (to the extent that they use chemical weapons against rebels). So much for consistent (let alone moral) foreign policy. (1)

This can not be allowed to go unanswered.

The government has been very consistent here. Having already concluded free trade agreements with the violent thug government of Beijing, there is nothing at all inconsistent about reaching out a slimy tendril of hypocrisy to Burma's junta. Despicable, contemptable, hypocritical and wrong, perhaps, but not inconsistent.

The Honourable Phil Goff, in his role as Trade Minister Quartermaster for the Most Evil Regimes on the Planet, has made it quite clear why Fiji has been excluded:

"The ASEAN economies represent a market of more than 575 million people and are an increasingly important destination for New Zealand goods, service suppliers and outward investment.

"When you consider that the ASEAN market for New Zealand merchandise has grown at 24 per cent per year over the past three years you appreciate the scale of opportunity this FTA represents for us.

"Last year ASEAN was New Zealand’s third largest merchandise export market worth NZ$4.6 billion." (2)

Bottom line (literally): Fiji isn't valuable enough for our government to ignore the fact it is ruled by a military dictator. We can afford to take offense at its crimes.

Soon, perhaps, Mugabe will be offered the tendril of an FTA.

[Hat tip: No Right Turn (3)]

1 - "Escaping the Winston Bubble," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn, 30th of August, 2008. (http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008/08/escaping-winston-bubble.html)
2 - "Conclusion of ASEAN FTA negotiations," press release by the New Zealand Government, 29th of August, 2008. Reprodced on Scoop.co.nz. (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0808/S00500.htm)
3 - "Escaping the Winston Bubble," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn,
30th of August, 2008. (http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008/08/escaping-winston-bubble.html)

I thought we were beyond this sort of stuff

The Winston Peters fiasco seems to be bringing out the hysterical inner child in some bloggers who generally like us to think that They Know Better.

Idiot/Savant has been calling (1) for Peters to sacked be since Wednesday, prior to the SFO decision to investigate him. Peters' resignation was highly desireable, for many reasons, but at that stage it was premature to say that Peters is "lying, corrupt" (2) simply on the strength of one person's (disputed) word, and should be sacked on that is a slip in judgement by a blogger who is usually measured in his/her opinions.

Much more predictable was the reaction of DFP on Kiwiblog. Attempts at impartiality were soon forgotten in a blitz of posts potraying Clark's failure to dismiss Peters in February as proof of her corrupt power crazed megalomania. This in spite of John Armstrong pointing out, on National Radio, that it is usual practice to accept a member's word.

He even made frequent reference to 'the Empire'and 'Helengrad' (3), which is silly stuff I thought serious bloggers had grown out of. 'Helengrad' is not only childish, but casts the right in a rather unflattering light. After all, if Clark's government are the Soviets defending Stalingrad, who does that make National and the right?

1 - "Peters Must be Sacked," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn, 27th of August, 2008.(http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008/08/peters-must-be-sacked.html)
2 - ibid.
3 - "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Helengrad's End," posted by David Farrar on kiwiblog, 29th of August, 2008. One silly post in a day might be excused as excitement, but twice is decidedly childish. (http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/08/the_empire_strikes_back-2.html
and http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/08/helengrads_end.html)

Trotter vs. Idiot/Savant

Ah, I knew that athe arrival of Chris Trotter on the blogosphere would cause distress. Barely a week in, and Chris 'Naomi Campbell' Trotter has decided to take Idiot "Claudia Schiffer" Savant to task for being too pretty naive in condemning militarism (1) and anti-democratic tendencies in Fiji. I/S, apparently, is "operating in a totally mechanistic ethical universe" (2) and that just isn't good enough. This is the real world we're talking about, not the blogosphere.

Trotter, an old hand at dealing with the real world - he's been on TV and the radio, after all - explains that Bainimarama was actually being democratic in overthrowing a democratically elected government and refusing to hold elections. You can tell Trotter is serious because he uses fancy words like 'insouciant' and Latin tags like ipso facto (3). One can almost sense his moustache bristling like a porqpine's quills.

Idiot/Savant, on the other hand, complains that Trotter is arrogant and anti-democratic (4). You can tell I/S is serious because he uses fancy words like 'predicated' and Latin tags like mutatis mutandis (5).

At this point, both these screaming queens should be sent to their trailers and forced to read Orwell's Politics and the English Language (6). Twice. And then the opening pages of the Fowlers' The King's English (7).

The main bone of contention is the Fiji coup (Trotter scores bonus points for referring to it as a coup d’etat, and doubles his bonus for following this foreign term with a quick ergo). Trotter argues Bainimarama was justified in overthrowing the government because Fijian democracy was stagnant and corrupt (8). I/S counters by pointing out that just because men with guns don't like a democratically elected government, they don't have the right to boot it out (9). Hair pulling, name calling and handbag action worthy of Tana Umuga ensued.

All of which silly supermodel antics doesn't alter the fact that there is an important point under all this squealing - when is it right to take up arms against a government? It might be useful to look back on the stance taken by both last year following the Urewera raids. Trotter was strongly supportive of the government, I/S generally supportive of those arrested.

Trotter has some explaining to do here. In his (inevitably orotund) Open Letter to John Minto, he stated:

But I have not heard one word from you about the right of a democratic society, such as ours, to be protected from people who think it's OK to run around the bush with semi-automatics and Molotov cocktails.

People who think it's OK to train young Maori men to be bodyguards for the Americans in Baghdad.

People who think it's OK to reach a level of preparation for organised political violence so alarming that New Zealand's most liberal police commissioner, ever, felt he had no choice but to launch "Operation Eight".

Because its NOT OK, John.

Political violence in a functioning democracy is NEVER OK. (10)

Now, I imagine he would point out the adjective, 'functioning,' and remind me (with several Latin tags and perhaps even refering to my comment as 'infelicitous') that Fijian 'democracy' was encumbered with "a corrupt government, plus a constitution that makes it virtually impossible to deal effectively with government corruption". Well, maybe. But by what standard is that judged? You don' get to make that call, Chris. The Tuhoe activists and environmental anarchists arrested last year probably felt the same about the New Zealand government - almost every post on IMC Aotearoa (11) contained the words 'oligarchy,' 'fascist reactionaries' or 'money power.' The Urewera rabble sought to use the same means as Bainimarama, though for different ideological ends. But if it is wrong in one case, why not in another.

I/S, on the otherhand, consistently supported the Urewera 17, albeit with a few early reservations (12). He/she referred to them, consistently, as "Maori, greens, and peace activists" (13) and similar, and railed against the possibility that the police might have had reason to take some sort of action. In this there, seems to be a trace of a double standard, similar to the one as he/she accuses Trotter of. When it is a bunch of leftie clowns running about entertaining Che Guevara fantasies, the the state should let them get on with it. When the Fijian military decides to play Pinochet, on the otherhand, he is to be condemned. As I said a few moments ago, it is the means that are the real problem, and the sought means in both cases were similar.

Which brings us to the nub of the problem. Contrarian Chris, I suspect, is still mad at I/S over the Labour's Trotter' comments (14) made on No Right Turn during the raids fiasco. This current outbreak of queenish behaviour is (here I go!) Trotter's quid pro quo.

1 - "The Multiple Personalities of Idiot Savant," posted by Chris Trotter on The Chris Trotter Blog, 25th of August, 2008. (http://www.policy.net.nz/blog/?p=61)
2 - ibid.
3 - ibid.
4 - "Trotter vs. Democracy," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn, 25th of August, 2008. (http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008/08/trotter-versus-democracy.html)
5 - ibid.
6 - 'Politics and the English Language,' by George Orwell, published in 1946. Available online (http://orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit).
7 - While The King's English by H.W. and F.G. Fowler, first published in 1906, doesn't appear to be online, Trotter or I/S can swing by their local Whitcoulls, which usually has it in a bargain priced multi-pack with other good stuff, such as Cobbett's Grammar of the English Language.
8 - Trotter, op. cit.
9 - Idiot/Savant, op. cit.
10 - 'An open letter to John Minto,' by Chris Trotter, in the Sunday Star Times, 11th of November, 2007. Reproduced on stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4269648a1861.html)
11 - A fairly typical thread from IMC Aotearoa is available here: http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/71721/index.php. Note how quickly references to the Gestapo, dictatorship and the 'unjust global order' creep into the rhetoric. Note also the measured and thoughtful comments by a poster designated lurgee.
12 - "Raids II," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn, 15th of October, 2007. The reservation expressed related to the possible involvement of criminals in the alleged organisation: "Some of those involved were reportedly planning serious crimes, and others had illegal firearms. This is bad stuff, and the sort of thing people should be prosecuted for."
(http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2007/10/raids-ii.html)
13 - "Labour's Trotter," posted by Idiot/Savant on No Right Turn, 2nd of November, 2007. (http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2007/11/labours-trotter.html)
14 - ibid.

Another poll

A 3 News (1) confirms what was suggested by last week's Morgan poll - National are steady, but just under the 50% mark. Labour are pulling back support, climbing into the mid-30s. Minor parties are all over the place. In this poll, NZ First are out, Greens are in. The Morgan poll had it the other way around.

One truly bemusing prospect is that ACT's 'surge' to 2% might bump Roger Douglas back into parliament. Since I don't think he actually wants to be there - too much like hard work - I suspect he's watching the polls with even more trepidation than Helen Clark and John Key.

1 - "Labour clawing back National's lead in latest poll," unattributed 3
News article, 24th of August, 2008. (http://www.3news.co.nz/News/LabourclawingbackNationalsleadinlatestpoll/tabid/209/articleID/68344/cat/87/Default.aspx)
2 - As described previously on lefthandpalm: http://lefthandpalm.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-is-wrong-with-journalists-in-this.html

Why we will never win the War on Terror

Yet another horror story from Afghanistan, where coalition airstrikes killed 76 people - most of them children - in the province of Herat:

US-led coalition forces killed 76 Afghan civilians in western Afghanistan yesterday, most of them children, the country's Interior Ministry said.

The coalition denied killing civilians. Civilian deaths in military operations have become an emotive issue among Afghans, many of whom feel international forces take too little care when launching air strikes, undermining support for their presence.

"Seventy-six civilians, most of them women and children, were martyred today in a coalition forces operation in Herat province," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Coalition forces bombarded the Azizabad area of Shindand district in Herat province on Friday afternoon, the ministry said. Nineteen of the victims were women, seven of them men and the rest children under the age of 15, it said. (1)

Years after Robert Fisk described his first hand experience (2) of the hatred and violence that the coalitions shoot-first-deny-everything-afterwards attitude had created we still have not learned anything. Remarkably, the tolerant - or perhaps innured - population of Afghanistan still have not turned on us. Pwerhaps their fear of a return to all out civil war compels them to practice restraint in the face of the coalitions bloody antics.

Every dead civilian in Afghanistan will come back to haunt us, one way or another. They will become the faces that rally young muslims to the terrorist cause - not becuase the young men or women support the terrorists ends, but because they will be convinced that the West either does not care if it obliterates innocent Muslim lives - the best interpretation - or is actively seeking to do so.

This naive view was espoused by Muhammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer, who blew themselves - and 52 innocent people - to pieces in the London bombings on the 7th of July, 2005. Tanweer cited the sufferring of "our mothers, children, brothers and sisters in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya" and Khan made a direct link between the the actions of Western governemnets and the culpability of the British people (3). Every story like this one - whether or not is is finally verified - or an Abu Grahib, or any act of stinking hypocrisy carried out by the governments we vote in and suffer to act in our name - adds to the culpability of the West as a whole and the price that may one day be exacted.

This is not to say we shouldn't stand up to terrorism. But we should be alert to when it is being committed in our name by our leaders, because - ultimately - it isn't our leaders who suffer the consequences. George Bush wasn't incinerated in the World Trade Centre on September the 11th. TOny Blair was not killed in the London underground. We have to stop taking what our imbecillic leaders say on trust, just as the deluded fools like Khan and Tanweer have to stop listening to the poison being spewed by their leaders. And we have to find ways to combat terrorism that will not spread more hatred and rage against us, or there will be more Khans and Tanweers.

1 - "Afghanistan: 76 civilians die in airstrike, ministry claims," by Sharafuddin Sharafyar, published in The Guardian, 23rd of August, 2008. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/22/afghanistan.usa)
2 - "My beating by refugees is a symbol of the hatred and fury of this filthy war," by Robert Fisk, published in The Independent, 10th of December, 2001. Reproduced on findarticles.com. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20011210/ai_n14426800)
3 - "Video of London suicide bomber released," by Adam Fresco, Daniel McGrory and Andrew Norfolk, published in The Times, 6th of July, 2006. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article683824.ece)

Barmy

From the preamble to ACT's 20 Point Plan to make us all rich beyond our wildest dreams:

And that's to make sure the ACT Party gets enough votes to hold the balance of power and demand that Sir Roger Douglas gets back his old job of Minister of Finance. (1)

To have Roger Douglas as a prospective MP is bad enough. To brag about it is worse - really, it is the sort of perversion best indulged in private as most of us find it rather off putting.

But to actually believe that it might be something that will encourage people to vote for you is so absolutely bonkers that I honestly can't think of anything more to say about it.

Incidentally, in the actual 20 point plan, Russia is cited as an economic model New Zealand should imiate. I kid you not. As is a country previously unknown to me called 'UK Conservative Policy' (2).

[Hat tip: 08 Wire (3)]

1 - Preamble to "ACT’s plan to get you an extra $500 a week, beat Australia, and bring our children home," published by persons unknown, though Roger and Rodney at least are old enough to know better. (http://www.act.org.nz/20pointplan).
2 - "ACT’s plan to get you an extra $500 a week, beat Australia, and bring our children home," published by persons unknown who should perhaps not be allowed out without supervision.(http://www.act.org.nz/files/pledge/20pointplan.pdf)
3 - "ACT unilaterally decriminalises marijuana," posted on 08 WIre, 21st of August, 2008. (http://08wire.org/2008/08/21/act-unilaterally-decriminalises-marijuana/)

This is why we are hated and this is why we deserve to be hated

From The Guardian:

MI5 participated in the unlawful interrogation of a British resident now held in Guantánamo Bay, the high court found yesterday in a judgment raising serious questions about the conduct of Britain's security and intelligence agencies.
...
One MI5 officer was so concerned about incriminating himself that he initially declined to answer questions from the judges even in private, the judgment reveals. Though the judges say "no adverse conclusions" should be drawn by the MI5 officer's plea against self-incrimination, they disclose that the officer, Witness B, was questioned about alleged war crimes under the international criminal court act, including torture. (1)

Binyam Mohamed was kidnapped and tortured - his genitals allegedly mutilated with a razor blade - and then he was transferred to Guantanamo in 2004, where he still is (2).

Having being tortured into confessing, he is now to stand trial based on that confession, a document no genuine court would accept. He faces the death penalty if convicted by the show trial military commision and can not defend himself because the evicence that would show his confessions were extracted under torture is held by the British government and is not available to him. (3)

This has all been done in the name of defending our civilisation against barbarism.

Britain has been complicit in the wickedness of the so-called War on Terror which has only suceeded in creating more hatred and contempt for the West. Unlike the people in Afghanistan under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein's Iraq, we get to choose our leaders, and don't have to worry about being shot for not approving of their actions. So we can be held culpable for the deeds carried out by our leaders and their minions.

At best, we can only plead ingorance, confusion or apathy in our defence. At worst, we are licensing these acts. So how can we complain when wicked things are done to us in return?

1 - "MI5 criticised for role in case of torture, rendition and secrecy," by Richard Norton-Taylor, in The Guardian, 22nd of August, 2008. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/22/uksecurity.guantanamo)
2 - ibid.
3 - ibid.