Xray Dubs - politics tag

'War' On Terror

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:02:17 GMT

What is called Terrorism has a long history in the 20th Century. From Serbian Anarchists assassinating Franz Ferdinand, Bolsheviks executing their democratic socialist rivals, fascist brown shirts running the streets and beating their enemies, the Klu Klux Klan, Weathermen, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - the Hindu extremists who assassinated Ghandi, the Tamil Tigers (the world's foremost exponents of the suicide bombing), the Red Army Fraction, Red Brigades, PLO, IRA, UDF, ETA, SWAPO, Umkhonto we Sizwe (the military wing of the ANC), violent Christian fundamentalist anti-abortionists blowing up nurses and doctors, right-wing gun-crazy militia members blowing up Government workers and children - the list of murderous opposition to peaceful democratic values from non-State actors just goes on and on throughout recent history, and there are even cases were Western governments have forgiven or at least forgotten such crimes (the ANC for example). However the point is that Islamic extremists have no monopoly on such violence, or are the only holders of anti-Western, anti-democratic values.

Therefore it is in my view a completely false characterisation to say there is a "war on Islamic extremism", "war on terror", etc. Democratic society ought to be vigilant against all extremism, that is sure. And we ought to especially oppose those who seek to do actual harm to our citizens. However it is scare-mongering at the very least to say it is a war of survival of the order of the Second World War, or even a war of the type fought against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It is not a war. There are no armies opposing each other in the field, outside of Afghanistan and arguably, Iraq. Terrorist cells must be found and neutralised, their leaders captured, their sources of funding destroyed, their ideology educated against and shown to be the hateful medieval superstition that it is. however to lose sight of the actual facts of the struggle by employing pointless, emotional terminology such as "War with Islam" or "Clash of Civilisations" can only serve to muddy the already murky waters and prevent us from holding the actual struggle - and the clear path to winning it - up to the cold, hard, clear light of reason.

Policy, technology, education and economy

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:21:21 GMT

Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, in a blog entry he wrote about meeting Tony Blair:

So if you want to attract companies like Sun to your economy, focus on investing in education, in your students, and in your leaders. Focus on educating your policy makers as to why you're committed to education - not to build presitigious institutions, but to invest in progress, academic as well as economic. Focus on the value of broad based talent as a competitive weapon, don't be distracted by cost reducing labor.

I.e. policies like Workchoices, focussed entirely on driving wages and skillsets down, just don't help the economy. Value-add, don't value-subtract.

Remember this is the same Government that has massively disinvested the education sector in Australia.

History and memory

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 02:00:26 GMT

History's domain was the memorable, the totality of events whose consequences would be lastingly apparent. And thus, inseparably, history was knowledge that should endure and aid in understanding, at least in part, what was to come: 'an everlasting possession', according to Thucydides. In this way history was the measure of genuine novelty. It is the interests of those who sell novelty at any price to eradicate the means of measuring it.

Guy Debord, Comments on the Society Of The Spectacle. Translated by Malcolm Imrie. Verso, London. 1990. pg 15.

Government In Competence In Dub (mp3)

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 12:58:30 GMT

Inspired by an article yesterday in Crikey.com.au, this track is called "Government In Competence". The Lyrics were written by Alexander Downer, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, from his testimony to the Cole Commission into the AWB Ltd involvement in the Iraq Oil-For-Food scandal.

Download MP3

The lyrics are as follows;

by Alexander Downer (11 April 2006, to the Cole Inquiry*)

It could have been It may have been I don't specifically recall I can't precisely remember I don't recall I don't recall I couldn't rule out It is possible I don't know I'm not sure I have only a very distant recollection I don't recall I don't think I did I'm pretty sure I didn't make a note I don't recall I could have done I don't recall it I don't recall I simply do not recall

I would have made a note of it and been quite focused I might have turned out to be wrong I don't recall I don't recall I don't recall I don't recall I wouldn't use that language I don't remember precisely It didn't mean anything to me It doesn't mean anything to me I wouldn't recognise him Nothing at all I don't read the summaries unless I'm stuck on a plane I have no idea I have no idea I can't recall I gave no such direction I don't recall I didn't make any notes I just don't recall I can't answer that question I can't recall my state of mind

I don't recall I simply do not recall I do not recall I can't quite find the place I don't recall I simply do not recall I don't recall I don't recall I don't recall I'd have to reflect on that

I don't recall I don't recall I'm not sure I don't know I don't recall It is sketchy very sketchy I can't tell you I wasn't aware There is so much intelligence It's a very major challenge to deal with intelligence I have no recollection of it I just can't recall it at all I have no recollection I have no recollection Information flows appear to be very imperfect I was not aware

I don't know I don't know I can't recall I'm not aware I can't recall I don't know I don't recall I assumed I don't recall We had no knowledge I can't specifically recall I can't recall

I just can't specifically recall It's very difficult to recall I'm not sure that I'm not sure I wasn't sure I can't specifically recall I don't recall I don't know I can't say I just don't know

I don't have any specific recollection I'm not aware I wasn't aware I had no knowledge I wasn't aware I wasn't aware I wasn't aware I just can't recall.

* Quotes compiled by Hal Judge and listed in the order in which they were uttered.

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PM racks up $524,000 travel bill

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 12:15:23 GMT

Prime Minister John Howard's globetrotting schedule for the first half of this year has cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars.

[ . . . ]

Figures from the Finance Department on politicians' travel for the first six months of the year, show Mr Howard spent $524,000 on 31 days' overseas travel since January 1.

PM racks up $524,000 travel bill (SMH, registration required)