The Null Device

opposing torture is soooo September 10

Proof that Australia's foreign policy isn't just about sucking up to Uncle George: Australia votes against UN anti-torture protocol, joining an elite club of such esteemed defenders of human rights as China, Cuba, Libya and Nigeria. (The US, incidentally, abstained.) I've no idea why Australia rejected the protocol; perhaps supporting such bleeding-heart initiatives would make Australia look temptingly humane to refugees, undoing all the work of setting up draconian detention camps? Or perhaps because such naïve concerns have no place in the grim, warlike post-9/11 world?

There are 10 comments on "opposing torture is soooo September 10":

Posted by: Ken http:// Thu Jul 25 16:22:57 2002

Apparently they are concerned that supporting the proposal might be viewed as an invitation to other countries to visit our concentration-detention camps.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Thu Jul 25 16:35:37 2002

Sounds likely. Wonder how long until progressive Australians emigrate to New Zealand or somewhere and start calling for economic sanctions against Australia/boycotts against companies which do business in Australia. A few more terms of Howard ought to do it.

Posted by: GJW formerly Jimbob http://the-fix.org Fri Jul 26 00:45:00 2002

I'm heading across the Tasman as soon as I can afford the airfare.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Fri Jul 26 04:12:06 2002

Hmmm... wonder what the IT/academic job market is like over there.

Posted by: Graham http://grudnuk.com/ Fri Jul 26 08:55:06 2002

You know, that's the problem with the left. Faced with the escalation of punitive measures, they'd rather exile themselves than actually try to fight the problem.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Fri Jul 26 14:22:47 2002

Whom are you calling "the left"?

Posted by: GJW http://the-fix.org Sat Jul 27 07:13:51 2002

The left in this country have a cry if they get hit by a bit of pepper spray. In the absence of any REAL revolutionaries I can join, New Zealand here I come.

Posted by: alex http://www.dolphinsex.org Sat Jul 27 08:13:41 2002

at least the kiwis had the cojones to kick the yanks out. in spite of their lack of a defence force (What's Up With That?!?), they've maintained a 'no bases' policy (...right?) in comparison to our wholesale whoring of the outback. but they're echelon participants aren't they ... I'm just waiting for someone to fly a light aeroplane into the Darriman Omega facility. If they don't hurry up I'll do it :) It's the one favoured by the tinfoil hat brigade ... they reckon it's part of HAARP or something.

http://www.gpgwebdesign.com.au/australins.sale.htm

mumble mumlble ... parliament house has a bunker complex beneath it designed to house the one-world gubberment in the event of global warming or nuclear war ... mumble ... freemasons ... mumble ... pyramid is part of flagpole on parliament house ... mumble ... xanax ... goats ... snorrre

Posted by: Graham http://grudnuk.com/ Sat Jul 27 08:57:10 2002

This actually sounds like where the Nanowrimo novel I was writing (Highway Gothic) was heading to, though I hit the 50000 mark before I got to that point. Must do some "research", fix up and flesh out the plot, and start the second draft.

Plus, the only problem with revolution (viva!) is that a new pack of shitheads take over when nobody's looking.

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org Sat Jul 27 14:33:10 2002

The problem with revolutions is that shitheads are involved from the outset. Even if they don't think of themselves as such.

As soon as you have a bunch of Utopian social engineers seizing power from the barrel of a gun and imposing their ideology on the rest of humanity, things start going to hell.

I.e., Leninist Russia wasn't the New Renaissance that many in the left (even including those with a Labor soft-socialist upbringing) believe; dissidents and "counter-revolutionaries" were persecuted and shot there before Stalin took the mantle.