maelorin: (Default)

Be afeared, be very afeared

posted by [personal profile] maelorin at 10:26pm on 01/07/2006 under , , , , ,

This is why I'm a human rights lawyer in a "wealthy liberal 'representative' democracy" ...

So many lawyers, so little responsibility
Adele Horin, July 1, 2006, smh.com.au

Go read this article.

Even lawyers don't like this kind of lawyer - the politician.

And about half of us [Australians] voted for them to run the place ...

Music:: Renee Geyer - Into Temptation
Mood:: 'grumpy' grumpy
There are no comments on this entry. (Reply.)
maelorin: (Default)

Be afeared, be very afeared

posted by [personal profile] maelorin at 10:26pm on 01/07/2006 under , , , , ,

This is why I'm a human rights lawyer in a "wealthy liberal 'representative' democracy" ...

So many lawyers, so little responsibility
Adele Horin, July 1, 2006, smh.com.au

Go read this article.

Even lawyers don't like this kind of lawyer - the politician.

And about half of us [Australians] voted for them to run the place ...

Music:: Renee Geyer - Into Temptation
Mood:: 'grumpy' grumpy
There are 4 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
maelorin: (eye)

re chatham house report

posted by [personal profile] maelorin at 03:36pm on 21/07/2005 under , , , , , ,
it's amusing, and alarming, to hear politicians getting themselves all confused.

take, for example, mr jack straw, foreign secretary of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. mr straw got hot under the collar about a report written by an independant foreign affairs think tank, Chatham House (formerly known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs). The think tank, amongst other things, concluded that:
A key problem for the UK in preventing terrorism in Britain's the government’s position as ‘pillion passenger’ to the United States' war on terror. Formulating counter-terrorism policy in this way has left the 'ally in the driving seat' to do the steering. This is one of the key findings of Security, Terrorism and the UK, a new, long-planned briefing paper to be published on Monday 18 July by Chatham House and the Economic & Social Research Council.1
in response, mr straw thought that the following was appropriate:
"The time for excuses for terrorism is over," he said. "The terrorists have struck across the world, in countries allied with the United States, backing the war in Iraq and in countries which had nothing whatever to do with the war in Iraq."2
seems to me that mr straw has trouble distinguishing between a conclusion about risk factors, and political statements about policy.

The Chatham House report, written by Frank Gregory, of the University of Southampton, and Professor Paul Wilkinson, of the University of St Andrews, said: "There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism."

They added: "The UK is at particular risk because it is the closest ally of the United States."3

perhaps the only people who can't figure out that direct invovlement in trampling around on the territory that al-qaeda was created to protect might have some connection to a risk of attracting al-qaeda's attention are the politicians making the decisions to be trampling around in the middle east (and associated 'islamic states/territories) ...

it's unfortunate that western leaders can't wriggle out of their own propaganda straight-jackets to accept that accepting the fact that their choices have associated risks, is not the same as:
  1. saying the choices were wrong; or
  2. justifying the associated risks; or
  3. making excuses for anyone; or
  4. wanking in public.

but then, i may have just hit the nub of the problem.

if the politician's had been less evasive about why they wanted western military intervention in afghanistan and/or iraq in the first place, they'd be having less difficulty 'selling' the consequences now.

  1. Chatham House, Press release: "New report on terrorism and the UK", Monday 18 July 2005.
    <    http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/index.php?id=189&pid=247>
  2. James Sturcke and agencies, "Straw rejects war link to bombings", The Guardian Unlimited, Monday, July 18, 2005.
    <    http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1531005,00.html>
  3. Chatham House, Press release: "New report on terrorism and the UK", Monday 18 July 2005.
    <    http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/index.php?id=189&pid=247>
Mood:: 'complacent' complacent
Music:: Blind Guardian - Mordred's Song
There are no comments on this entry. (Reply.)
maelorin: (eye)

re chatham house report

posted by [personal profile] maelorin at 03:36pm on 21/07/2005 under , , , , , ,
it's amusing, and alarming, to hear politicians getting themselves all confused.

take, for example, mr jack straw, foreign secretary of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. mr straw got hot under the collar about a report written by an independant foreign affairs think tank, Chatham House (formerly known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs). The think tank, amongst other things, concluded that:
A key problem for the UK in preventing terrorism in Britain's the government’s position as ‘pillion passenger’ to the United States' war on terror. Formulating counter-terrorism policy in this way has left the 'ally in the driving seat' to do the steering. This is one of the key findings of Security, Terrorism and the UK, a new, long-planned briefing paper to be published on Monday 18 July by Chatham House and the Economic & Social Research Council.1
in response, mr straw thought that the following was appropriate:
"The time for excuses for terrorism is over," he said. "The terrorists have struck across the world, in countries allied with the United States, backing the war in Iraq and in countries which had nothing whatever to do with the war in Iraq."2
seems to me that mr straw has trouble distinguishing between a conclusion about risk factors, and political statements about policy.

The Chatham House report, written by Frank Gregory, of the University of Southampton, and Professor Paul Wilkinson, of the University of St Andrews, said: "There is no doubt that the situation over Iraq has imposed particular difficulties for the UK, and for the wider coalition against terrorism."

They added: "The UK is at particular risk because it is the closest ally of the United States."3

perhaps the only people who can't figure out that direct invovlement in trampling around on the territory that al-qaeda was created to protect might have some connection to a risk of attracting al-qaeda's attention are the politicians making the decisions to be trampling around in the middle east (and associated 'islamic states/territories) ...

it's unfortunate that western leaders can't wriggle out of their own propaganda straight-jackets to accept that accepting the fact that their choices have associated risks, is not the same as:
  1. saying the choices were wrong; or
  2. justifying the associated risks; or
  3. making excuses for anyone; or
  4. wanking in public.

but then, i may have just hit the nub of the problem.

if the politician's had been less evasive about why they wanted western military intervention in afghanistan and/or iraq in the first place, they'd be having less difficulty 'selling' the consequences now.

  1. Chatham House, Press release: "New report on terrorism and the UK", Monday 18 July 2005.
    <    http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/index.php?id=189&pid=247>
  2. James Sturcke and agencies, "Straw rejects war link to bombings", The Guardian Unlimited, Monday, July 18, 2005.
    <    http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1531005,00.html>
  3. Chatham House, Press release: "New report on terrorism and the UK", Monday 18 July 2005.
    <    http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/index.php?id=189&pid=247>
Music:: Blind Guardian - Mordred's Song
Mood:: 'complacent' complacent
There are no comments on this entry. (Reply.)

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