Misguided Question Time?
I received an email from the Misguided Geriatric suggesting, that much like Parliament's based upon the Westminster system, the Misguided Trio start a Question time of their own...
Ok so he didn't really put it that way...
More this way...
Mark,
I have a submission, perhaps the Misguided Trio blog could have a question and answer section where readers could ask questions of you.
For example, I have the following questions.
Given that Senator George Brandis believes that the Prime Minister John Howard is a 'lying little rodent', did Brandis actually believe Howard when Howard announced that Brandis would become a Minister?
For that matter does he believe it yet, or is he just not going to turn up at the Ministers office on Monday morning to avoid being caught by a Howard 'gotchya'?
Yes Minister!
MGNot that bad of an idea, and whilst I am thinking that MG's question may have been originally posed as one of rhetoric substance, I may as well throw an answer, well more of a response, out there...
Senator George Brandis, supposed Liberal from Queensland, somewhat famously called PMJH "a lying rodent", following the whole children overboard affair.
From the archives of the Sydney Morning Herald...
According to a statutory declaration signed three days ago by a former senior official in the Queensland division of the party, Russell Galt, Brandis "unambiguously referred" to the PM as "a lying rodent", in relation to the children overboard affair at a meeting in May last year.That's pretty serious, given that the PM's integrity has been challenged over the matter, and that barrister Brandis has led the defence of Howard in the Senate inquiry into the issue.
Galt swore that "while referring to . . . Hearings of this committee, Senator Brandis made the following two remarks: "He is a lying rodent" and "we've got to go off and cover his arse again on this".Brandis denies ever calling the Prime Minister "a lying rodent" yet has been known to call him "a rodent". Whilst I am talking about Brandis it may be worthwhile pointing out that when he called Howard a "lying rodent" he wasn't even an elected official. Brandis was appointed to his Senate seat in 2000 following the retirement of Hon. Warwick Parer...
Brandis loves the spotlight, which may be why he was chosen to chastise Sen. Brown and Nettle for disturbing G.W. Bush's address to a join sitting... PMJH was a little bit upset with his response though, when Brandis chose to lable the Greens "Nazis"...
"I intend to continue to call to the attention of the Australian people the extremely alarming, frightening similarities between the methods employed by contemporary green politics and the methods and the values of the Nazis."Brandis is a showman, calls the PM a rodent, no doubt appealing to the majority of voters, and manages to actually win his seat in the 2004 election.
Brandis has been appointed Minister for the Arts and Sports, making him responsible for, well, considering the States take care of most of the Arts, and the Sports, Brandis's primary responsibility is to look after the National Portrait Gallery and Old Parliament House.
Is the
rat deceiving his foe with a faux appointment? Personally I feel that the
rat required new faces, and his foe was after more camera time, perhaps the original
'rodent' has manipulated the less intelligent
rodents into embracing his
Rodentology?
And yes Virginia, I did just call Liberal party members, "
Rodents", I also may have alluded to them practicing their own religion called
Rodentology, oh, and for the record I am seriously disturbed at just how much time I have devoted to this post....
Then again it's a Sunday and the Entourage Marathon doesn't start for another hour...
(Note: For our Canadian friends, my reference to Liberal Party members being rodents is purely towards the members of the Australian Liberal Party, feel free to apply the same comments to your Conservative Party)Labels: Brandis, John Howard, Misguided Geriatric, Misguided Trio, Rodentology
That's Deep Man...
So I was essentially mastering the art of procrastination when I stumbled across this video, eventually I managed to find it on YouTube...
It's only just over minute long, and I encourage all to watch it...
Labels: Child Abuse, Video
Is this flag a rallying call for racists?
Wow, you go out for dinner at a friends place, drink a little to much red wine and wake up the next morning with the national flag being touted as a sign of racism!!! I may still be drunk...
Organisers of the Big Day Out, a concert festival featuring the likes of Tool and Jet, have reportedly banned the Australian flag from entering the venue for their Sydney Concert...
According to the Big Day Out's website...
We are not banning the Australian flag but are simply discouraging its use for anti-social purposes at the Big Day Out.
In recent times, there has been an increased incidence of flags brandished aggressively and this has led to increased tension. Our only intention in discouraging this activity at the Big Day Out is to ensure that our patrons are not subjected to this aggressive behavior
This has prompted, not surprisingly outrage from numerous people...
PMJH - "The event organisers should not ram their peculiar political views down the throats of young Australians who are only interested in a good day out," an angry Mr Howard said yesterday. Such an event with such a condition is not welcome anywhere in Australia."
Don Rowe, NSW RSL President - It's a load of garbage, it's the symbol of our nation. Using the Cronulla riots as an excuse to outlaw it is an absolute bloody outrage,"
NSW Premier Morris Iemma - "They should see the error of their ways and reverse this decision straight away or take their event somewhere else," he said. "We have no control over the event ... We are the host."
Australian National Flag Association - "That is bloody disgusting, the only people who say this sort of thing are tree-huggers who are out of touch with the majority."
I can appreciate what the organisers of the Big Day Out are trying to do, following the Cronulla Riots I believe that the flag had been tainted and, somewhat disturbingly, saw it in a different light. I wouldn't call it a sign of racism, but a point of national pride. Much like the tennis riots (well more of a scuffle) last week, between flag bearing nationals of different countries, it has become disturbingly common, the presence of a national symbol during violent encounters.
Regardless, if the Big Day Out is going to start "discouraging" punters from bringing things to their concerts, can we please start with those stupid extras people misguidingly thing are "cool", such as, Fairy Wings, Devils Horns, To-toos (I have no idea how to spell it), body paint or any other sort of paint that will cover other paintless punters in the mosh pit, Boogie Boards...
The list is endless, my point is, more injury is caused by stupid people bringing in stupid things, or looking stupid. Flags don't really have a place at a concert anyway, if someone was waving a flag in front of me at the U2 gig, I probably would have grabbed it off them and thrown it on stage, I didn't pay $100 to have my vision impaired by a flag...
Now, I am fully aware that I could have written on, well, pretty much anything else this morning, like the UN declaring 34,000 dead Iraqis in 2006, or Senator Clinton announcing her candidacy to become the first female President of the United States, or Russia spending 217 million to combat HIV/AIDS or even the Legionnaires outbreak in Sydney... Yet for some reason all anyone is talking about at 0810 on a Monday morning, is some concert organisers "discouraging" the bringing of vision impairing items to a gig...
And people questions my sanity?
Labels: Australian Flag, Big Day Out, Cronulla, John Howard
Amazon has me concerned...
I received an E-mail from Amazon.co.uk the other day, recommending something that I am sure I was not interested in, yet somewhat concerned about...
For those of you with failing vision, Amazon.co.uk has officially recommend "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine".
Somewhat disturbing... to say the least...
I think I am most concerned at the potential definition of more? Who's next after Palestine? I am confused....
Labels: Amazon, Palestine
Do the right thing
So....I figured it was time that I posted, which I seem to do once a year! No really, I've been busy trying to find that job that will help me contribute to making the world a better place. In the meantime here's a pic that I thought was rather
interesting. It shows one Chief Master Sgt John Gebhardt in Iraq holding an infant girl whose parents and siblings were killed by insurgents. She too was shot in the head, but she managed to survive with the aid of the Sgt. She would cry and moan at night and nothing seemed to comfort and calm her except being held by Officer Gebehardt, so he spent four nights in this position with her to help her on her way to recovery. There are many things that could be said here, however I leave you to think about it. Thanks E!
The United Nations at Work?
BBC Online is mentioning
here, that Russia and China have vetoed a Security Council resolution calling on Burma to end it's human rights abuses. The two countries reasoned that the situation in
Burma was not a threat to international security.
The
two countries' ambassadors said the resolution was outside the remit of the Security Council. It is the first time that the countries have jointly vetoed a resolution since 1972. Non-permanent member South Africa also vetoed, but it was unanimously decided by all those concerned that that doesn't really matter...
I was going to make a list of the consistent violations of the UN Human Rights Charter that Burma, or maybe I'll just call it Myanmar, has committed... But to be honest, I can't be bothered... Kind of the like the UN I guess...
Labels: China, Human Rights, Russia, Security Council, United Nations
From the Desk of the Misguided Geriatric
The death penalty is the delivery of revenge that is sought by angry people, it is not the provision of justice.
In reference to the death penalty, the Dalai Lama stated;
“The death penalty is pure violence, a barbaric and useless violence. Dangerous even, because it can only lead to other acts of violence – as all violence does. The supreme punishment ought to be a life sentence, and without brutality.”
Now, I understand that George W. Bush and John Howard are not Buddhists and I wonder if George even knows who the Dalai Lama is! But he knows who Jesus Christ is, because George has ‘God on his side’, just as the insurgents in Iraq claim to have the Big Guy in their corner, just as claimed by both the Allied and the Axis forces in World War 2, as Bob Dylan told us in
‘With God on our side’,
“For you don't count the dead When God's on your side”.However, I am not sure how well George W. knows or understands the teachings of good old ‘J.C.’. The last time I checked the Bible, J.C. was still insisting that in response to violence we turn the other cheek. There is nowhere in the New Testament where I can find a reference to George W.’s Saviour ordering that wrongdoers be put to death, in fact I recall an incident at his arrest where J.C. intervened in a fight between his apostles and the Roman soldiers during which a Roman had his ear chopped off, J.C. healed the Roman before the Roman arrested him.
Look, nobody would expect us to turn the other cheek to Saddam’s crimes but most of us would expect justice to be served in a fair manner to all involved because if the justice system is reduced to being a purveyor of violence then it will simply provide that example to both their enemies and friends as an acceptable form of justice. Governments must not murder people, especially in the name of ‘justice’.
Aw gosh! Maybe it is time that I come to my senses, in the past I have been accused of being a gullible dreamer and someone who is confused and unable to accept reality, I think that I am beginning to realise that when God is on your side, you can do no wrong, ask Bob Dylan if you don’t believe me.
M.G.
Labels: Bob Dylan, George W. Bush, John Howard, Misguided Geriatric
Saddam Execution Continued
BBC News Online is carrying a story that all charges have been dropped against Saddam Hussein... So justice really never will be served I guess...
From
here...
The Iraqi High Tribunal has dropped all charges against Saddam Hussein, who was hanged on 30 December, as the genocide trial of his co-defendants resumed. Saddam Hussein and six others were charged with crimes against humanity over a campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s that left 100,000 dead. Saddam Hussein was hanged after an earlier trial over the killing of 148 Shias in the town of Dujail.It's nice to know that in a country that is suffering some major problems, the vast majority of which has been blamed upon sectarian divide, that the "justice" for killing 148 Shias takes priority over "justice" for killing 100,000 Iraqi Kurds...
What the heck is happening?
I arose this morning wandering what world I had awoken into...
Last night I was only able to have a glass or two of some great Cedar Creek Rose, granted they were awfully big glasses, but I wasn't that drunk, I went to sleep, arose this morning at about 0800, turned on my much trusted Sky News Channel only to discover that the tables had turned in the Iraq war...
Either Iraq has changed the name of its capital to Denver, or Iraq has launched an offensive in Denver, Colorado....
It's a scary world we find ourselves in...
Saddam Execution
Over the last few days I have been contemplating a number of things, including, but not limited to...
How those who had previously stated their utmost disgust in regards to the death penalty, such as PM Howard, and FM Downer, fully endorse the execution of Saddam Hussein. Why they are willing to send official communiques of disgust to country's such as Singapore when they are about to execute a guilty drug courier, yet not in the case of Saddam Hussein...
When I have spoken to people about my concerns, the majority of them are offended that I didn't think justice had been served, that given Saddam's outright evilness, how dare I even suggest that justice wasn't served. I will leave debate over the death penalty out of this post, but if you honestly believe that justice for the countless victims of Saddam's reign was served when he was found guilty and executed for the deaths of those executed in Dujail, and no others...
Then I am forced to question your sanity.
The
International Herald Tribune, on Tuesday (January 2nd 2007), published an Op-Ed piece entitled
'Justice, But No reckoning'. Within it Najmaldin Karim, a neurosurgeon and the president of the Washington Kurdish Institute says the following...
Killing Saddam now, however, for ordering the massacre at Dujail in 1982, means that he will not face justice for his greatest crimes: the so-called Anfal campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s, the genocidal assault on the Marsh Arabs in the 1990s, and the slaughtering of the Shiite Arabs and Kurds who rose up against him, with American encouragement, in 1991... ...Saddam Hussein did not confront the full horror of his crimes. Building on previous initiatives by Arab nationalist governments to persecute the Kurds, he turned ethnic engineering and murder into an industry in the 1970s. Hundreds of thousands were evicted from their homes and murdered. Swaths of Kurdish countryside were emptied of their population, men, women and children taken to shallow graves and shot. Initially, the United States backed those of us who took to the hills to save our lives and freedom, but in 1975 (and here is an irony) Gerald Ford agreed to stop financing us in order to settle a border dispute between Iraq and Iran. As so many times since, human rights were no match for a desire to keep the oil flowing. During the 1980s, entire towns, including Qala Diza in Iraqi Kurdistan and Qasr-i-Shirin in neighboring Iranian Kurdistan, were destroyed. To ensure that survivors would never return to their homes, the mountains were laced with land mines. The widows and children were detained in settlements lacking fresh water and sewage disposal; these were called "mujammat" in Arabic, which translates, with all the dreadful implications, as "concentration areas."......Saddam Hussein's trial shed new light on these tragic years. Documents came to light revealing that his regime coordinated with Turkey in its efforts to isolate Kurdish villages in 1988, in which he used chemical weapons. This should lead to some important soul searching in Turkey. But the failure to put Saddam Hussein on trial for the Anfal offensive itself will cheat us of learning the full details of investigating whether the Turks suppressed evidence of Iraq's use of chemical weapons by preventing foreign doctors from seeing Kurdish refugees; of knowing the extent to which Saudi Arabia and Egypt may have aided Saddam Hussein's weapons production.Kurds aren't the only ones who will be cheated out of full reckoning. In 1991, as we all know, the retreating Iraqi army massacred Shiite Arabs as well as Kurds who had heeded President George H. W. Bush's call to overthrow the Baathist regime. According to the 2004 report of the Iraq Survey Group, the dictator used chemical weapons against Shiite Arab civilians in 1991. Without putting Saddam Hussein on trial for these offenses, or for his campaigns against the Marsh Arabs of the south, will we ever know what really happened?If one is to subscribe to conspiratorial theories then is it viable to speculate upon the "State Secrets" that will continue to remain "State Secrets"?
