Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Monday 1 February 2010

(o) Coupfourpointfive Continues to Mislead

Coupfourpointfive is an Auckland-based anti-government blog published by anonymous journalists.  Other than publishing the occasional rumours that later proved false, it used to be generally well informed and reasonably balanced. Lately, the number and quality of its postings have sharply declined, suggesting a change of editors.

Cafe Pacific, commented on my earlier post under the heading:

Fiji Blog Cops a Blast Over 'Treason' Law Makeover Misrepresentation

This is what it  wrote: Blog Coupfourpointfive has had its credibility challenged over a report claiming any "Negativity against regime treated as treason". The shallow item was attributed in the first paragraph to "sources". Former University of the South Pacific Development Studies academic Crosbie Walsh, whose own Fiji blog is increasingly looked to for informed and accurate analysis, has condemned the website, run by journalists, for misrepresentation. The original "treason" blog posting has now had a hasty title change to "New Criminal decree brings worry". Read on...  Cafe Pacific then reprints my posting.

Title Change But No Retraction and Equally Incorrect Comments Allowed

The blog has since accepted and published nine comments from readers -- except mine that merely asked for a copy of the decrees. I reprint the comments, partly to show how misrepresentation multiplies, but mainly to demonstrate the thinking of those commenting. I have underlined the most revealing thoughts. Readers will note the absence of constructive comment on how to resolve the situation other, of course, than that proposed by Wellington anti-government blogger, Sai Lealea.

Mark Manning said... "Might this be the last straw ? To expect others to suffer a prison sentence for Sedition at the hands of an illegal entity, for criticising the very person who himself was about to be arrested for sedition, is hypocritical to say the least.The difference and stark contrast is, Frank Bainimarama was guilty of Sedition against a " Legal Entity " .

Anonymous said...Here we go again! Frank and Khaiyum are consolidating their positions so that they will be in power for the next 20 years. 
The worse part is that Fijians are lapping all these up and now starting to praise Frank the dictator as the saviour of Fiji!
From the beginning Fijians have always suffered from this weakness. They will yell and swear that democracy and elected govt is the only way to go. But if Frank persists for a short while and do some pysical development at the village level then Fijians will start turning around and praising him as if he is the lord Jesus Christ.Click on Read more...



Anonymous said...Truly, truly disturbing.But it won't stop us from pointing out the truth about the Military Dictatorship.

Sai Lealea said...- Isa Noqu Viti, just where is the illegitimate regime taking you and its people? This latest decree confirms for all to see how punitive, repressive and vindictive the regime has become in its quest to terrorize the people to follow its will.

Where will it all end and how far can the people of Fiji withstand these withering attacks on their freedom and livelihood as citizens? More importantly, what exactly are the motives behind these decrees other than the intention to shut out for good any semblance of opposition to the regime's illegal rule.
How can anyone in their right mind ever support such an action? Yet we have Fijians in the regime who somehow appear totally oblivious to the acts of terrorism being perpetrated through these actions.
Will such decrees ever stand up in any democratic and legally constituted courts? Never. Sadly though, what is now required from within and without Fiji is a Regime Change- similar to that in Iraq by the Coalition Forces. The state of the nation of Fiji and the terrorism now exacted on its citizens by the regime is no different, other than in scale, to that of Saddam Hussein in pre-invasion Iraq.

The solution now for Fiji is nothing short than a full scale effort to throw out the regime there for the sake of the people of Fiji. It is time that sanctions against the regime be tightened further as current initiatives have only emboldened them to flex their muscle and poke their nose at those offering helpful advice and assistance. I am glad Australia and NZ are maintaining their current stance on sanctions and other freedom loving nations must follow.Otherwise Fiji and its people will slowly but surely crumble under the weight of the restrictions placed on their freedom, dignity and self respect.

Anonymous said...WOW !!!! Wwhhaat iisss thiisss? Guess what the next decree is? Anybody looking at any of the regime's officers scornfully, or in a sacastic manner will be jailed for life. Kisitoni tiko vei iko.

Anonymous said...I guess the next decree will ensure that anybody looking in their direction without any valid reason will be imprisoned for five days!


 Anonymous said... Next it will be anybody even thinking scornfully at Bainimagatinana and company will be sentence to life in prison. They do not even have to pen their mouth, just thinking about it is enough. I look forward to pissing on their grave.

Mark Manning said...It will have to be f**king big jail then !

Anonymous said... Aiyarse [Muslim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum] has revisited his bomb making laboratory and put together a new device that can detect if someone is thinking ill of the illegal government.His next decree is life sentence for someone thinking ill of the regime and police will be issued the new device to detect what is on people's mind and charge them on the spot.

Finally a second attempt at getting Coupfourpointfive to approve my comment for publication:

Crosbie Walsh said ...Coupfourpointfive, You have not published my comment asking if you can help by providing a copy of the decrees.

Neither, other than changing the title name, have you modified the posting or apologized for its inaccuracies. Instead, you have allowed it to generate equally misled comments.

This is not the anti, but fair and reasoned, Coupfourpointfive it once was. Has there been a change of editors? Croz

To which this automated reply: "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval."

Note: This blog allows direct access to comments. No approval is required. But anonyous comments that do not use a pseudonym; and comments that unduly "attack the man and not the argument", or transgress the boundaries of normal decency, are deleted.

3 comments:

White Frangipani said...

We all know what Chinese Whispers are. The Coupfourpointfive comments and what you have revealed in your blog today Croz, clearly shows us that there is such a thing as twisted Fiji Whispers! Coupfourpointfive and most of those who commented are deliberately mischief making for whatever reason. What Mark Manning said is just stupid and there is no need to use (or imply) the F word either. Have some standards Coupfourpointfive and tell the truth.

Liu Muri said...

My understanding is that some behind this 4.5 site are qualified media and journalism students. This casts a slur on type of media education these people get in NZ Institutions. Such education is supposed to broaden ones vision and open ones mind to defend truth, not distort it. If such people are vested with the responsibility of reporting in the mainstream media, their reports would be deemed to be jaundiced and blinkered.
If failed post graduate qualified Fijian politicians are also behind this, then it casts a slur on the journalistic ethics of the site because those who have been thrown off from the gravy train can hardly be expected to be balanced and neutral.
The biggest loser in this whole saga, apart from truth, is the credibility of Coup 4.5.
In light of all these, can you really blame Bainimarama for putting controls on media and journalists who seek responsibility and accountability from others, except themselves?

Nutter nurse said...

I think I can safely say that this website is four and a half times worse than when I last looked and found it a refuge of various nonentities. It is now a refuge of merely the illiterate and the insane, and none more so than the preposterous Mark Manning. MM, as he's sometimes called. is a Sydney nurse who for some inexplicable reason has aligned himself with the SDL and some of the worst extremists now in exile in Sydney. Quite why is open to conjecture, though sordid stories circulate about Manning's appeal to certain wayward maidens who inhabit the same circles. Manning has a blind hatred of both FB and Sayed Kaiyum that goes well beyond what might be regarded as normal. But in pursuing them at every turn, he's won the heart of the redoubtable Mere Samisoni of Lami bread fame, so much so that some suspect a burgeoning romantic attachment. Neither are a real danger to anybody and neither is Coup 4.5, which is a bit like the German Radio in the dying days of the Third Reich - all bluster but no bite. Manning himself is the Lord Haw Haw of Fiji, sprouting inane comments in a strange accent but no longer taken at all seriously. I think it best to ignore them, Croz.