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

Monday 2 May 2011

Small Trans-Tasman Crack?

rudd mccully
No more Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum?
Do I spy with my little eye...
I wonder whether we can  read any significance in the different comments by the Australian and NZ Foreign Ministers. Speaking on Friday on why Fiji’s suspension from the Commonwealth would not be lifted,  Kevin Rudd said, “we have seen no measurable change whatsoever by the Fiji military regime, in terms of the restoration of democracy in that country."


Speaking a month ago about the possible relaxation of the travel bans, Murray McCully said this was possible if NZ had “hard evidence of progress to elections  in 2014 (and)  if the Fiji government gives a firm commitment to elections in 2014.”  As the NZ Herald writer observed, this seems to indicate “that Mr McCully could settle for elections in that year provided Fiji sticks to its promise.”    Rudd seems to want earlier elections.

3 comments:

Clutching at straws said...

Croz
You seem to be increasingly clutching at straws? In the free and democratic world, as in Fiji pre Dec 5 2006, people have different views and opinions. This is healthy and welcomed. Under dictatorships and repressive regimes, we observe that coup perpetrators and collaborators are so consumed in groupthink and single minded views that they miss the big picture. Do you think this is one of the many reasons dictatorships are always crushed?
The Bainimarama regime will never gain any credibility or respect where it matters. It will always be on the back foot. It will ultimately be destroyed. The inevitable outcome of all dictatorships and human rights abusing regimes.

snark101 said...

@Clutching,

The big picture is right there

[http://stuckinfijimud.blogspot.com/2011_03_20_archive.html]



It is rather ironic to note who is clutching, crouching in the whole spectrum of regional geo-politics, diplomatic faux pas.

Australia's behavior in foreign policy vis-vis the Pacific, is dipped in historical ignorance, mashed with neo-colonialism and deep fried in cultural insignificance.

Crosbie Walsh said...

@ Clutching ... See the Lowy Institute posting above.