MORE ANONY-MOUSES. Thoughtful comments of all political persuasions are welcome on this blog unlike almost all the anti-government blogs that talk but do not practise free speech. However, despite constant reminders and appeals, some people still refuse to add their real or pseudo-name to comments. If you are one of these people and wonder why your comment has not been published, the reason is that from now on only "very good" interesting anonymous comments will be published. All other anonynous comments will be rejected. Just click the Name/URL button and write your "name." It's as easy as that and totally confidential.
MCCULLY MET KUBUABOLA in Suva on Monday. The NZ Minister was on the way to attend the Pacific Forum Line Meeting in Nadi. Ratu Inoke said they re-visited some of the matters discussed earlier including the easing of travel sanctions, re-engagement with Fiji, and Fiji's determination to carry out the Roadmap reforms and hold elections in 2014.
HOWARD IN DENARAU. Former Australian PM John Howard was in Nadi on Tuesday as a guest speaker at a business conference for Australian and New Zealand small business operators.
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS, OR CONSPIRACY THEORY? New Zealand is supporting the [Afghan] war to ensure US backing for its own commercial and strategic interests. Wellington wants to safeguard trade talks with the US and, along with Australia, needs Washington’s backing to maintain a dominant role among the small island states of the South West Pacific, in the face of growing Chinese influence in the region.
The death of [NZ soldier] Tim O’Donnell coincided with the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Vanuatu, where the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, confirmed that tripartite free trade talks would be held between Australia, New Zealand and the US for the first time in decades. The talks were part of negotiations that began earlier this year, to extend an existing P4 trade agreement between New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore to include the US, Australia, Peru and Vietnam.
Campbell told reporters that the US would seek to “play a substantial role in the economic drama that is playing out in the Asia-Pacific region”. Referring to NZ and US soldiers “serving and dying together” in Afghanistan, Campbell said that there would be “a very deliberate effort on the part of the United States to work more closely with New Zealand as a recognition of the role that New Zealand is playing in global politics”.
It is precisely to retain this US backing that the entire political establishment in New Zealand is committed to keeping troops in Afghanistan, despite broad popular opposition** and the further casualties that will inevitably occur.
** A nationwide poll in May found that 77% of respondents wanting some form of withdrawal. Of these, 40% supported a complete pullout and another 37% favoured the withdrawal of SAS troops. Only 10% wanted all troops to remain and 13% were undecided. -- Based on Tom Peters in World Socialist Web Site.
DROUGHT caused by the onset of La Nina is likely to see the current dry weather pattern continue for the next few weeks. The areas most affected are the sugar cane and cattle farming areas in the North and West.
12 comments:
It would have been interesting to be a fly on the proverbial wall and listen in to what former Australian PM John Howard had to contribute. Here is a man whose government and Foreign Minister, we must assume, connived with terror-promoting politicians, tore up a judgement on Appeal in the Chandrika Prasad Case (which was ably argued and won by their estimable QC Geoffrey Robertson at his own expense) and drove us all towards elections in 2001 which were bought by an Agriculture Scam (exposed in the Fiji Courts some time ago). What a hotch-potch this resulted in? And yet, once more in May 2006, another questionable and subverted election was presumably encouraged at our expense. Not much that is sensible or nice to be said of all that. Democracy? Must have been deluded or dreaming.
Croz, with the utmost respect, your policy on anonymous contributions is all over the place. First, you allowed them, then you banned them, then you allowed them, now you've banned them except for ones that are "very good". Que? This is so flaky that it can't help but fuel the notion, propagated by your enemies, that you've lost the plot. Surely if people who insist on being "anonymous" don't ever appear on the site, they'll soon get the message. What's the point of even the "very good" writing pearls of wisdom for no-one to see? The reason you banned "anonymous" still stands - that anyone wanting to respond to a particular posting doesn't have a name or nom de plume to respond to. So pull yourself together, Tau, stop all this hand wringing and play the gatekeeper properly. This latest wave of "anons" has become a deluge because you dropped your guard. Hold the line and the problem will evaporate.
Howard, Reeves and McCully all in Fiji at once. Can't be bad. I haven't seen any of them launch into a diatribe since about a ruthless dictatorship with a nation under its boot. The more people like them see the reality of daily life the better. Life goes on, as it should.
Teleni gone. One step forward.
Teleni gone. Yes one step forward but could have been two steps forward if they hadn't detained a journalist for reporting what is now known as true. May be even three steps forward if they admitted he had been asked to resign and that he in hindsight was under qualified for the job in the first place and mis guided with his crime free claims and forcing everyone to his brothers church.
Changing the many mistakes this government has made is good. Even better would be admitting they made them - being transparent and honest.
Yet again the media get it right but are punished anyway. It was only weeks ago that the fijilive publisher was detained for a story that has now been shown to be true.
I suspect the military as always where just pissed that someone else knew and once again they ingnored any due process and acted.
Remember the media decree ? At the time of the Fijilive article the decree was in place but the military chose to ignore there own new rules and go with the good old 'haul em up to the barracks' strategy.
It's great that Teleni is gone but I'm not seeing any improvement in process from the military. I'm not seeing any transparency they love to talk about.
No mention of his great crusade ? No mention of the fact he achievd a crime free Fiji ? No mention about berating Indo Fijians ? No mention of all the money he spent on his brothers church ? No mention of how he turned a blind eye to any military discretions ?
Given he 'resigned' and government thanked him surely they should have listed all his great achievements ?
Big question is will he return to the military ?
Croz,
Now I understand what you mean by allowing only "good" anon posting. You mean pro-coup military spin gets through.
I just can't believe EVEYTHING is Australia's fault. Now claims that it was John Howards fault we had election on 2001 and 2006.
So where the hell was all the opposition and out cries from the military back in 2000, 2001, 2002...
Nothing on Teleni Croz - is your actual site now being censored by the military too ?
@ Gratuitous Advice ... You may well be right. Just let's play it this way for a while.
@ M.B.N. "Good" was a lazy, poorly chosen word. What I meant was something that really contributed to the discussion and would be of interest to other readers.
But you are unkind and unfair in your accusation.
And, of course, not everything is Australia's fault, and I have never suggested it was.
@ Teleni said ... You judge too quickly. I received the news after I had published today's post.
Croz
Crosbie
'Teleni' didn't judge.
He certainly questioned, but he didn't judge.
He didn't even accuse.
An accountable Police Force will only come about when individual Police Officers are allowed freedom of religious belief. They must also be allowed the freedom of unbelief. For heaven's sake: that is self-evident? What good will any police officer be if they are compelled to censor their innermost thoughts? Democracy means Liberty and Freedom WITH RESPONSIBILITY. It is crass to think otherwise. We now expect an efficient, accountable (to the taxpayers of Fiji) and professional Police Force. Nothing less will do. They are paid, after all, by the civilian population to afford us "Salus Populi". And they had better recall the rest: "Suprema est lex". THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE SUPREME LAW. Cannot be clearer than that? I wrote it circa 43BC
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