■ Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Clinton to Pressure Australia to be Firmer on China
The author argues, among other things, that Australia's policy on Fiji has failed, and left the door open to increased Chinese involvement in the "American Lake." Click here.
13 comments:
The left states the bleeding obvious
said...
Croz, it's uncanny how accurate World Socialist is proving to be in relation to American concerns about China's presence in Fiji. It's almost as if they have a mole inside the State Department or, more probably, are tapped into the independent foundations in the US that feed into and reflect official US policy. What's even more extraordinary is the way the mainstream media in Australia and NZ have totally missed this story. Why? Undoubtedly because of the constant backgrounding of journalists by foreign affairs officials in both countries and the pronouncements of their lackeys in places like the Lowy Institute. Australia and NZ resolutely refuse to share the American suspicion of China's intentions in the region, choosing instead to buy the Chinese line that they have no ambitions in countries like Fiji. Call it naive or falling hostage to their trading relationship with China, it's incredibly short sighted, perhaps even dangerous. World Socialist is right. The strategic balance in the south-west Pacific is slowly changing in China's favour while Australia and NZ continue to be hung up about bringing a regional dictator to heel. The irony is that if this warning about China was coming from a right-wing think tank, the response from everyone would undoubtedly be - "well they would say that, wouldn't they?" But from the far left, as in this case? I think you can pretty much take it as gospel. And I never thought I'd say that about World Socialist, that's for sure.
Yes, it does. Some of us have made our view quite plain: US Secretary of State Clinton's visit to the Asia Pacific region is overdue and most required. The establishment of a US Aid Office in Suva is an absolute necessity. It is no longer a viable option for Australia and New Zealand to dribble aid and most urgent assistance into Fiji or other Pacific Island nations. They need a policy, a viable and above the radar policy which works. And they need one now.
Sad? A sense of desperation? The flat earthers in this instance, my friend, are the so-called pro democracy lobby. They're the ones who won't venture out, scared of falling over the edge. For the rest of us, it's full speed ahead on a course to real democracy, not the racial supremacy masquerading as democracy that keeps flat earthers hugging the coast.
Now here is a question for the flat earthers. Would the US and Australia listen to the pro democracy patriots or the world socialists and the coup perpetrators? Take your time if you find the question difficult....And you wonder why there is no EU sugar subsidy....oh dear, so slow..
"Flat earthers", are you intellectually challenged in some way? The US doesn't agree with Australia and NZ sidelining Fiji because their policies have driven it into the arms of the Chinese. That's the whole point of this discussion but one you don't seem to have grasped. Take your time if you find the notion difficult. Oh dear, so slow.
Perhaps the esteemed World Socialist press and renowned academics like Richard Herr should check a few facts before they speak on behalf of Hilary Clinton? Even Fijivillage is reporting the slap in the face by Clinton on Bainimarama as she visits Australia and PNG for relationship building with the respective nations. As Fijivillage said in quoting clinton's request for imediate return to democracy in Fiji - "Australia and New Zealand have repeatedly called for fresh elections promised by Bainimara, but he has delayed going to the polls." Note the quote from Fijivillage - no reference to title "PM" and they even spell the dictator's name wrong...two kicks in one day!
Ah, "where's the pressure", this is where subtlety comes in, not exactly your strength. Of course, Hilary Clinton has to parrot the pro-democracy line on Australian soil. She can hardly do otherwise and lecture her hosts publicly about the folly of their policy during a visit there. Where on earth have you been all these years to have no understanding of how these things work? I presume that despite your limited experience, you're aware that even the Americans say one thing for public consumption and do quite another. The signs have been there for some time of Washington's disquiet with Australian policy towards Fiji. Don't take my word for it. Look at the record and the public utterances of people like the congressman from American Samoa. Certainly their action in placing USAID's regional office in Suva against all predictions speaks a lot louder than words. Cling to your fantasy, if you will, that Hilary Clinton means exactly what she says. But even a dullard like me learned the lessons of taking Americans at their word during the main feature at the Phoenix Theatre circa 1964. Some feathered Indian chief said something like - "white man speak with forked tongue". I've never forgotten it and neither should you.
Croz, this is the content of the passage relating to Fiji in Madam Clinton's Melbourne speech: ------ "We are going to be working together with Australia to persuade the military government in Suva to meet its commitment to bring democracy back to Fiji," Clinton said. "In the short term, we would like to see steps that advance political freedom, such as allowing professional civilians to return to key government ministries," Clinton said in her speech. ------ There's nothing here to support Australia's demand for an immediate election. It talks of "working to persuade the military government...to meet it's commitment to bring democracy back to Fiji". That is precisely what the government is doing -in 2014. These comments imply the acceptance by the Americans of the regime's election timetable. There is no time limit stated here whatsoever, as the regime's critics were expecting.
She also says that "in the short term, the US wants steps...such as allowing civilian professionals to return to key government ministries". If anything, this is an indirect jibe at Australia and NZ. The Americans know that those countries' travel bans have been the one thing that's prevented precisely what the US wants from happening.
Once again, the anti-regime lobby has deliberately tried to misrepresent the truth in their contributions to this site. An absolute travesty but hardly surprising. What Clinton said is the opposite of what they are claiming, tacit acknowledgment that there will be no election in Fiji until 2014. Holding Fiji to that deadline was hardly the caning the regime's critics were hoping for. So what we get again is lies born out of their utter desperation.
Hilary has embraced the military junta in Fiji. All sanctions will stop today...the IMF has approved the loan to the regime...ships of gold are arriving today from China...and the earth is still flat...oh dear, so slow...
If anything i think this might add to the pressure on Fiji where we will have , if it is correct , china pulling in one direction and the US pulling in the other with aus waiting in the wings not having to be the heavy. I say stay the course.we can afford to be patient.
@ The truth of what Madam Clinton said (in Melbourne):
So, the truth of what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Melbourne appears to reflect what the High Representative in Bosnia, Lord 'Paddy' Ashdown, was saying a few years ago. He has also rejigged this view for Afghanistan:
In post-conflict areas, what is required first are:
JUSTICE and JOBS. Elections come later
One rather tends to think that Lord Ashdown knew of what he spoke. So, it would seem, does Madam Hillary Clinton. How interesting that there should be a congruence of thought?
13 comments:
Croz, it's uncanny how accurate World Socialist is proving to be in relation to American concerns about China's presence in Fiji. It's almost as if they have a mole inside the State Department or, more probably, are tapped into the independent foundations in the US that feed into and reflect official US policy. What's even more extraordinary is the way the mainstream media in Australia and NZ have totally missed this story. Why? Undoubtedly because of the constant backgrounding of journalists by foreign affairs officials in both countries and the pronouncements of their lackeys in places like the Lowy Institute. Australia and NZ resolutely refuse to share the American suspicion of China's intentions in the region, choosing instead to buy the Chinese line that they have no ambitions in countries like Fiji. Call it naive or falling hostage to their trading relationship with China, it's incredibly short sighted, perhaps even dangerous. World Socialist is right. The strategic balance in the south-west Pacific is slowly changing in China's favour while Australia and NZ continue to be hung up about bringing a regional dictator to heel. The irony is that if this warning about China was coming from a right-wing think tank, the response from everyone would undoubtedly be - "well they would say that, wouldn't they?" But from the far left, as in this case? I think you can pretty much take it as gospel. And I never thought I'd say that about World Socialist, that's for sure.
@ the Left states the bleeding obvious....
Yes, it does. Some of us have made our view quite plain: US Secretary of State Clinton's visit to the Asia Pacific region is overdue and most required. The establishment of a US Aid Office in Suva is an absolute necessity. It is no longer a viable option for Australia and New Zealand to dribble aid and most urgent assistance into Fiji or other Pacific Island nations. They need a policy, a viable and above the radar policy which works. And they need one now.
Does the world Socialist and coup supporters think the earth is flat as well? Croz - the sense of desperation is a little sad?
Sad? A sense of desperation? The flat earthers in this instance, my friend, are the so-called pro democracy lobby. They're the ones who won't venture out, scared of falling over the edge. For the rest of us, it's full speed ahead on a course to real democracy, not the racial supremacy masquerading as democracy that keeps flat earthers hugging the coast.
Now here is a question for the flat earthers. Would the US and Australia listen to the pro democracy patriots or the world socialists and the coup perpetrators? Take your time if you find the question difficult....And you wonder why there is no EU sugar subsidy....oh dear, so slow..
"Flat earthers", are you intellectually challenged in some way? The US doesn't agree with Australia and NZ sidelining Fiji because their policies have driven it into the arms of the Chinese. That's the whole point of this discussion but one you don't seem to have grasped. Take your time if you find the notion difficult. Oh dear, so slow.
Perhaps the esteemed World Socialist press and renowned academics like Richard Herr should check a few facts before they speak on behalf of Hilary Clinton? Even Fijivillage is reporting the slap in the face by Clinton on Bainimarama as she visits Australia and PNG for relationship building with the respective nations.
As Fijivillage said in quoting clinton's request for imediate return to democracy in Fiji - "Australia and New Zealand have repeatedly called for fresh elections promised by Bainimara, but he has delayed going to the polls." Note the quote from Fijivillage - no reference to title "PM" and they even spell the dictator's name wrong...two kicks in one day!
@ Where's the pressure....
"and they even spell the dictator's name wrong...." and you, we note, spell the US Secretary of State's name wrongly: it is Hillary.
So what is your point? No slap that we can see - just a slip with your spelling.
Ah, "where's the pressure", this is where subtlety comes in, not exactly your strength. Of course, Hilary Clinton has to parrot the pro-democracy line on Australian soil. She can hardly do otherwise and lecture her hosts publicly about the folly of their policy during a visit there. Where on earth have you been all these years to have no understanding of how these things work? I presume that despite your limited experience, you're aware that even the Americans say one thing for public consumption and do quite another. The signs have been there for some time of Washington's disquiet with Australian policy towards Fiji. Don't take my word for it. Look at the record and the public utterances of people like the congressman from American Samoa. Certainly their action in placing USAID's regional office in Suva against all predictions speaks a lot louder than words. Cling to your fantasy, if you will, that Hilary Clinton means exactly what she says. But even a dullard like me learned the lessons of taking Americans at their word during the main feature at the Phoenix Theatre circa 1964. Some feathered Indian chief said something like - "white man speak with forked tongue". I've never forgotten it and neither should you.
Croz, this is the content of the passage relating to Fiji in Madam Clinton's Melbourne speech:
------
"We are going to be working together with Australia to persuade the military government in Suva to meet its commitment to bring democracy back to Fiji," Clinton said.
"In the short term, we would like to see steps that advance political freedom, such as allowing professional civilians to return to key government ministries," Clinton said in her speech.
------
There's nothing here to support Australia's demand for an immediate election. It talks of "working to persuade the military government...to meet it's commitment to bring democracy back to Fiji". That is precisely what the government is doing -in 2014. These comments imply the acceptance by the Americans of the regime's election timetable. There is no time limit stated here whatsoever, as the regime's critics were expecting.
She also says that "in the short term, the US wants steps...such as allowing civilian professionals to return to key government ministries". If anything, this is an indirect jibe at Australia and NZ. The Americans know that those countries' travel bans have been the one thing that's prevented precisely what the US wants from happening.
Once again, the anti-regime lobby has deliberately tried to misrepresent the truth in their contributions to this site. An absolute travesty but hardly surprising. What Clinton said is the opposite of what they are claiming, tacit acknowledgment that there will be no election in Fiji until 2014. Holding Fiji to that deadline was hardly the caning the regime's critics were hoping for. So what we get again is lies born out of their utter desperation.
Hilary has embraced the military junta in Fiji. All sanctions will stop today...the IMF has approved the loan to the regime...ships of gold are arriving today from China...and the earth is still flat...oh dear, so slow...
If anything i think this might add to the pressure on Fiji where we will have , if it is correct , china pulling in one direction and the US pulling in the other with aus waiting in the wings not having to be the heavy. I say stay the course.we can afford to be patient.
@ The truth of what Madam Clinton said (in Melbourne):
So, the truth of what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Melbourne appears to reflect what the High Representative in Bosnia, Lord 'Paddy' Ashdown, was saying a few years ago. He has also rejigged this view for Afghanistan:
In post-conflict areas, what is required first are:
JUSTICE and JOBS. Elections come later
One rather tends to think that Lord Ashdown knew of what he spoke. So, it would seem, does Madam Hillary Clinton. How interesting that there should be a congruence of thought?
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