Posts by Jan Farr
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I don't what the answer to Fiji is. The trouble is - as Richard Naidu remarked after the first coup - the history of coups is more coups. I'm not sure that treating Bainimarama as if he were a vicious and power-hungry dictator is terribly helpful. I think the real picture is a lot more complex than that.
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There is a tremendous naivety about Bainimarama and his team. After all, most of the media in every country in the world is hostile to socially progressive government action, but the answer can never be to close it down - you can't close it down - it just grows another five heads.
Interestingly, in spite of the hostility of the media to the Fiji Government, you don't pick up the same hostility from the people of Fiji - and I don't think that only because they're afraid to talk. I think they like his programme and what he's doing. They've had a rough ride for a long time. They did, in 1987, after all, democratically elect Timoci Bavadra, whose plan was to raise the standard of living and protect people from abject poverty, in a way that we in New Zealand have been protected since 1935. He only lasted a month before the first of the avalanche of coups began.
As the media takes more and more of the right wing agenda for granted - and as its memory of past debates and struggles fades - Kathryn Ryan eg stated the other day that we all know that free trade is a 'good thing' (or words to that effect) - thus closing off any opportunity to discuss whether it is or not - we need blogs like this one to remind us that there are some journalists who can still read, remember, discuss, listen and understand things. -
@Simon again: I can't say any longer that all we're getting is the armed conflict story, because I heard you, briefly, interviewed for RNZ news this afternoon. Nice work.
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Thanks Simon. Any information at all from Thailand is a godsend. All we're getting is the armed conflict story.
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Thanks Simon - fascinating. What's your take on the conspiracy theory? Looking at Wikipedia on the subject of the two prime ministers things are not straightforward: the unbelievably rich, corrupt, right winger dramatically reduces poverty, launches a healthcare programme and fights drugs. And the also corrupt Democrat is accused by his own party of wanting to get rid of the monarchy and form a republic. The monarchy doesn't seem to have much reason to like either of them. The drug lords probably don't go much for Thaksin Shinawatra. And then the coup-prone army - who controls it?
Regarding the high baht, this is what Reuters said a few days ago:
Thai stocks, which have climbed 81 percent over the past 12 months, ended up 1 percent after sliding earlier on concerns over the prolonged protest. The baht currency eased about 0.2 percent, less than some had expected.
"The red shirts have taken the pressure up another notch," said Tim Condon, chief Asia economist at investment bank ING.
"But I interpret the reaction in the foreign exchange market and the stock market as evidence that, despite the political noise, negotiations are taking place among key interest groups that are helping resolve political transmission issues, which is investor-friendly."
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Thanks for real news Simon. The photos are enlightening and inspiring.
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My proposition is indeed a simple, uncompromising one, and that is we are all responsible for our actions.
But this wasn't one man - it was a group of similarly brainwashed men in the army of a country that regards itself as above all others. I think simple and uncompromising might not be the most useful position to take here. But it certainly would make interesting fiction.
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Won't be watching it again.
Me neither.
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Russell - you've been everywhere, man!
And just a reference to yesterday's blog - I watched the Ad show last night. Loved the period ad - don't think the American woman got the irony - and was disappointed with the non-outcome of the interview - some failure of analysis there I think. In fact I think that's what disappoints me about the show in general. It comes after your astute and well-analysed stuff and doesn't do well by comparison. Maybe if they rescheduled it....
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To still think after reviewing all the evidence that it could have been a honest mistake is not being "open minded". It's being obtuse.
Keith has made us think about it and some of the results of that process have been powerful (for me anyway). Thanks Keith. I wouldn't call you obtuse.