Posts by Steve Parks
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Hard News: Libya, in reply to chris,
I wonder what this thread would be like if the international community was still squabbling about whether to intervene whilst Gaddafi had regained control of Libyan cities and was still conducting house to house murders.
It’s unlikely there would even be a thread,
It’s like the whole build up to this action has escaped you. If the UN were still arguing about whether to intervene, whilst Gaddafi was using his military forces to kill civilians, there would quite likely be a thread.
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Hard News: Libya, in reply to glennd,
Obama has made a gargantuan error by committing the USA to a war ...
It’s not much of a commitment though, is it? What’s his exit strategy here? Stop firing missiles.
After the US have done their part, which mainly seems focused on disabling the Libyan air-defences, they can largely leave it up to the other nations involved (which as you yourself argue, have more direct interests in this.) If it all works out, the US can say “Hey, we played our part!”
If it doesn’t work out, the US can say “well hey, we played our part.”
Considering all the circumstances that led up to this – and not just randomly comparing it to any other potential intervention – I think Obama probably did the right thing in the end.North Korea can murder and starve millions,
Yeah, because that comparison makes sense. Just the same situation, North Korea and Libya.
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Ta, I hadn’t even gotten around to reading that blog yet, Sacha. But yep, that article Keith refers to on stuff about the quake slamming the budget is exactly what I had in mind.
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Hard News: Really good, actually, in reply to recordari,
Caught some of the Good Word debate on the New Zealand Novel over weekend. They do intelligence good, them lot, eh?
eh indeed. I’ve seen two of those debates now, that one and the one about (paper) books being redundant or somesuch.
Steve Braunias was excellent both times in his rhetoric, although suffered from being on the obviously losing side this time. He brilliantly tore apart an opposing argument – but unfortunately that opposing argument was, as Findlay McDonald pointed out, made by a straw man.
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...I'm starting to suspect this will be National's answer to any questions about spending cuts etc.
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Hard News: Really good, actually, in reply to Geoff Lealand,
If this sodding government (in cahoots with TVNZ) gets its way we will be in the unique (but hardly enviable) position of being the only Western nation without a broadly available, public broadcasting service.
Sorry Geoff, earthquake don't cha know. Can't afford.
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Hard News: Libya, in reply to Christiaan,
I think most of the group of people you refer to as “liberal interventionists” would say that they are not at all happy about the hypocrisy of the UN’s approach to intervention. But why be against one justified case of intervention (if that’s what this is) because we happen not to be intervening in Gaza or what have you? And would you have approved of an intervention in Gaza if it could have prevented the 2009 massacre?
Like it or not Gaddafi has support.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting otherwise. Which side do you support, Christiaan?
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A perspective on Libya and the Left from Immanuel Wallerstein.
… Helena Sheehan, an Irish Marxist activist, well-known in Africa for her solidarity work there with the most radical movements, was invited by the Qaddafi regime to come to Libya to lecture at the university. She arrived as turmoil broke out. The lectures at the university were cancelled, and she was finally simply abandoned by her hosts, and had to make her way out by herself. She wrote a daily diary in which, on the last day, Mar. 8, she wrote: “Any ambivalence about that regime, gone, gone, gone. It is brutal, corrupt, deceitful, delusional.”
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Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to nzlemming,
and can only say that I think Laws is enjoying all this immensely.
Hmm, I not so sure, in regards to this particular matter. In his responses, on Edwards’ blog and to Dan Satherly's 3 News piece for example, he seems pretty peeved.
Have you tried the one next to Astoria?
Yeah that’s the one he and Kyle are referring to. It’s called Magnetix, and does stock ODT and Press.
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Keir Leslie,
Yep. We don't want Christchurch to look like a larger version of Hastings.