Hard News: Shihad are like the All Blacks, only more reliable
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So, it seemed, did Trevor Mallard, who was there with his partner. He smiled a little when a pungent cloud of marijuana smoke drifted his way, and tapped his foot. Literally. Right foot, tapping. I think Labour needs some more ministers who can dance …
Definitely something in the "Labour needs some more ministers who can dance" comment.
I think we all need more dancing time.
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The very good Good magazine had a great bunch of features in its recent China-themed issue, covering the bad and good.
It included an intriguing interview with the exiled Prime Minister of Tibet. He's a very patient man:
**What is the significance of the Beijing Olympics for China and Tibet?**
We wish that these games be successfully conducted. At the same time, we wish that a large number of free countries will participate in these games, and that that will have some kind of positive effect on the Chinese government for more transparency and more individual freedom. If these games could bring these changes, then I think they are a boon. Apart from that, there are many pro-Tibet groups and individuals who think this is an opportunity to pressure China. We do not agree with that. We are looking more to the post-Olympic era.
But might there be ways to make your cause visible during the Olympics?
The Olympic Games are a playful occasion. To disturb them is not a good gesture. All the international parties are willingly gathered there. If they have any resentment about the Chinese human-rights situation, or China having no rule of law, then these free countries should not participate. It is their choice. I was very much surprised to hear recently that the Olympic committees of some European nations have instructed their players not to wear any slogans on their shirts during the games.
Some of the athletes wore shirts that said “Free Tibet.”
Yes. I understand they were told that “Free Tibet” should not be there. That is okay. But to prohibit any kind of slogan, any kind of quotation? I don’t know why the Western nations are so eager to appease China. It is very strange.
And consistent. It appears they have brought the same message to all six rounds of their talks with the Chinese leadership: autonomy for all six million Tibetans. But it's hard to see how that happens, given that many of those ethnic Tibetans are scattered through multiple provinces that the rest of the world emphatically regards as Chinese. They seem to be relying on very major change to the whole shape of China in the next few decades.
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i was at the hawthorn lounge playing baccarat with tom beard and hadyn green.
And meanwhile I'm in yr city reveiwing yr signature waterfront eventz?
For shame.
Although we were at the Hawthorn the night before.
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I hope for their own sakes most of the people engaged in their pro-China demonstrations on the weekend are students here temporarily, because to my mind their demonstrations clearly renders them unfit for a whole raft of New Zeland jobs. How could the the civil service, the military or even private sector companies with economically sensitive functions employ anyone whose loyalty is first and foremost to a foreign country?
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oh for goodness sake Tom. I know many former mainland Chinese international students and they are now proud New Zealanders.
Does this mean that ethnic South Asians shouldn't go along and support India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan in cricket matches against the Black Caps?
Does this mean that many of the former Brits can't support England Wales et al or people born in South Africa shouldn't support the Proteas and the Springboks?
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Shihad like the All Blacks... hmm, I think you might be on to something for the next World Cup.
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And meanwhile I'm in yr city reveiwing yr signature waterfront eventz?
Using our free tickets IIRC. There were not that many to go around.
Still, we did happen by the front door during the So So Modern wrap and the atmosphere in Wellington has been great this weekend.
If you were at the bands and missed the Weber Brothers Circus you still have time to make up for the omission :-). In fact, if they were part of the Arts Festival I suspect the entry price would be three times higher and the tent need to be twice as large.
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I hope for their own sakes most of the people engaged in their pro-China demonstrations on the weekend are students here temporarily, because to my mind their demonstrations clearly renders them unfit for a whole raft of New Zeland jobs. How could the the civil service, the military or even private sector companies with economically sensitive functions employ anyone whose loyalty is first and foremost to a foreign country?
I know! How's about we discourage them from staying with, say, a hefty poll tax?
Tom, sometimes it seems like you don't really think when you type.
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Russell - our friend Justin Zhang of Skykiwi is in this South China Morning Post article about the torch relay in Canberra.
I saw him in Auckland ten days ago. He told me he would be in Canberra to show his support for the Games. He is now based in Sydney and running the Skykiwi equivalent there.
I can't find the original SCMP website article but it has been reprinted here:
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The Arts Festival had two "circus" type shows:
Cirque Ici $70 - $75 audience size around 200
La Vie $52 - $58 audience size around 280
Both were fantastic. -
And meanwhile I'm in yr city reveiwing yr signature waterfront eventz?
i left the lounge after midnight and managed to wade through the hordes of yoof with nary a sideways glance from the more leery of them.
left me feeling like i'm still the tiniest bit 'street'.
pot-belly and greyhair not withstanding.
next time you're in town shout out. the wellingtonista chaps will line up to play cards with you. me? you can always count on me.
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Both were fantastic.
They were indeed, but Weber's is also good and probably comes without all the subsidies, sponsorship and huge price tag of the festival equivalents. So worth giving them a plug.
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to my mind their demonstrations clearly renders them unfit for a whole raft of New Zeland jobs. How could the the civil service.
tom, i was in some student protests back in the 90s.
should i be giving up the current job now, or would you like to have any other aspects of my past reviewed before i tender the resignation?
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should i be giving up the current job now, or would you like to have any other aspects of my past reviewed before i tender the resignation?
Surely now, just a couple of reasonable questions about your background to determine your suitability.
Are you now, or have you ever been...
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"...anyone whose loyalty is first and foremost to a foreign country?"
This line could fit nicely into centuries of anti-Catholic rhetoric.
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This line could fit nicely into centuries of anti-Catholic rhetoric.
look, I'm an immigrant to NZ and my "loyalties" could be to a number of countries. I would prefer my loyalty to be judged on beliefs and the sort of government/society I support (it so happens that NZ is a pretty darn good fit).
That being said, taking part in astro-turf demos on behalf of an overseas Government with strong authoritarian overtones seems a tad...unseemly if not outright stupid.
There also seems to be a touch of myopic naivety in dealing with the Chinese powers that be. As Umaga might say, they're not playing tiddlywinks so they don't need us as their apologists.
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I think the China's critics overlook the fact that while the Olympic Games are a big deal for the government in Beijing, it is equally importantly a huge deal for the Chinese public. So it's hardly surprising that your average Chinese national might take the anti-China demonstrations personally. And for many Chinese, this government has brought prosperity and freedoms that weren't there twenty years ago - such as the privilege of going abroad to study and live. These are not rent-a-demos - they are heartfelt expressions of nationalism.
And on a lesser scale, we've already seen it this year with regards to India. Remember the furore in India and among the desi diaspora over the second cricket test in Sydney? Many Indians and Chinese are becoming increasingly assertive and nationalistic and it is very much linked to their perceptions of their countries as the new superpowers. And we are going to have to live with it.
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Stupid young men don't need flags to be stupid.
However, flags are one of things more likely to bring out the stupidity.
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Like I said elsewhere:
Imagine that NZ was a lot poorer, and run as a dictatorship by ACT. Imagine that maybe 0.1% of New Zealanders could afford to go off to overseas education in a richer country.
Wouldn't the people of this overseas student elite be mainly ACT supporters? The government wouldn't need to make them protest in favour of their class's continued rule - they'd do it all by themselves.
That I think is where the demonstrators were coming from. Which doesn't detract from their right, when visiting a democracy such as NZ, from expressing any views they want to.
Incidentally, I think a pro-USA demo in Wellington would be rather small, and drowned out by anti-Bush Americans. I think the idea of "love my country, hate my government" is a lot stronger amongst expat Americans than the Chinese elite.
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Shihad are like the all blacks....
Consider Killjoy to be the 87 world cup. A brilliant coming of age. A gauntlet of national pride!
and every album since is maybe a little bit more disapointing than the last....but in the periods between world cups one can see the Shihad Blacks devastating all in their path at stadiums up and down the country.
Honestly I have a lot of respect for the Had. they are hugely inspiring. They are truly unmatched live. But on record not so reliable me thinks.
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i really shouldn't say such things.
..and the general electric was actually pretty good.
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Rich, I think that's a good point that you make. Most of the mainland Chinese students in NZ are likely to be patriotic because they are relatively privileged.
But there is also a huge amount of arguably misplaced faith in the government within China as well. There have been many demonstrations in China objecting to a perceived bias in the international coverage of the Tibet issue and the torch relay.
Given that most Chinese can't watch CNN and BBC World, it makes you wonder where they are getting that impression from and it is certain that the state media has been taking an editorial slant on Western media coverage for domestic consumption. Just how accurate that perceived bias might be is one for the academics.
I see a parallel situation with the way that many Muslims accuse the West of bias and prejudicial media coverage of the Islamic world.
The truth as always is somewhere in between two diametrically opposite points of view.
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Sam Scott,
when are the Phoenix Foundation going to record a live album?
And when will Conrad Wedde's album be released?
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So worth giving them a plug.
sure, but if quality isn't the comparable issue then homegrown would have better served your purpose: subsidised, commercially sponsored to the hilt, and with ticket prices around six times as much as weber.
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__Stupid young men don't need flags to be stupid.__
However, flags are one of things more likely to bring out the stupidity.
Can't argue there. The Sydney Big Day Out on Australia Day comes to mind ...
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