Posts by Don Christie
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Chris
The economic incentive with Libya would surely have been to let Gadaffi re-assert his control and keep the oil flowing. Instead there is now nothing but uncertainty on that front, along with a hope that some of the worst humanitarian excesses will be avoided. And it is still only a hope, for sure.
Attributing the current actions to an oil grab is very counter-intuitive.
Again, different situation with Iraq.
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Chris - what's your point?
Intervention shouldn't happen in Libya because it wasn't sustained in Sudan?
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Top Ten Ways that Libya 2011 is Not Iraq 2003, and simultaneously harbouring qualms about where this will go
Ditto. Another difference between this situation and Iraq 03 is this...
Before the Iraqi invasion many people, including myself, expressed grave concerns about the motives and Bush and Blair and the possible outcomes. We knew we were being lied to in many ways.
However, whilst Gadaffi was butchering his own people and the UN was procrastinating, I don't recall seeing similar statements from people who are now criticising the UN/UK/USA/France et al.
The reason being, what Gadaffi was doing was abhorrent, and to have suggested a non-interventionist approach was to support his actions.
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Proud frogs?
A Puddock sat by the lochan's brim,
An' he thocht there was never a puddock like him.
He sat on his hurdies, he waggled his legs,
An' cockit his heid as he glowered throu' the seggs
The bigsy wee cratur' was feelin' that prood,
He gapit his mou' an' he croakit oot lood
"Gin ye'd a' like tae see a richt puddock," quo' he,
" Ye'll never, I'll sweer, get a better nor me.
I've fem'lies an' wives an' a weel-plenished hame,
Wi' drink for my thrapple an' meat for my wame.
The lasses aye thocht me a fine strappin' chiel,
An' I ken I'm a rale bonny singer as weel.
I'm nae gaun tae blaw, but the truth I maun tell-
I believe I'm the verra MacPuddock himsel'."A heron was hungry an' needin' tae sup,
Sae he nabbit th' puddock and gollup't him up;
Syne 'runkled his feathers: "A peer thing," quo' he,
"But-puddocks is nae as fat as they eesed tae be." -
Hard News: Book review: 'Wikileaks:…, in reply to giovanni tiso,
Gio
The latest Down Under Feminists’ Carnival has a very useful round up to feminist responses to various kinds of rape apology in the Assange case.
I read the post on Gordon Campbell's Scoop article and wonder whether the poster actually read Gordon's piece. http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2011/01/06/gordon-campbell-reviews-the-general-response-to-wikileaks/
Just as Assange’s personal behaviour has no bearing on the validity of what his organisation has revealed, the value of the Wikileaks revelations should equally have no bearing on the outcome of the complaints against him.
The "rape apologist" label applied to Gordon Campbell was appalling, IMO .
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In the mean time, some of the plans to attack and discredit Wikileaks and sow discontent amongst volunteers surface.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/data-intelligence-firms-proposed-attack-wikileaks/
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The HuffPo reference was tongue in cheek (although if direct payment to writers is an issue most blogging sites would be seen as invalid) - the point being that the Internet has been more effective than the NYT.
Apologies to the whole death defying journalistic movement for my comments. Of course there are brave journalists in the world, just like there are brave programmers, artists, poets, students and even "ordinary people" on the street. They too have suffered and died.
But the example of the a large section of journalism is unedifying, maybe it is their bosses fault.
We will have to agree to disagree on the NYT.
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Power and wealth seeks privacy and secrecy, and abhors public scrutiny
This is *the* fundamental issue that WL is addressing.
Laurence Millar's fuller take of the impact of Wikileaks is well worth a read.
http://globalvillagegovernance.blogspot.com/2011/02/small-earthquake-in-media-not-many-dead.html
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A wiser man would never have suggested the comparison, however.
It was an analogy, a not a bad one. Of course you can reduce any analogy to absurdity if you want to - but that is not the purpose they serve. Do you really think, for example, that the "terrorists" don't have bloody cameras and have to rely on 3rd parties to take photos of army vehicles and then publish them on the web?
If you do, they you really should rethink your security model.
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The New York Times’ role has been important in bringing these stories to Americans
I think the NYT has behaved in a reprehensible and self serving manner. The way they have attempted to undermine the freedom of speech defence for WL ("they don't count as journalists") is about as shoddy as it comes.
HuffPost and the Internet has done more to bring these stories to Americans than the NYT.