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FREE SPEECH TOO EXPENSIVE
Two New Zealand newspapers are condemned by the NZ government:
New Zealand is braced for fallout from the Islamic world after two newspapers published controversial Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, with a potential trade ban by Iran the main concern ...
The New Zealand government attacked the two newspapers, both owned by Australia’s Fairfax group, with Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton dubbing them “gratuitously offensive” and saying that by upsetting Muslim nations the publishers were putting the nation’s economy at risk.
"It is hard to see why the publication of cartoons known to be deeply offensive to Muslim communities is such an important point of principle to the New Zealand media who have published them,” [Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris] Carter said yesterday.
"What good did it do publishing these cartoons and what damage could it do to communities in New Zealand and to New Zealand’s international reputation?”
New Zealand is worrying about its reputation while the Muslim world is busy destroying what’s left of its own. Good job, New Zealand, you have thereby contributed to the demise of your own reputation which the world might have admired had you had the stones to defend your society against mad butchers.
Sorry state of affairs when a most basic freedom is shunned by the government because of some possible offense to a group begging to be offended.
Huzzah to the papers involved, in NZ as the rest of the world, you are your country’s most cherished asset at the present. I wish the MSM in the states had the same cojones.
WTF?
If a New Zealand paper published something offensively anti-American, does the government chide the paper for endangering the economic health of the nation? Of course not, because Americans don’t kill people who insult us.
IMHO, if your government won’t defend your right to insult violent fanatics, then your government has frankly become worthless.
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2006 02 04 at 10:06 PM • permalinkSpot on, Rob (#8) !
Lefty blog reaction is mixed - Lavartus Prodeo owner Mark jumps right in and refers to the Islamo-fascists trying to suppress free speech. On the other hand, some of his softer comment writers go limp with arguments along the lines of
“...why can’t be just not publish them, and then everyone can get along”,
or alternatively,
“...these cartoons are not that good, and are not worth defending, unlike Salman Rushdie, who was producing real art, and was therefore worth defending”
They still don’t get it. Artistic merit is far from what is REALLY at stake here....
Posted by closeapproximation on 2006 02 04 at 10:28 PM • permalinkI suppose NZ’s economy could be hurt if Iran imposes a trade ban, considering that big carbon credit debt. A more pertinent question is, can NZ afford to let itself be pushed around by a horde of savagely angry fanatics who won’t stop for any amount of appeasement anyway.
Keep it up, you Islamofascist bastards. You’re on a roll. People who previously excused all your idiot excesses are really frightened and beginning to take you seriously now, and it’s not a minute too soon.
Of course people know where New Zealand is on a map, just like we know from the famous movie Krakatoa East of Java the location of Java. Now, refresh my memory, New Zealand is north or south of Middle Earth.
Posted by Pat Patterson on 2006 02 04 at 10:49 PM • permalinkRebeccaH — Of course they can. How does it affect their international relations policies, which boil down to “Australia and the US will protect us no matter what we say or do?”
It’s like Canada taking such pride in their pacifism while hiding being the US’ skirts…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 04 at 10:52 PM • permalinkEconomic impact? Like they considered before tripping over themselves to join the Kyoto idiocy?
Trade embargo by Iran?
Hoping that it will casue the mullahs to ‘embargo’ shipping them a nuke once the Iranians build a few?
New Zealand - cool place being run by scared, self centered and self serving cowards.
Posted by Wind Rider on 2006 02 04 at 11:00 PM • permalink"What good did it do publishing these cartoons and what damage could it do to communities in New Zealand and to New Zealand’s international reputation?”
Question #1. The good people of New Zealand would see how a trivial matter inflames these Muslim lunatics.
Question #2. That the government of NZ is committed to freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Nothing important.
I hope for the New Zealanders’ sake there are not too many of these Muslim loonies running around loose in their country.
Posted by Mystery Meat on 2006 02 04 at 11:22 PM • permalinkI can see it now. Osama sends some of his followers off to commit
mass murderjihad in New Zealand.Two months later they are back explaining to Osama why they failed.
One says “We went to New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, New Mexico, New Hampshire but we could not find New Zealand anywhere.”
Posted by Lefty Wobbling Right on 2006 02 04 at 11:28 PM • permalinkPat Patterson… “Second star to the right, and straight on till morning...”
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 04 at 11:33 PM • permalinkWinston Peters as NZ’s Foreign Affairs Minister will sort it out
Posted by WeekByWeek on 2006 02 05 at 12:03 AM • permalinkWell, it sure didn’t hurt my opinion of New Zealanders.
Mystery Meat, I’d be surprised if there were a lot of Middle Easterners in New Zealand - the place is famously difficult to emigrate to (which makes snitty Americans who swear they’re going to leave this hellhole for New Zealand rather amusing). Of course, that could just be for first-worlders - maybe they have a different policy for refugees. Anyone closer to NZ who knows?
What were the nitwits running the newspapers thinking? All they had to do was what happens in the U.S. all the time. Insult CHRISTIANITY as art. No problem.
Yes, the affront to New Zealand’s international reputation came nanoseconds after Chris Carter opened his mouth.
And yes, NZ is to Australia what Canada is to the US.
That country’s been on the wrong side ever since it pulled out of the ANZUS treaty in the 1980s.
-- Nora
Posted by The Thin Man Returns on 2006 02 05 at 12:24 AM • permalinkOff-topic, but highly recommened: ALP in Crisis, from Radio National’s Background Breifing.
AP (Sydney): Astonished police, restricted by their do-not-approach orders, watched in astonishment and some relief as the entire “Mediterranean” population of Cronulla threw themselves en masse into the sea and began swimming towards Auckland…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 05 at 12:38 AM • permalinkIf you remember Chris Carter is the ethnic affairs minister. Post 7/7 he meet with muslim leaders as part of his ministerial duties. As an openly homosexual politician this caused more than a little heartburn amongst those who follow the religion of peace.
Probably Chris will draw a line when the islamists start stoning those of his sexual orientation.
Posted by Lefty Wobbling Right on 2006 02 05 at 12:39 AM • permalinkStop press: It is reported that the millions of Muslims who have batten---er--migrated to Western nations are retiring back to their countries of origins. They are hurt because no one likes them and people say rude things about them.They are taking their delightful offspring with them.
You can dream can’t you?
There is something seriously wrong with the Labor Party. Membership is shrinking and the number of fully active members is thought to be as low as 1,000 people. Has the party of reform lost the capacity to reform itself? Is the party on the road to extinction? James Carleton talks to party insiders about how the Australian Labor Party can remain relevant in the 21st century.
angallis — Sounds like they’ve sussed it.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 05 at 12:40 AM • permalinkLefty Wobbling Right — Start? Or are we only counting white gays?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 05 at 12:42 AM • permalinkHere’s a brief list of ‘Art’ offensive to Catholics which didnt cause the burning down of consular offices.
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2006 02 05 at 12:50 AM • permalinkThey did film those movies in NZ for a reason. NZ is The Shire of the planet and the New Zealanders are the Hobbits. Fat, comfortable, insular, complacent, self-righteous, quick to criticise their protectors and a long way away.
It has been a long time since anything has come out of New Zealand that could be approximately described as “courageous” or “principled”.
They hyped up a major national affair a while back when two Israelis were caught trying to snitch a passport. A scandal of the first order. An attack on NZ sovereignity no less. The indignant cloud of pique hung so thick in the air they had to close Auckland airport to transit traffic.
And yet when an Islamist terrorist cell was caught red handed in Singapore with hundreds of forged NZ passports, the only word from their government was a brief statement to the hobbits to not take this too seriously and that it was time for second breakfast.
Now you know why their national mascot is a small timid flightless bird that only comes out at night and is close to extinction. We would give them a herd of emus to replace them. Except that emus are hardy, fast, plucky, bold and stick by their friends.
And as such, entirely inappropriate for New Zealand.
Sorry to be a stuck record - here’s a New Zealand art exhibit showing an icon of Mary covered in a condom. Apparently there were threats of violence made but no NZ politicians came out in defence of Christianity.
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2006 02 05 at 02:01 AM • permalinkThis is a load of BS. Few mainstream papers or prominent Westerners are commenting on just how ****ed up these Muslim protests are, and now some disgusting Sheikh is basically threatening Australia. ‘Dont publish the cartoons, Aus, we dont want violence do we?’
Here, incase you havn’t seen itAnd of course, Crazy Ant is ignoring what he doesnt want to see- with only
one post related to the cartoons, and that still manages to blame the GWOT for Muslim intolerance. That dodo needs a bitch slapping.Aussie Shreik says Do not publish the pictures, I may spontaneously explode!
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2006 02 05 at 02:28 AM • permalinkOf course NZ pollies are worried. Despite having put so much effort into brown-nosing to Iran they know very well that the bully Iran will shaft them the moment they step out of line. Iran just a week or so ago reduced Turkey’s gas supply by 70% so that they wouldn’t think of agreeing to Iran being referred to the Security Council.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=21071
NZ boasting 2004 about Political and Economic Cooperation Commission just signed up between Iran and NZ.
“Dr Kharrazi’s visit…... We appreciated the opportunity to gain Iranian views on those events. Iran’s strategic position between Iraq and Afghanistan gives it a unique perspective –
And
“My own discussions with Dr Kharrazi provided an opportunity for an exchange of views, in the lead-up to the September International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting, on Iran’s nuclear programme – a key area of concern for New Zealand. Over the past year, New Zealand has maintained a close dialogue with Iran over its nuclear programme; we have encouraged Iran to fully meet its obligations to the IAEA under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to work with the IAEA to resolve all outstanding issues. We have also urged Iran to assist in rebuilding international confidence by re-committing to full suspension of enrichment and reprocessing related activities.’
And New Zealand thinks it is a moral state.
http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/
This ladys article has a small piece of dynamite lodged about 1/5 the way down, I urge people to read it. Here is the excerpt I find interesting.(Ang explaining the sudden supplies of appropiate flags for burning)
“But who wanted or caused the heat to become so turned up and why at that this particular moment? The clue to the answers to this second question lies in a second event almost certain to occur to today, if it has not already happened by the time this blog gets posted. This is the likely decision today in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency to report Iran to the UN Security Council for continuing with its programme of nuclear research. If that decision should occur, when the UN Security Council gets round to considering what form of sanctions to impose on Iran, guess to whom chairmanship of the Council will have passed. You’ve got it… plucky little Denmark. “Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 02 05 at 03:08 AM • permalinkIf anyone’s interested, here’s a discussion featuring a Palestinian muslim named sam-j. It’s worthwhile getting his perspective and comprehending the utter cognitive dissonance of a self proclaimed “moderate” muslim. The discussion with him starts on 31st Jan at 11.41pm. Only click if you have a long-ish attention span.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 02 05 at 03:10 AM • permalinkIs Europe waking up? Der Spiegel--not exactly famous for currying favor with the U.S. or supporting the War on Terrorism--now publishes this:
“Why do they all want to immigrate to the west and not Saudi Arabia?”Posted by arrowhead ripper on 2006 02 05 at 03:25 AM • permalink#47: Given that, thank heavens the Bush Administration has shown itself more than willing to act where the Security Council only huffs and puffs.
Posted by arrowhead ripper on 2006 02 05 at 03:29 AM • permalinkIn defence of the government (helengrad) - free speach isn’t about the government agreeing with you - it is about the government doing absolutely nothing to stop you saying it.
Having said that it is hard to see why it is a sin to suck up to the USA but when it is miscelanious arab nations its all sucking.
"A SENIOR Islamic cleric has called on Australia’s media not to publish the cartoons which have sparked riots across the Muslim world.”
Well that ought to be enough to publish the damn things far and wide. Let the whole world see.
They are of course heavy satire and I found I had to go looking for an explanation to understand some of them. My guess is that many of the ‘protestors’ haven’t seen the cartoons and probably don’t know what they contain. Huh ... never mind, we can’t let anything as trivial as that get in the way of a good riot. But if we as a civilization cave in to these zealots, then there will be no end to this attack on our freedoms.
So in the words of one Duke of Wellington, “Publish and be Damned”
#21 Unzud took the overflow of people from the world famous “Tampa”.Which by the way was skippered by a Norwegian -poignant ain’t it...who roundly abused the Australian and other western governments at the time..
#7 Even as we dream the good ship Greenpeace personed by Awful Helen from Auckland and ably supported by a hand picked Hobbit crew of jolly tars is steaming purposefully toward Iran (so they can prostrate themselves in apology and surrender pre emptively..). Already they have set fire to several Aussie flags (they stopped using their own years ago and besides nobody knows the difference right?
It might ingratiate them with Iran’s group of friends as well. Unzud is probably on first name terms with Venezuela,Cuba and others.Helen has had herself carefully spak fillered and made over,in order not to scare the locals.Hope she’s fixed those split enz…Of course Krakatoa is west of Java but when the movie was made the publicity department of ABC(not the Australian one)) had already sent out trailers and publicity releases before someone consulted an atlas. See irony is a dangerous weapon if not used properly.
Posted by Pat Patterson on 2006 02 05 at 11:07 AM • permalink53crash, re the Tampa “asylum seekers” (the ones who threatened violence on an outnumbered crew and captain if they weren’t taken where they wished to go - which wasn’t back to Indonesia), didn’t a lot of those who ended up in NZ get to Aus anyway?
Isn’t there some sort of reciprocal benefits thingy whereby Kiwis can move here and receive all the benefits and vice versa?
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 02 05 at 04:29 PM • permalinkMystery Meat 21
I hope for the New Zealanders’ sake there are not too many of these Muslim loonies running around loose in their country.
I hope they get a vertebrate government, as quickly and as quietly as their constitution permits.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 02 05 at 06:22 PM • permalink#61. However, when they came for my cheese.....
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 02 05 at 10:25 PM • permalinkNew Zeal-land...
FranceShire of the Pacific rim indeed....An Anglospheric nation (atom-averse harborer of rainbow warriors and global carbonmongers alike) most famous for hosting timely cinematic fantasies depicting the latent bravery of leaf-smoking midgets who live in pleasant little holes, more content sheep than people, and of course for having displayed sufficient dhimmitude as to embolden even the French to terror bomb them.
True to form, NZ authorities have added to their beloved peaceful easy feeling by apologizing to the very Nazgul who would eat such tender halal Shirefolk skewered upon their kebab sticks...Had better men not taken it upon themselves to stand in their stead across the planet.
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“Carry on ignoring them trooper”
(That said where are our Fearless editors?)