Re: [Robert Fisk]

At 01:04 AM 10/16/02 -0400, you wrote:

>... I suspect that Fisk cannot say what he really wants to say. 
>Namely, that "young Australians" got what they deserved on Bali, 
>since Australia is a strong supporter of the United States in its 
>war on terror. (And that therefore the best way to protect oneself 
>in this crazy world is to distance oneself from the United States.)

Thanks for sharing that suspicion.  However, the suspicion says 
more about you than about the suspect ... since, after all, you 
arrived at it based not on what the person said, but as an 
implication of that fact that you did not find it very coherent.

-- Drain the swamp, you'll have fewer mozzies (and fewer 
prawns and fish as well ... the same principle is at work, 
just a different evaluation of the natural results of having 
a swamp nearby).

That doesn't say anything about whose "fault" it is that 
someone gets bitten by a mozzie.  Its an entirely different 
question.  If the US is bullying its way around the world, 
imposing or supporting repressive dictatorships on the parts 
of the world unlucky enough to be seen as no trusted to 
deliver a pro-US and pro-corporate line if allowed to have 
democracy ... there will be terrorists.  If the US declares 
a war on terrorism and Australia jumps up and down trying 
to get the highest ranking possible as loyal anti-terrorism 
way ally ... some of those terrorists will try to engage in 
terrorist acts directed largely at Australians.

Those acts of terror are evil.  The support of the repressive 
governments is evil.  The complicity with the support of the 
repressive governments is evil.

What is so confusing about "two wrongs do not make a 
right"? Obviously if you get two sides trying to convince 
their local audience "their wrongs justify my wrong", that 
is a positive feedback loop that helps polarise things and 
mobilise support for the evil done on all sides ... but not 
one of the evil acts done by one party justifies any of the 
evil acts done by the other party.

The US should be doing what it can to undermine support for 
the evil coming from its nominated "opponents" in the 
"war on terror" ... not from fear of the opponents, but 
because less evil on one side and less support for evil 
on the other side means the world is a better place.  
Australia should refrain from complicity in supporting 
jingoist US saber rattling not because of the fear of 
terrorists attacking Australians ... but because you do 
not eliminate mozzies by flooding the swamp.



--
Dr. Bruce R. McFarling, PhD
Bus. Office 1.72 -- (02) 4348-4078
School of Business
Faculty of the Central Coast
Newcastle University, Ourimbah