Cowardly

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, February 8th, 2010 - 51 comments
Categories: law - Tags:

A foreign politician celebrates an act of terrorism on our shores and our Prime Minister refuses to comment on the matter?

WTF?

51 comments on “Cowardly ”

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  1. Graham 1
    8 February 2010 at 7:58 am

    Sorry, but how is this different to Helen Clark, in 2006, indicating “that the matter was closed” because “France had already been held liable for its actions, had issued an apology and had paid $6.5 million in compensation to New Zealand”.

    “Were New Zealand to reopen the case, it is likely that the French government would consider us acting contrary to earlier undertakings,” Clark said.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/world/europe/03iht-royal.html

    • Eddie 1.1
      8 February 2010 at 8:10 am

      because that wasn’t a foreign politician celebrating an act of terrorism on our shores?

      • Graham 1.1.1
        8 February 2010 at 8:20 am

        True, true. There was just a statement by the brother of a French presidential contender that his brother, a former lieutenant in the French secret service, had confided to him that he had planted the bombs that sank the Rainbow Warrior, during which one man drowned.

        But Helen Clark refused to take it any further.

        And Jim Anderton said, “”Evidence is required, not just one family member saying something against another.”

        And there was comment at the time that “a majority [of French people] … probably supported the operation and only regret that we had to say sorry to the New Zealanders about it”.

        Yes, totally different.

        • Eddie 1.1.1.1
          8 February 2010 at 8:28 am

          that issue was over the bombing itself, for which the french have paid reparations – not that we forgive them. We obviously weren’t going to reopen the investigation, the french had already admitted culpability.

          this is about a foreign politician celebrating an act of terrorism on our shores and the PM refusing to comment at all.

        • felix 1.1.1.2
          8 February 2010 at 8:57 am

          Graham.

          For the sake of discussion I’ll pretend to agree with you and accept that the two incidents are identical in principle.

          So are they both both examples of disgraceful, unpatriotic cowardice or not?

          • Graham 1.1.1.2.1
            8 February 2010 at 9:28 am

            I wouldn’t use those exact words, but yes. I agree that John Key should stand up and get stuck into Mr Bloom in this case.

  2. Pascal's bookie 2
    8 February 2010 at 8:00 am

    Be fair Irish.

    While he wanted to be PM from a young age, John just didn’t have an opinion about the Rainbow warrior being blown up in a NZ port by agents of a foreign power.

    He was relaxed about it then, so to ask him to feign outrage about it now would require him to lie to the media.

    Which is something he just won’t do; unless it’s about his diary or his share portfolio or Emails from the brethren or what the ERO said.

  3. Michael Foxglove 3
    8 February 2010 at 8:44 am

    One thing never changes about National Governments: They’re always unwilling to defend the interests of Kiwis if foreign policy’s at stake (no matter how undignified the dignitary).

    • Graham 3.1
      8 February 2010 at 9:01 am

      Just like in 2006, when Helen Clark refused to say anything because relations between the two contries were going well and she didn’t want to put them at risk.

      Hell, I’m not apologising for John Key in this case, but you’re being a little one-eyed here (or a short memory).

      [lprent: The Standard started in August 2007. ]

      • Michael Foxglove 3.1.1
        8 February 2010 at 9:08 am

        Graham. The Standard didn’t exist in 2006, so it’s not an event any of our authors were able to ascribe an opinion to.

        This post is a criticism about Key’s actions. We’re not defending what a former Prime Minister may not have done four years ago.

      • Graham 3.1.2
        8 February 2010 at 10:01 am

        Fair enough, I forgive The Standard then!

        Michael Foxglove’s comment poking it to the Nats, on the other hand, started just over an hour ago 🙂

        • Tigger 3.1.2.1
          8 February 2010 at 10:27 am

          Graham – point taken about overall similarity but Clark responded with an explanation for not saying anything. Key has just said ‘No comment’.

          Does Key even know what the Rainbow Warrior was? He probably thinks its it was a Pokemon character…

  4. gitmo 4
    8 February 2010 at 9:37 am

    Politicians use weasel words … who would have thought it ?

    To quote Melchy ” …..you twist and turn like some kind of twist turney thing ……….”

    Pack of twats the lot of them, with the occasional exception

  5. Brett Dale 5
    8 February 2010 at 11:20 am

    That is pretty digusting with what he said, Kinda like when keith locke blamed America for 9/11, only 12 hours after it happen.

    Not as bad as Peace Action New Zealand’s actions at a christchurch memorial.

    • millsy 5.1
      8 February 2010 at 11:32 am

      You love slagging of people who are anti war dont you?

      I suppose you would have them taken out the back and shot?

    • felix 5.2
      8 February 2010 at 12:06 pm

      Not as bad as Peace Action New Zealand’s actions at a christchurch memorial.

      Except that story of yours isn’t actually true, Brett, as has been demonstrated to you several times when you’ve brought (made) it up in the past.

      Learning difficulties, you haz them.

  6. the sprout 6
    8 February 2010 at 11:23 am

    Such loyal servants of the Empire we are.
    Utter cowardice from National.

  7. prism 7
    8 February 2010 at 12:13 pm

    Graham don’t be naive – there is just so much leverage that a small country such as ourselves can put on a bigger and intransigent one. We did force action, and criminal charges and so on. Labour did all it could and no party could have done better. It is not the first or will be the last time that we have been dissed. To have it acknowledged was a positive for us.
    To have this little goat prancing round saying fascist greenies shows again the arrogance of many British politicians and their self-serving concerns, ignorance and irresponsibility in dealing with national and world problems. The recent controversy on their egregious personal spending is another indication. Tony Blair and his junket in Iraq etc. follows that line too. That this sort of tosser can be a Member of the European Parliament MEP shows a lack of integrity towards that body in putting such second raters up for this important position.
    This politician has no doubt been influenced by his parents silly name choice – Godfrey – the god bit has gone to his head and his surname of Bloom rightly reminds one of an outbreak of some poisonous growth as in algal bloom.

  8. Brett Dale 8
    8 February 2010 at 5:43 pm

    FELIX:

    Yes its true what peace action newzealand did, ask them yourself, they are proud with that they did to the memorial.

    Go on ask them, or ask any Christchurch person who had their flowers or notes of prays destoryed by these guys.

    • felix 8.1
      8 February 2010 at 6:38 pm

      Or I could wait for you to back up your claim with some verifiable facts.

      I won’t hold my breath.

      Tell us the story about how you went to find them at their office. Again.

  9. Brett Dale 9
    8 February 2010 at 5:44 pm

    mILSY:

    I dont mind aniti war people, I was against the Iraqi war myself, I dont like people who uses the peace movement to promote thier political idealogy.

    • BLiP 9.1
      8 February 2010 at 10:11 pm

      I dont like people who uses the peace movement to promote thier political idealogy.

      FOTFLMAO . . . outstanding!! And here’s me thinking you had absolutely no sense of humour.

  10. The Voice of Reason 10
    8 February 2010 at 6:44 pm

    You’re they one making the claim, Brett. Where’s the evidence? Where’s the link? I’m not saying whatever you think happened didn’t occur. I (and presumably a few other readers) haven’t got a clue as to what you reckoned happened in Chch.

    Could you elaborate? If not, could you just stop going on about it?

  11. Brett Dale 11
    8 February 2010 at 9:40 pm

    The voice of reason:

    Ask them if they did it, they will admit it.

    I didnt take photos of the memorial, before or after, so perhaps a phone call to peace action new zealand in christchurch can verified what happen.

    Im not going to phone these jackasses though

    • felix 11.1
      8 February 2010 at 9:47 pm

      So you don’t know, won’t find out, but expect everyone to trust your gut feeling?

      Tell us about the trip to the office.

  12. Brett Dale 12
    8 February 2010 at 9:47 pm

    Voice of reason:

    After 9/11 some flowers and notes were left at the Chalice in Cathedral square, the notes including mine had writings that said “Our Prays are with you america” “thoughts with the USA” someone had also handdrawn an baldeagle, they were posted all over the Chalice.

    I went back a day after I had posted mine, the flowers had been stood upon.
    All the notes that were stuck up there had been ripped off and replaced with notes that said “No Sympathy for America they are the worlds biggest terrorists” and the like, these notes had Peace Action New Zealand written on them also.

    I didnt film it at the time.

    You have to be mentally ill, to do something to a memorial, you may disagree with people’s sentiments at the time, but to do what they is, is sickening.

    You dont have to take my word for it, if you dont want to, but Im guessing they would be the type of people who would admit it and wear it as a badge of honor.

  13. Brett Dale 13
    8 February 2010 at 9:51 pm

    fELIX:

    They had peace action newzealand, written on the notes they left.

    Likie I said I didnt film it, so you will have to ask their chch office if they did it, im sure they would admit it.

    What kind of person would destory a memorial.

    Do they think its activism???

  14. Brett Dale 14
    8 February 2010 at 9:56 pm

    FELIX:

    Okay, they had their address on one of the notes, so i went to their office to ask them why they would do this, no one was in, but they had big pictures of communists leaders on their window, and what looked liked a newspaper clipping about the Holocaust.

  15. Brett Dale 15
    8 February 2010 at 10:00 pm

    Felix

    Don’t understand???

  16. Brett Dale 16
    8 February 2010 at 10:05 pm

    fELIX:

    Yeah I told you where there office was, so its not there anymore??

    It was 2001.

    Go to their webpage, find an email address and ask their CHCH group if they did it, Im sure they will admit it.

    • felix 16.1
      8 February 2010 at 10:07 pm

      It was revealed that they had never had an office on that street, Brett. Ever.

      You got the wrong group.

      Yet still you tell that story over and over as if none of these conversations had ever happened.

  17. Brett Dale 17
    8 February 2010 at 10:13 pm

    Felix:?

    Well someone was putting Peace Action New Zealand notes over the chalice, the Office was in the street where the massive old arcade Wizards use to be???

    Are you sure their was office was never there???

    • felix 17.1
      8 February 2010 at 10:27 pm

      This has all been explained to you several times. You got the wrong group.

      And still you pretend.

  18. Brett Dale 18
    8 February 2010 at 10:29 pm

    All I can say, is that it had peace aciton newzealand written on the notes they left.

    Like last night, Im done now, gudnight.

  19. felix 19
    8 February 2010 at 10:48 pm

    Perhaps this thread might jog Brett’s memory, particularly this comment.

  20. The Voice of Reason 20
    9 February 2010 at 7:59 am

    Thanks for explaining what you saw, Brett. I’d bet my mansion and a good percentage of the servants as well that it had nothing to do with any organised peace group. More likely one or two naive idiots trying to make some obscure point. And not neccesarily idiots of the left.

    My Chch experiance after 9/11 was far nicer. On the next Saturday, my footy team and the opposition stood in a circle for a minute’s silence prior to kick off. I felt a little awkward, to be frank, because I understood why the yanks were attacked, but I think we all got that the deaths of all those innocent civillans was as an appalling act of brutality.

    That’s the memory that will stick with me. Canterbury folk expressing their empathy for people they did not know in a dignified and poignant manner. Kinda kewl, really.

  21. Brett Dale 21
    9 February 2010 at 1:49 pm

    The voice of reason:

    Thats a reasonable post.

    You may be right, it could of just be one or two idiots.

    My work also had a minute of silence.

  22. Brett Dale 22
    9 February 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Felix:

    Im not going thru all this again, I know what was written on the notes they had left, I know what was on the window of the address that was left on one of the notes.

  23. Brett Dale 23
    9 February 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Yes I did, and again I know what I read and how it made me felt.

    I am done, Felix.

    Are you sure you don’t post at Pandasport?

    • felix 23.1
      9 February 2010 at 2:35 pm

      You were also sure you’d found Peace Action’s office.

      Your memory of this event has been shown to be unreliable.

      • Kevin Welsh 23.1.1
        9 February 2010 at 2:39 pm

        Felix, let him go.

        Brett has a problem with making stuff up as we have seen in the last few days.

  24. Brett Dale 24
    9 February 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I went to ther address that was written on the notes that had ‘No sympathy for the USA” and peace action newzeland.

    If they cant get their letterheads right, it anit my fault.

    I am done.

    • felix 24.1
      9 February 2010 at 2:44 pm

      I don’t believe you’re done at all. I think you’re going to continue creating this myth.

      And when you do, I’ll continue to point out that you can’t be trusted to remember your middle name.