Leaving Iraq, Self-Determination of Nations, Adventures!

[tcpip]

Australia is leaving Iraq, after costing 2.3 billion in public funds. A legal brief has been sent to the International Criminal Court claiming John Howard committed war crimes in authorising the invasion. Kevin Rudd's comments lend credibility to the claim, saying that the invasion was conducted "without a full and proper assessment". I am glad we are washing our hands of this tawdry affair. The invasion was without ethical or legal justification and the only reason a similar writ hasn't been served on George W. Bush is because the United States is a rogue nation in its failiure to join the International Criminal Court. Getting Bush on trial is going to be a task for the American people alone.

On a related matter I have recently ended up in a bit of a debate with my religious colleagues concerning the self-determination of the Tibetan people. In the last two issues of the Beacon they have published an article by Michael Parenti who rejects a utopian potrayal of Tibet as an independent regime. My criticism of the article (last page, second issue) is that none of this deals with the basic principle of self-determination of nationalities. The lengthy response by the editors utterly fails to address this basic matter. As a result of their failure, I've joined the Australia-Tibet Council.

Went to see the latest Indianna Jones film on Saturday. It's a significant step down from the eighties classics; not a disaster, but if I'd known beforehand what it was like I wouldn't have bothered to see it at the cinema. Gaming has been good with an excellent session of RuneQuest: River of Cradles (example story in lin) last Sunday (and with a new player, Sam) and with good developments in the two PBeM games that I'm running. I also have another RPG-related annoucement to make, but that's going to have to wait until the next post ;-)

Comments

I weep for my nation

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

At times I'm embarrassed to be a United States citizen. The people saying that the Bush Administration "hijacked" the country are right; Gore Vidal called it a coup d'etat. GWB & his administration is the worst in our nation's history. The $10 billion (US) spent each month for this war, the use of private, for-profit mercenary soldiers, intelligence officers and other contractors in lieu of the U.S. military with the resultant legal murkiness about accountability especially for war crimes, the suspension of the Geneva Convention (aka torture/water boarding as part of "enhanced" interrogation), the suspension of federal legal protections for "detainees" at Guantamo and elsewhere abroad, "extraordinary rendition" of prisoners/detainees to Egypt and elsewhere for explicit torture, all the lies used to market the war to the U.S. public as well as deceive the Congress.

I don't know why my nation has not brought impeachment proceedings against Bush, Cheney and others. It needs to be done. I've written, but don't have significant political clout personally. Our media often doesn't bother reporting protests any more, as it did during U.S. involvement in Viet Nam.

Yes, I would very much like to see the Bush, Cheney et al, brought forward to the World Court for war crimes. Even if prosecuted only in absentia would be better than nothing. I hope the next U.S. president is much wiser and more ethical. GWB has been the world's greatest terrorist for 5-6 years now! I'm more than ready for a positive change.

Glad you're enjoying gaming; I haven't played RuneQuest in years. Thanks also for the Indiana Jones report; I'd heard elsewhere that it wasn't very good.

Re: I weep for my nation

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The fact that you weep for your nation, indicates the degree of loyalty to the United States - and for very good reason. Despite the bumpy road (not the least in the treatment of different "races"), I have nothing but the utmost respect for a state that was genuinely founded on the principles of personal liberty, the separation of church and state and - although oft-ignored - common ownership of natural resources.

These days will pass. Keep the strength, keep fighting, and America will again become a state which people respect rather than despise.

Re: I weep for my nation

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

I've considered moving from the U.S. on a few occasions; however, I believe it's better for me to stay here to do what I can to make a positive difference. I'm certainly going to vote, advocate, etc. as best I can. Thank you for your encouraging words.

Re: Racism: I think the concept of different "races" is erroneous. Certainly there are different ethnicities; however, we're one species. It's also clear that individual differences are more significant than any so-called (and I think, suspect) differences purportedly measured between groups of different ethnicities. (That is to say, I think all the studies I've seen measuring such differences are flawed.)