ANZAC regrets

On this ANZAC day, where Aussies and Kiwis commemorate the deaths of thousands of soldiers who fought in wars to keep Australia free and the idea of a liberal democracy alive in this lonely corner of the planet, I came across this news and was depressed at how far some Aussies have travelled into the La-La land of ideological madness.

AUSTRALIA'S Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma is attending the controversial UN anti-racism conference in Geneva, despite the Rudd Government's decision to boycott the event because of fears it would become a platform to attack Israel.

The idea that an indigenous "Race Discrimination Commissioner" needs to go to a conference which last time resolved after a couple of weeks of junket deliberation that the only country worthy of racist policies was Israel, is some sort of wacky.

Mr Tom Calma (picture source)

The actual criticism is in point 63 of the Durban declaration (document available here):

63. We are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation. We recognize the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State and we recognize the right to security for all States in the region, including Israel, and call upon all States to support the peace process and bring it to an early conclusion;

Whilst it's not entirely comparing Israel with Germany circa 1939 (the benchmark of evil), it is curious that in the entire 62 page document, Israel is the only nation that gets a special mention. What this anti-semitic conference will teach the indigenous "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner" (to use his full title) is beyond me and even the Rudd government. The US, Canada, Israel and Australia have all officially boycotted this farce of a conference (as if a UN conference is anything but) yet Mr Calma insists on going.

I'm sure the OIC delegation will have much to teach an indigenous Australian about racism...

Antarctic Ice expanding...IT'S THE WARMING!!!!

April 6, 2009; The Age: "Antarctic ice melting faster than expected"

"UP TO one-third of all Antarctic sea ice is likely to melt by the end of the century, seriously contributing to dangerous sea level rises, updated scientific modelling on global warming shows."

April 23, 2009; ABC News: "Antarctic sea ice increasing: study"

"Scientists in the United Kingdom have produced a study which shows ice has grown by 100,000 square kilometres each decade in the past 30 years."

but don't worry alarmists...

"The increase is being put down to the hole in the ozone layer."

Yayy!!! We can still blame humans for what is most likely a natural climate cycle.

Funny thing is, the Antarctic ice expanding goes against all the computer models that the Goremeister, his partners in crime the UN's IPCC and all the other hysterical ninnies that believe the only way we will be able to stop this climate change thing is by submitting all developed countries economies to totalitarian (read:UN) regulations and creating a fraudulent and ridiculous "market" in CO2 trading or whatever the hell they call it now.

Brave new cold/warm/icy/temparate world.....

Oh and the ozone hole thing causing the ice expansion? Yeah, probably not.

Pirates vs Flipper

Those crazy ol' somali pirates arrrr at it again, getting all the headlines. First there's the news that US Navy snipers took out 3 pirates simultaneously when they threatened an American ship captain. Then the pirates vowed revenge on all US and French targets (not sure the Yanks are too happy to be lugged in with the cheese-eaters), however despite their impressive gains in productivity and being able to seize ships the size of US Aircraft carriers, threats from dudes in wooden boats that are frightened off by dolphins are probably not so scary to the only country that has actually used nuclear weapons.

anti-pirate dolphins

However on that note, given the impressive militarism of Obama's administration, the pirates threats might actually work. I'll let Mark Steyn takeover on these pirate "distractions" to Obama's true goal (whatever that is):

Powerful states protect one-man psycho states. One-man psycho states provide delivery systems to apocalyptic ideological states. Apocalyptic ideological states fund nonstate actors around the world. And in Somalia and elsewhere nonstate actors are constrained only by their ever increasing capabilities.

Didn't we get rid of pirates, like 200 years ago?

Hitchens vs the SSNP

VS

My favourite writer Christopher Hitchens on his recent adventures in Lebanon. I can’t really do it any justice, so I recommend you read it all.

However here’s a little taster. First, there’s the meeting of Hitchens & Co. with an Syrian Social Nationalist Party Flag (SSNP):

“Well, call me old-fashioned if you will, but I have always taken the view that swastika symbols exist for one purpose only—to be defaced. Telling my two companions to hold on for a second, I flourish my trusty felt-tip and begin to write some offensive words on the offending poster. I say “begin” because I have barely gotten to the letter k in a well-known transitive verb when I am grabbed by my shirt collar by a venomous little thug, his face glittering with hysterical malice.”

Too [transitive verb]ing funny...

And a little bit further:

“However, it remains the case that those who inconvenience Syria by their criticisms are bad liabilities from the life-insurance point of view.”

A perfect mix of facts, cynicism and wit. A man truly after my own heart.

Comrade Obama

This makes me distinctly uncomfortable:

"The White House confirmed Wagoner was leaving at the government's behest after The Associated Press reported his immediate departure, without giving a reason."

That the CEO of GM (a privately owned company) should have left, I would have it thought an issue for the board, stockholders and the market, not the president of the United States or for that matter any government official. But hey, ask the government for >USD$20billion, ya gotta expect some sort of 'return' on their investment. Something about getting in bed with devil would be appropriate here...

Far be it from me to once again suggest, imply or otherwise state in plain English I believe Obama is really a not-so-in-the-closet-socialist, lets hear from that the PM of that other great shining example of capitalism, the former USSR.

From this article:

"Russia's [PM] Dmitry Medvedev hailed Barack Obama as "my new comrade"

Nothing to see here, move along. Just business as usual in the land of the free markets and liberal democracy.

And if you think that now the Russkies and Uncle Sam are all rolling around in a geopolitical lovefest, here's the parting shot Medvedvedvedved made speaking of their recent 'expedition' into Georgia (which I have previously written about here, and here):

“"Everything that has happened, I will tell you frankly, that the leader of Georgia is responsible for everything. That is my direct and honest and open opinion.

"A lot of people had to pay for the mistakes of one man. We love and appreciate the Georgian people. But I do not want to have any relations with President Saakashvili."

Not a good time to be Georgian...

NORKS vs DORKS

So the NORKs (press speak for North Koreans) are preparing to launch a long range ICBM, ostensibly to launch a satellite, but probably to test the range of their BigDong TaepoDong 2 (TD-2) missile. At the time of the announcement of the test (in complete contravention of a UN resolution...but we all know how much they’re worth), initially the US, Japan all got their knickers in a twist and threatened to shoot it down, and South Korea threatened to file a UN Security Council violation. As the missile’s projected trajectory takes it right over Japan, it is understandable why the Japanese are more than just a little concerned.

However, despite having the capacity to do so courtesy of two US Navy destroyers in the region , the clear thinking and brave new administration of the Obama whitehouse has pretty much stuck it’s hands over it’s ears and gone “la-la-la-la-la can’t see anything la-la-la”.

From the article:

“Appearing on "FOX News Sunday," Gates said North Korea "probably will" fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: "And there's nothing we can do about it?"

"No," Gates answered, adding, "I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it."

The North has said it would consider any interference an "act of war"

UPDATE: So I wrote this blog last week thinking I had till wednesday, but the crafty Norks got ahead of me, and it was launched Sunday.

"U.S. and South Korean officials claim the entire rocket, including whatever payload it carried, ended up in the ocean after Sunday's launch"

However, now, after the fact, the Obama administration "urges action". Not wanting to restate the obvious, but it seems that the US did indeed have the means for "action" prior to and during the launch.