Things that make you go hmmm....

Further to my post about Mr Calma attending the UN anti racist-hatefest, and the confusion as to why someone representing Australia would attend, when the "official" government position was to boycott the conference. In an Andrew Bolt column on Rudd's post-PM ambitions, there was a sentence that caught my eye:

"He [Rudd] also waited until the last minute to pull out of a UN anti-racism conference last month rather than lead in condemning what was in fact a festival of hatred for Israel."

By all accounts, ALL the media coverage about Mr Calma attending was of the "shock and surprise" that a public servant would dissent from the official position. What is of concern is if Mr Rudd did in fact want an Australian presence there but could publicly decry it. The presence could serve as part of Rudd's future campaign to a UN posting whilst his public announcements would serve as a signal to the Aussie electorate that he is taking the "proper" stance.

Let me reiterate, the Durban II conference was nothing but the clearest indication that the UN project is failing allowing the most racist, most tyrrannical regimes in the world a voice to criticise liberal democracies for their alleged failings in human rights. In the end it just results in a lightly worded condemnation of Israel, which most of the world ignores. The wikipedia entry
demonstrates that the problems with this conference are well documented, and I would argue that the correct position was for Australia to boycott. However if it turns out that Mr Calma attended with the tacit acceptance of Big Kev, solely to improve his chances at being elected the
big cheese at the UN after his term as PM, then you might want to ask exactly what other decisions and policy positions he is taking with this aim in mind...

Increasing sales of Uranium to the Chinese?
Introducing an Emissions Trading Scheme?

Can I use "internationalist" as a pejorative term?

Things that make you go hmmm..
(picture source)