Laurie Cousins: "A senior legal adviser to the foreign
secretary, Jack Straw, has quit the Foreign Office because of a
difference over the legal advice sanctioning the war against Iraq. See
guardian
Tim Gillin in Sydney: Senator Robert Byrd's lonely
voice in the Senate certainly needs to be listened to, but why not also
listen to Congressman Ron Paul's lonelier voice in the US House of
Representatives? Paul's anti-war record is more consistent, having
opposed Gulf War 1, NATO's war on Serbia and other
"humanitarian" invasions. Unlike Australia's "peace"
movement, he opposes war with or without the figleaf of the UN. He is
also a Republican from Texas.
texasobserver
Phil Teece: In her wonderful book 'The March of Folly'
(the title of which I see you're using to good effect), historian Barbara
Tuchman included a statement which has been stuck on my wall here for
many years. It is: "Three outstanding attitudes - obliviousness
to the growing disaffection of constituents, primacy of
self-aggrandizement, illusion of invulnerable status - are persistent
aspects of folly." Was it ever more apposite?
Andrew Asquith in Ji'nan, China: This war is f--ked. I have to
ignore it now. I get angry and bitter and I don't like myself like that.
Here in China there is concern that the US will start something nasty in
North Korea and Taiwan. I feel that some of the stares I get from
strangers (every westerner get stared at in China) have changed from
smiling and open-eyed to sharp and suspicious. I'm 27 and this is the
first war I've seen as an adult. I now understand much of the sentiments
of social division and scepticism that my high school history books told
me war brought to society. I still love webdiary. I read it as often as I
can. It's my link with home. It's better than the press coz the voices of
webdiary are so much more real and diverse. Like society itself.
Brad Pollard: Four days ago I created a website that has in that
time attracted 30,000 Australians to register their opposition to a war
against IRAQ without UN approval. The register is supported by Senator
Kerry Nettle and Senator Bartlett and will be jointly tabled in
parliament on Tuesday. This register is shaping up to be the definitive
register for Australians against this war. It will serve as a historical
document. Many just want to go down in history as being opposed to this
war. By the end of today there will be 40000 - 50000 on the register, at
this rate the Senators will tabling a document with some 80,000 names on
Tuesday and this will only go up as the war drags out. Go to
notinourname
Janine Ludvidioni in Leichhardt, Sydney: My husband and
I started playing a new game, and the kids love it. They keep the
shopping cart free from American products: soap, cereals, you name it. In
the last month, they have learned to spot suspicious food, clothes, oil,
even movies and magazines. I cannot believe my materialistic demons have
turned into the anti-consumption brigade. We stopped buying American on a
simple premise: The US doesn't listen to people; but they do listen to
money. We are all customers of America. So if enough of us complain, the
US economy will tank and someone over there will wake up. Besides saving
lives, we have found that we are having more fun while spending
less.
***
Hans Peter Deitz
It seems that Australians are at a total loss to explain our dear
leader's behaviour vis-a-vis backing the US war on Iraq. I think I've
just found a scenario that makes all of Howard's recent acts sound quite
rational, while providing an explanation as to why he won't tell
us.
Charles Krauthammer in 'Time' recently warned of the impending 'age of
proliferation' (of nuclear weapons) which the US are set to aggressively
pre-empt with current policies. I think the age of proliferation is
indeed upon us, and up close and personal.
In Saturday's Der Spiegel
(spiegel) there is an excellent
editorial bearing the title "Rulers of all nations, arm
yourselves!". The main point is that any strategic planner in
countries like Iran, Syria, Nigeria, Malaysia, even Brazil or Japan- or
Indonesia!- would have to conclude that the only way to safeguard
territorial integrity and political independence would be to acquire a
credible deterrent, preferably nuclear warheads on (at least) medium-
range ballistic missiles. It's not a new thought, just expressed
particularly succinctly.
Here's my translation:
Rulers of all nations, arm yourselves!
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/24/1048354543004.html
