MRAA (ie MRAV) bashing

Quick! Someone tell Chirac he's violating people's personal freedoms;

http://tinyurl.com/cc3zs

"France OKs curfew powers
From correspondents in Paris
November 08, 2005

THE French Government has approved giving curfew powers to regional
authorities to stem urban violence that has raged for 12 nights,
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said after a cabinet meeting.

The decision to impose the state of emergency law to halt riots was
taken at a meeting of ministers chaired by President Jacques Chirac.

The measure will also allow police to be able to carry out raids when
they suspect weapons are being stored in the poor city suburbs that have
been at the centre of the unrest, Mr Sarkozy said.

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told national television late
Monday that the curfew powers would be invoked under a 60-year-old law
first brought in as an unsuccessful attempt to quell an insurrection in
Algeria, at a time when the north African country was a French colony."

Good luck with that...

 

I prefer to attend regional meetings as a representative of areas I have
an interest in and good knowledge of. These look at issues specific
regional areas and I've been invited to attend several over the last 2
months including meetings reporting to government committees on transport.

They are not the talkfests that direct political committees often
degenerate into and having community, industry and interest group
representatives talking in a positive environment can be very productive
(unlike politics).

I'd much rather do that than be in politics which despite the best
intentions of some good people is a dirty game at the best of times...


G-S

 

You're right. French intifada sounds more accurate.

http://tinyurl.com/dg8oc

 

So they are 80 spies instead of 80 soldiers... that still doesn't
justify the level of response demonstrated so far.

No... after as well. I accept that a threat exists, I accept that a
small risk exists. I accept that at some time I might get blown up. I
accept that if these laws are not in place then that has the theoretical
potential to make that risk greater.

I do not accept that sacrificing the rights that our ancestors fought
and lost thier lives for is a fair exchange for that increased risk.

If it means that I run an increased risk to maintain that liberty then
so be it.

That is a better choice than giving those liberties up.

You are entitled to disagree. But stopping a terrorist attack (if these
laws can achieve that which has not been demonstrated) at the cost of
these personal rights and liberties is not a good trade in my opinion.

Which is the scary part... how many more times will the government
change the law and erode our rights? The British government already
have 14 day detention and are asking for 90 days. How long before the
Australian government follows suit?

These laws may very well be thin edge of the wedge stuff...


G-S

 

In other words, you're a shill... sorry, but, on my planet, if you pick
a side with as much commitment as you have (point me to *one* negative
thing you've said about anything the current mob have done), you're a
stooge.

Whether you're worried about what being seen to be disloyal by publicly
disagreeing, or whether you genuinely buy into the bullshit to the level
you exhibit, it doesn't matter. Your bias invalidates your viewpoint,
because you don't speak for yourself, you speak for this *thing* you've
handed yourself over to.

You're a tv commercial.

Unfortunately, my committed view is that the whole thing is deeply and
fundamentally fucked. If I was to scrawl a political banner, it would
read, "ENOUGH SUSPENSE! HAND US OVER TO PRIVATE ENTERPRISE NOW!"

Your chosen hobby, politics, the simultaneous manipulation of large
numbers of people for ulterior motives, is pretty much top of my list of
things I have contempt for. Anyone who thinks themselves deserving of
being in charge of people's lives and destinies doesn't belong in public
office, but a mental institution.

 

If they are willing to plan and participate in terrorist attacks, they
are not merely spies.

The right to run a motorcycle protest at the Commonwealth Games may be
dead in the water, what else have you got?

Is your internet access going to be monitored, limited, in any way?

Is your freedom of movement going to be curtailed in any way that might
affect you in your day to day activities?

Is your job dependent on you being a member of one particular political
party?

Exactly what "personal rights and liberties" do you expect to lose?

As many times is as necessary I would hope.

 

French law allows, and has done for a number of decades, for
surveillance, search, seizure and interrogation far in excess of what
even the new laws in Australia do.

Look at how well they've served them...

Those same laws were in power when the Paris Metro was subjected to a
wave of bombings in the mid-90's. From memory, something like 14 people
died. The attackers were pissed-off Algerian fundamentalist Muslims with
a bone to pick about France's colonial involvement in Algeria 30 years
prior.

Don't remember hearing many rednecks using the word "Caliphate" back then...

 

That's because the Islamofascists use it a lot more.

Perhaps you missed OBL when he said it in 2003. You know, when he blamed
our involvement in East Timor for the attacks in Bali.

 

Jeez a bit early isn't it to work out how long the wedge we're seeing
the thin edge of is going to be ? He's only had unfettered power for a
couple of months, with any sort of luck sufficiently noisy protests will
lose him support within the Liberal party, we know there's a few left
with consciences.

JL

 

Why is he wrong?
Are you referring to the media stunt disguised as raids?

 

Which would be a fairly accurate statement, no ? Many Indonesians were
(and still are) way pissed about that.

JL
(which doesn't mean I think that means we shouldn't have been there -
but we should have been there in 1975 or thereabouts when Indonesia
invaded, Gough needs to answer for that one, and Mal isn't clean either)

 

Hope that the democratic process might work? I'm humbled, John. Here I
was thinking you were a basketcase of pessimism.

<Exit stage left, whistling "Always look on the bright side of life">

 

Who said i'm a union member?
I never have admitted to it.
Who said I vote Labor?
I have never admitted to either.
Dont make so many presumptuous statements unless you KNOW!
That makes your viewpoints even less relevant now.

 

Oh I am, but drowning men clutch at straws, it only took 5 years for
George and co. to pluck up the courage to say "this ain't right", I'm
not expecting it to happen, but I can maintain hope.

Crucifixion ? Take one cross, next !

JL
(near enough to the right quote)

 

do you even KNOW the background to these riots oh wise one?
I'd love to know.

 

I do and I have.

No it's not. You pay for a handguns licence and associated red tape and
I'll show you!

H

 

Firing line? Copper reasonably believed...? Do tell me more? I'd hate to
think what some "coppers" might think if they were to be told of the Iranian
students that work(ed) at a University I used to be at.

It may not be representative of all coppers, but the ones that I taught,
interacted and socialised with, I'd rather not have them have "these" powers
after hearing some of their stories.

Because they are out there doing their jobs, I don't think they should be
handed the "right" to shoot to kill because they believed so. I'd want a
great deal more than "a coppers hunch". YMMV.

Hammo

 

<big smile>

10/10. Well done!

Hammo

 

On 8/11/05 1:57 PM, in reference to
huUbf.11377$, going by the name of

Snip...

Really? No-one works shifts where you are, has to look after kiddies or go
to other activities?

Wow! I'm moving to utopia!

Hammo

 

Can you choose not to get shot by a cop that believes you are a terrorist?

Hammo