No Right Turn: Martyrdom issues

Friday, June 10, 2005

Martyrdom issues

National has said that it will not support Ken Shirley's attempt to repeal the ban on nuclear ship visits. Which means that ACT may very well be the only party supporting it. Labour, the Greens and the Progressives are all solidly against. NZFirst's defence policy states that they will "maintain New Zealand's commitment to its Nuclear Free Policy", while United Future's 2002 foreign affairs policy declares that they will "retain New Zealand's nuclear-free status and international leadership on disarmament issues". I don't know where the Maori Party stands - they don't have policy on this area - but I don't really expect they'll be in favour either. When it comes to cuddling up to the Americans, ACT pretty much stands alone. Maybe this isn't so much a wedge issue as a martyrdom issue...

6 comments:

So what's wrong with nuclear-powered vessels? And what's wrong with having America as an ally? Who would you recommend as an ally instead? France?

Posted by Blair : 6/10/2005 02:53:00 PM

' Blair said...So what's wrong with nuclear-powered vessels? '

On the face of it probably not much. They do appear to have a reasonably good safety record historically.

However, in the context of our country's nuclear ban, the safety record is completely beside the point. The issue is that the production of fissile material for propulsion is intimately tied up with the production of fissile material for bombs.

If I accept nuclear ships and power plants then I tacitly accept the production of weapons of mass destruction from the same manufacturing processes. On moral and humanitarian grounds I am unwilling to do so and therefore as a matter of principle I oppose ship visits.

'And what's wrong with having America as an ally? '

Frankly, these days, quite a lot actually and I really wish people would get over the past. The friendly, welcomed ally of sixty five years ago was another America of another generation in another century and a far cry from the arrogant, selfish, bullying America of 2005.

We would be well advised to unhitch our carriage as soon as possible from the cultural and political train wreck that lies ahead of that unhappy country.

Posted by Anonymous : 6/10/2005 07:53:00 PM

some of the things that make me proud to be a NZer - resisting US hedgemony, opposing the invasion of Iraq and keeping nuclear anythings from our shores. The arguements about defense and security are quite frankly devious manipulations of reality which try and play on everyones natural fears. Lets continue to resist and show the world there is an alternative to the establishment agenda (US lead)

Posted by Anonymous : 6/11/2005 08:55:00 AM

Blair: actually, I think there's very little wrong with nuclear power, other than the questions of waste-disposal and proliferation risk. But the key point in this debate - which pro-nuclear adovcates consistently miss - is that we don't want it here. And that's a decision we're perfectly entitled to make.

As for the US, if the cost of being their friend is subserviance and sacrificing our key values, then that is too high a cost to bear.

Posted by Idiot/Savant : 6/11/2005 12:50:00 PM

This is a classic example of politics resulting in the governing parties providing no choices.
Many NZders that I know support nuclear ships comming to NZ but they have no representation (ACT doesnt count it probably wont even exist soon).

> The friendly, welcomed ally of sixty five years ago was another America of another generation in another century and a far cry from the arrogant, selfish, bullying America of 2005.

Haha yes this one is VASTLY better than that racist and disgusting state. the only thing is that then we were focused on even more racist and disgusting states.

>As for the US, if the cost of being their friend is subserviance and sacrificing our key values.

Hmmm.. much better to be China's friend and sacrifice values such as opposing slave labour and annexing of states and so forth.

Posted by Genius : 6/11/2005 03:22:00 PM