Some questions for Helen Clark in light of her invitation to George Bush to visit New Zealand:
- What is the expected cost to the taxpayer of providing security for such a visit, and how many hip replacements would that purchase?
- Will US bodyguards be permitted to carry firearms?
- Will they be allowed to bring a minigun?
- Will she give an assurance that US bodyguards will not be granted diplomatic immunity, and that they will face New Zealand justice if they shoot anyone?
- Does she agree with the judgement of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg that waging a war of aggression is "the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole"?
- Does she agree with the Convention Against Torture that "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political in stability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture"?
- Does she feel comfortable inviting a man who authorised torture into our country?
- Would she invite Pinochet or P W Botha or General Suharto to make a similar visit?
- Does she think that leaders should be held to account by the international community for crimes such as aggression and torture?
- Does she think George Bush should be held to account for his crimes?
- Will New Zealanders be forbidden to look out their windows or stand on their balconies to view the passing motorcade, as happened when President Bush visited Mainz in 2005?
- Will New Zealanders be confined in "free speech zones", as routinely happens in the US to those protesting against the president?
- Will she give an assurance that New Zealanders' right to protest will not be compromised during this visit?
Hopefully someone will grill Clark in Parliament over this; her answers should be interesting, to say the least.
there was a mention of a minigun in the link I read - I think the idea is that it would be mounted on a vehicle. It's what you use to mow down crowds or take out a small aircraft
ReplyDeleteI'd assumed I/S's use of the hip replacement "currency" was ironic.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those interesting quirks of the national character (especially post the Upton/Birch "reforms") that the opportunity cost of public expenditure in any area is measured in hip replacements foregone. See: waterfront stadium debate. What is it with Kiwis and their hips?
Anon: yes. And I think anyone looking at the demands the US made over Bush's visits to London and Mainz has powerful reason to be concerned. Total shutdowns of city centres? People forbidden to watch the show? Legally unaccountable foreigners running around with handguns, with a gatling-gun so they can mow down any crowd that gets too rowdy? Protestors put under surveillance, and herded round so that the President (or his accompanying media) doesn't see them? And all this for a man who by rights should be in a cell next to Saddam Hussein? Fuck that for a joke.
ReplyDeleteDC_Red: pretty much. Unfortunately, I'm not sure of the NZ$-to-hip-op exchange rate - but I could probably figure it out from some press releases.
Whilst I can see the geo-political realities which mean that his visit will go ahead... I would _love_ to see how snubbing him would go down.
ReplyDeleteI can see it now...
"Dear Mr President,
We would like to inform you that as a torturing war criminal we have decided that your visit to New Zealand would go against our principles of supporting justice and peace."
Just imagine the look on his face, just imagine the media scrum. I mean it's like kicking sand in the face of the biggest bully on the beach.
It would be priceless.
OTOH it would also mean that we could then host very few world leaders. But hey.
We would like to inform you that as a torturing war criminal we have decided that your visit to New Zealand would go against our principles of supporting justice and peace."
ReplyDeleteJust imagine the look on his face, ...
It would be priceless."
Serioulsy, have you been living under a rock? Bush hears stuff like that more often you eat.
Also: since when did NZ support Justice and Peace? We didn't go into Iraq.