The Sydney siege has finished, from the reports that are breaking the gunman, Man Haron Monis is dead and two of the hostages have also been killed.
The Australian Police seem to have acted incredibly professionally and the real Australian spirit has shone through with their #illridewithyou hashtag . The way the Australian media worked with the police to not broadcast any of the demands was admirable and suggests a means of cutting off oxygen to any possible future events.
When an event like this plays out in real time, people get angry and emotional. That’s very human, but Monis represents Islam in the same way the KKK represent Christianity. His actions should not be considered representative of Muslims as a whole. There are enough hateful voices in this debate, let’s not add to them.
In terms of NZ, holding his actions up as justification for the new warrantless spying powers which the National Government have rammed through Parliament, when we know that warrantless spying won’t be limited to religious terrorists, are the sorts of actions of a political vulture.
Enter one such political vulture.
The MP who chaired this latest erosion of NZ civil liberties, former mercenary Mark Mitchell, has had the poor taste to come out claiming that the siege in Sydney justifies National’s warrantless spying powers.
There needs to be a special place in hell reserved for politicians who play to our fears while justifying their abuses of power. Now is not the time to grand stand on a neighbouring country’s misfortune. Warrantless spying doesn’t protect us from thugs who go off the deep end, that’s a fallacy that Mitchell is making to politicise a tragedy.
Ugly politics from an ugly, corrupt dirty politics Party.
Bradbury, you would be a treasonous, left-wing piece of filth, of the highest degree.
What the F**K is IGM on – obviously not the appropriate medication. That outburst indicates the same sort of psychotic illness as was demonstrated by the hostage taker. Seemingly the ‘lone wolf’ gunman progressed from writing similarly inappropriate comments to the families of deceased soldiers who had been on active service in Afghanistan.
Oh go blow it out of your rear end IGM! That’s where most of your utterances come from!
IGM is probably Mark Mitchell.
IGM, you are deranged,.
Perhaps Labour was thinking ahead in supporting warrantless spying powers because characters such as IGM may be inclined to go berserk if an opposition government is elected.
But seriously, in this crisis the hostage taker was a disreputable character and the bizarre demands to have an IS flag sent illustrates the absurdity in his motives. Considering this lone wolf action, will governments now press for some bizarre mass surveillance program?
Now that you’ve scraped the barrel clean, perhaps you could do us all a favour by climbing into it and rolling off a wharf somewhere.
yawn feckity yawn, IGM.
You can disagree with the article but reasoned healthy discussion is what NZ requires please.
Well put Martyn. Thank you. Unfortunately, Mitchell is my local MP and a more arrogant man would be hard to find, so I can’t help but agree with your perspective on him through this issue. He is also one of many National MPs actively involved in Dirty Politics.
The incident in Sydney has to remind us no nation is totally free of terrorism.
It doesn’t always have to come from a particular group either, to commit an act of terror. All it takes is one rogue loner (Aramoana, Canada, several school incidents in the USA – another in process as I write – and now Sydney), to become a serious threat to any community.
I fear now, with the help of a right wing MP or two, there could be a nasty backlash towards Muslims, both in Australia and here. I sincerely hope not. But when you have politicians abusing their positions to fire up hatred through using fear tactics, retribution is more likely to become a reality, I’m sad to say.
Well said, Martyn..now. however, the right-wing will say they need more ‘oversight’ to prevent more ‘ lone wolves’ acting. This was a terrorist operation..if we can call Aramoana a terrorist action. Just a sick, twisted psycho acting out dark fantasies.
The one beautiful thing to be taken from this tragedy is the grassroots #illridewithyou campaign..which demonstrates that our Australian brethren still believe in a fair go.
“Monis represents Islam in the same way the KKK represent Christianity”
– That is a damn good line, Martyn.
Odd how a shootout in the USA overnight – in which 5 were killed, doesn’t seem to be getting any mention at at all by the PM.
Selective attention? The world seen through rose-tinted glasses?
Unfortunately, if you look at the doctrines of both Islam and Christianity both ISIS and the KKK are perfect representations of their religions.
Just saying.
I in no way condone higher security measure or deploying troops elsewhere.
Thanks Martyn , using extreme cases involving religious zealots will be made to further the case of “if we are watching ‘them’ all will be well”, which in this case is a crock of the proverbial. That guy was let into Australia as a refugee in1996 and had been a problem ever since. He has been charged with 50 sexual assaults in his black magic cult where he was the self appointed guru, , 300 hours of community service for sending grossly offensive mail to dead Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan , charged with before and after the fact to the murder of his ex wife last year WTF! he was charged with sexually and indecently assaulting a young woman in 2002 and that’s just for starters. Come on really … you didn’t need warrantless surveillance or a camera in his home, to see this guy was trouble and was getting more hateful dangerous and twisted as the fight in his head went on, for 12 years. As for Mr Mitchell, a former security specialist who ran a company in the Middle East for 10 years, at last he said he has 100% justification for his role in the anti-terrorist legislation rushed thru last week, because of what happened in Sydney …
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/28011-war-by-media-and-the-triumph-of-propaganda
How would have spying on this murderous spy made a difference, if he was indicted on many crimes before, including killing his wife, he could have had his passport seized, stopped from leaving the country etc etc , the law is lax in Australia as it is in NZ, he should have been locked up ages ago for good, the weak laws are the problem spying didn’t help Australia, and this has nothing to do with left or right .
yes the person IGM is irrational and nasty just like his national leader.
Well done Martin quite a few people thought the same it was an excuse to push the law through in haste before PM went on holiday,one can almost hear him saying as he leaves brushing hands together “well that’s out of the way , now for the TPPA” .
Obviously IGM hasn’t heard the interview this morning on Radio Live of security expert and analyst Paul Buchanan , – which backs up exactly the point Martyn is making.
Thats now 6 dead in the USA and the gunman still at large.
But it doesn’t have any “spin-angle” with respect to Jihadi terrorism, so it doesn’t figure in the PM’s consciousness. Come on Johnny boy, surely you can spin it is SOME way to justify your new terrorism laws??
Yet again the NZ Lame Street Media trot out the ‘National party questions’ framed as intelligent and insightful interviewers question, with another National party lap dog Michael Wilson. Add him to the massive list of pathetically obviously biased ‘reporters-interviewers’.
Where do they get these idiot interviewers from? Failed National party interviewees for the National parties propaganda department? With a faint hope-hint offered, of next time if you do a ‘good job’ on TV????
Wilson invariably starts with some soppy ‘hidden’ compliment to Key, as if please oh wise one tells us unknowing idiots why you’re so great and will save us.
He also lets JK get away with knocking the oppositions argument down, WITHOUT independent or INTELLIGENT challenge and then listen intently (like a little school kid at a library visit) as the Nats propaganda release is read by Key.
It’s fairly simple, don’t (drone) bomb (or help !!!), kill innocent people overseas, that aren’t harming NZ, with the POOR ratio of innocents to ‘alleged guilty’ people (even Kiwis without a trial) and the ‘terrorists’ have ZERO reason to attack NZ.
Sure you’ll always get the odd madman, probably as per Sydney, but that DOESN’T justify killing innocent people overseas on the off chance of getting the odd ‘supposed terrorist’.
To handle such ‘one offs’ Key could have EASILY smoothed most peoples fears by having an INDEPENDENT body look at each warrant, on it’s merits, NOT his mate (thankfully not as sad a comments as his ‘mate down the pub’), but BAD ENOUGH, his mate with NO releveant EXPERIENCE (that we’ve been told) who he secretly (and LIED about) got the job for.
The NZ Lame Street Media is HELPING JK turn NZ, SLOWLY but SURELY, into a police-fascist type state, where we have limited freedom, and they show any lack of professionalism, and accordingly should have their ‘4th estate’ special law privileges challenged, on a per person basis like Cameron Slater, and just as an errand policeman-soldier would have his/hers rescinded.
The ‘news’ this morning was non stop National party (police-fascists state) propaganda. !!! Absolutely appalling, with NO BALANCE at all.
NZ Media ……bought and paid for. RIP NZ democracy.
When families are still grieving Mark Mitchell immediately starts trying to gain political capital from this. It’s saddening. It’s also completely wrong. None of the aspects of the recent law change would have helped in this situation.
There is nothing wrong with politicizing things like this, as long as you politicize them for the right reasons. National’s are not.
What the siege in Sydney actually proves is that the anti terror legislation was a complete waste of time.
Not only have they got all the anti terror laws they could possibly want in Australia but the police knew about this guy and he was actually out on bail at the time.
Credit where credit is due. I was particularly impressed, despite what must have been al sorts of temptations to jump to conclusions, that even late last night doubts were being expressed within the Australian MSM whether the hostage taker(s) were politically motivated or had some personal issue going. Imagine if ‘Fox News’ were covering such an event.
It must have been a harrowing situation for all concerned: the hostages themselves, the police, the people whose daily lives centred around that area. And, I have no doubt, for the hostage taker himself. Have we any humanity to spare for him?
But look how quickly the New Zealand government falls over itself, trembling with abject fear on account of a tragic event thousands of miles away. Recall how the then Labour Administration rammed through curbs to our civil liberties in response to the 9/11 massacre. And now, again, our politicians, gutless and spineless low-lifes as they are, make political capital out of another nation’s tragedy to force upon us their cowardly response to their own pusillanimity.
It was said by Ben Franklin: ‘who would sacrifice a liberty for a little security, deserves neither the liberty nor the security.’ If such a one is to be so despised, what ought our attitude be to those who for their own security would sacrifice the liberties of others? And you watch: Labour will not lift a finger to oppose any such move. And are we NZ citizens even a whit more secure? Not on your life!
Mr Mitchell MP must be a very, very frightened little man even to contemplate spying on New Zealand’s own free citizenry. IGM above must be equally frightened – so scared, withal, that I wonder he can get out of bed of a morning.
Know, Mr Mitchell and IGM and others like them: the greatest threat to any nation’s security is its own government. Ben Franklin knew that, Thos Jefferson knew that, George Washington knew that. This was known more than 200 years ago.
What we are now looking at is neo-feudalism: Government as protection racket. That is all that the old feudalism, at bottom. ever was.
What is it that sets legitimate government apart from a state-sponsored protection racket?
Misrepresentation of threats is one answer, and it you take the conspiracy theory path, being responsible for the aggravation of existing threats or the creation of new ones is another.
Misrepresentation of the threat of Islamic extremism is par for the course when your Commander in Chief has the title of “Defender of the Faith” for a religion with historical animosity towards Islam. The fundamental difference between Christianity and Islam is the religious meaning of the crucifixion, with Christianity adopting the Pauline doctrine, and the Islamic view being like that of the Gnostics.
Paul’s credibility as the thirteenth apostle suffers due to Biblical texts which directly or indirectly describe him as vain, a liar, a hypocrite, a false apostle, and a robber – and all this is after his experience on the road to Damascus.
So, while Mitchell is a tool for trying to use the events in Sydney as leverage for state surveillance, he’s just small potatoes as far as the real problem goes.
No surprises that dirty politics red neck mercenary Mark Mitchell is behind such a stupid law. He’s such a hero of the right, he’ll probably advocate concentration camps for the beneficiaries next that ill free up all the state housing for speculators for a start, win, win. He’s probably had loads of practice with refugees fighting illegal wars for money, and can probably out gun even our own sweet Judith. OH my, NZ is so much safer now with such men of high moral standards setting our laws down. Oh gosh wasn’t the last attacks from John Tully a mentally ill homeless beneficiary who tried to write to his MP for help before letting loose with his fire arm? Oh yes, National have defiantly learn’t from that attack by making sure that this does not happen again in NZ and desperate people are identified and helped before turning to violence – oh no sorry – they have just made it harder for them to get food and accommodation. Lessons learnt. They need that extra funding to fund the SIS for more intelligence for ‘Attack Politics’. It so effective of getting the hard right 1% through that no one even the normal Nats would vote for , without that little xtra paid ‘blog services’ and maneuvering.
Sorry just realized that John Tully has not been convicted yet. Not much about that in the MSM. I guess it sells so many more political needs like warmonger’s to create draconian laws about terrorists fighting for Islam which don’t exist in this country yet, than existing home grown desperadoes choosing violence to get a benefit and accommodation.
Would be good to see the analysis of the real vs imagined in this country.
My fear is that they are actively persecuting Muslims here to push one of our own over the edge so they can manipulate it into some sort of justification.
Yep everyone be poor, homeless, hungry, and full of climate caused disasters and have no equality but wait, you can feel safe cos there can be a camera in everyones bedroom being monitored by the SIS just in case the “real” terror strikes here.
I take serious issue with the assertion that John Tully was mentally ill. You find me a shrink that will tell me that I will show you a fucking liar.
What Tully did was an act of Martyrdom, not to get himself a benefit, as some seem to think, it was to become a martyr for all of us who are being deprived by this ignorant government because he was terminally ill he didn’t have as much to lose as those of us who are also having murder attempts upon us by our own government.
I can’t think of anything more rational and more sane.
Shame on Mitchell and Key for exploiting this tragedy. They are politicians crawling in the muck to score cheap points.
I can tell from the ratings that seem unusually low on the posts that the daily blog is now frequented by the hard right. At least you are getting new readership:)
So just because someone disagrees with a statement here, it makes them “hard right”. Perhaps they are hard left, but simply have a different opinion to the poster..?
That and the first post this morning “treasonous, left-wing piece of filth” – makes an appearance. Work it out 99.
Yeah, nah, Ben.
” There needs to be a special place in hell reserved for politicians who play to our fears while justifying their abuses of power. ”
Are you sure you’re not talking about the NZ Insurance Industry ?
I was recently in a Muslim country ( Malaysia ) and while between flights I went off down town to check out the Petronas Towers , then the Malaysian version of China Town on the way back to the A/P . ( Ho hum . Don’t bother unless you like being hassled by aggressive hawkers . Try China Town Bangkok instead . )
I have to say , where ever I went I was watched closely . Clearly because I’m so beautiful . And white and western .
It’s my belief that Muslim people , for all their odd , unusual , cultural idiosyncrasies , some of which us western types find unpleasant in the extreme , are sweet hearts . They just want to get along .
Of course , along comes Corporate America with it’s cling-on coup hungry sociopaths , the Brits , and fucks things up . I mean , would you want the Jews as neighbours ? With all them guns and rockets and hate messaging soldiering on for Corporate America God Damn ! After all , look at what the bastards are doing here . They gave us jonky – stien to start with . They took him away , pumped him full of money , wound up his mechanism and set him loose on us poor suckers . And just because we have a rich , pretty country that’s almost empty . So you can only imagine what they’d do for all that goddamn oil . Oh yeah , right . Best ask simon bridges about that one . He’s being force fed money to sell out his Lands and his Whanau and he’s doing a pretty good job for his Masters .
The Americans should have learned from their ass kicking in South East Asia , not to fuck with that which aint broke . And now ? After all that ‘ carpet bombing ‘ and grooming a monster to murder millions that was Pol Pot ? Do you think they’re haters and killers now ?
All we need to do to stop ISIS in it’s gory tracks is to back the fuck off , stay out of their Lands and mind our own business . Did you see that Muslim man in Sydney on the news ? He said ” Let the young go and join ISIS . Let them go . Get rid of them . Then , cancel their pass ports and not allow them back . ” How come our highly paid , well educated politicians don’t say such wise words ? How come it was left up to a humble looking old fellow on a street corner in Sydney ?
I can tell you . It’s money baby . Money .
I agree with @ Martyn Bradbury . The Sydney Police did handle the situation well .
And I agree that it’s despicable that someone could use that as an excuse to further their career path .
@ IGM . He/ She is here to kick the hornets nest . Seeking sensationalism and creating disharmony . Boring old thing he/she may be . Using such vernacular without justification is an example of a half cooked intellect and shows a certain kind of cowardice actually . How awful it must be , to be caught forever in the linear world of the Right Wing .
I don’t think countries like us and Aussie should just allow people to go off to another’s country to wreak any sort of havoc on them, isn’t that just exporting the problem?
All of a sudden, Martyn’s blog today has become quite disturbing, considering the number of thumbs down responses to his and those posters supporting his comments!
No doubt an indication of the abhorrent, odious mentality of supporters of Key, Mitchell et al!
Even the PM is mentioning his blog.
Tightening of bail laws would probably have prevented this tragedy, as clearly all the surveillance and anti-terror laws that Aussie already has, did not.
As long as western countries have significant islamic populations then it’s going to be fraught getting involved in Middle Eastern conflicts. You simply risk stirring up fringe guys like this. In September an ISIS rep did call for lone wolf attacks in Australia. Unfortunately, that also means governments will push for greater surveillance to monitor potential threats.
Before I even checked on the news this evening, I knew that some National Party clown would be on record crowing about how this justifies G-men spying on anyone and everyone with impunity at will. Sadly, I was right.
Just saw the P.M. on the news. He was perfectly sensible.
Dan, your admiration for Dear Leader has been noted and the National Party central committee will reward you with the Peoples’ Kiss Arse Medal.
(If your comment was sarcastic, I offer my unreserved apologies.)
Comment not sarcastic. I am a swinging voter who likes unions, supports victims, and do not like the anal extremes of either side. On the news I saw, the P.M. sounded perfectly sensible. (I have not heard commentary from Little or Norman Gunston). Just because its left, it does not mean it is always right (excuse the pun).
…He was perfectly sensible.
That’s got to be a first.
However in my perceived reality I have read and heard news reports of Key claiming individuals similar to the hostage taker here may resort to such actions and are subject to surveillance.
Seems like a pathetic attempt to justify recent controversial policy along with fear mongering – a similar tactic to the hostage taker.
Hahah ! Oh God . @ Dan . You’re so funny . What could that be called ?
How would we know ?
#1 If you’re serious ? @ Dan . You need a hug man .
# 2 If you’re being ironic . Brilliant .
Im sure he did make perfect sense to fellow New World Order neo liberal thugs. Of course he would, …but then again …who wouldnt understand that?
As for the rest of us (apart from the right wing trolls who get up early to mark commonsense blogs with a thumbs down ) – we can see perfectly well through the lying and deceit and politicking to ensure he and his Rich Lister mates retain an unbridled access to the plunder of this country’s wealth.
These thugs will use any excuse to further their own colossal greed, – even the deaths of innocent bystanders as a political tool.
I have no doubt to believe what you say – it is policy. If you read “Dirty politics” you will understand why I say that. National’s policy was to portray John Key as the ‘nice boy next door’ – and he may very well be – the second part of that policy was to have others do the ‘dirty work’ and thus appear at arm’s length from JK. My ask is that we have a NZ governed by those elected by informed voters – and I am far from convinced, that is the case.
Mark Mitchell is nasty whale oil dog and they make a specialty out of abusing the dead for their own purposes.
Its what National now does with its “Dirty Politics” brand of misfits.
On the Sydney Siege: http://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/on-the-sydney-siege/
The Sydney siege, the day after: http://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/the-sydney-siege-the-day-after/
The first piece is by Ben Hillier of the largest far-left current in Australia (Socialist Alternative) and the second is by Jeff Sparrow, editor of the literary journal Overland.
Phil
Comments are closed.