Archive for the 'Oz' Category

While we readily admit that today we’re taking a sarcastic sort of swipe at the pretty dumb practice of stating the sodding obvious, we ourselves wish to make it perfectly obvious that we are in no way “having a go” at Ireland’s excellent ex President, Mary Robinson.

Since the sad truth is that there are still millions of westerners convinced that bums like George Bush and Tony Blair, to mention just a pair, always told us all the truth.

Just take a look at this.

GENEVA (Reuters)

Washington’s “war on terror” after the September 11 attacks has eroded human rights worldwide, creating lingering cynicism that the United Nations must now combat, international law experts said on Monday.

Mary Robinson, who was the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights when al Qaeda militants flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, said the United States caused harm with some of the ways it responded.

“Seven years after 9/11 it is time to take stock and repeal abusive laws and policies,” the former Irish president said, warning that harsh U.S. detentions and interrogations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba gave a dangerous signal to other countries that could easily follow suit.

While new U.S. President Barack Obama has announced he will close Guantanamo to break from the practices of his predecessor George W. Bush, Robinson said sweeping changes needed to take place to ensure Washington abandons its “war paradigm.”

“There has been severe damage and it needs to be addressed,” she told a news conference in Geneva. “We are not more secure. We are more divided, and people are more cynical about the operation of laws.”

Arthur Chaskalson, former chief justice of South Africa, said that the United States should launch an inquiry into its counter-terrorism practices, including acts of torture by individual security and intelligence agents.

Although counter-terrorism issues have faded from the front pages since the change of government in Washington, Chaskalson said such practices have shifted around the world and could keep restricting liberties if they are not confronted head-on.

“We all have less rights today than we had five or 10 years ago, and if nothing happens, we will have even less,”

So here’s to you, Mrs Robinson, we have to say that we like your style. Like it a lot, in fact. Truth be told, maybe we even love it.

Now read the rest of this Reuters’report.

(Cross posted from How This Old Brit Sees It)

Now, please read some of these seriously salient messages being sent from the wider world.

(Cross posted from How This Old Brit Sees It)

Pope says he’s sorry for priest’s sex abuse.

So, we see some ex Hitler Youth Movement pope said, in Oz, that he’s sorry.

Well that’s alright then, eh? Good on him, eh? That’s so bloody big of him, eh?.

We’re sooooo pleased to see that said pontiff (aka God’s representative on earth - aka Ratzi the Nazi), has sorted things out on that score.

Organised religions? Holy men? Suffer the little children?

For Christ’s sake, just don’t sodding start us.

(Cross posted at How This Old Brit Sees It

OK, joke over.

So now for some serious stuff.

Australia beats US to title of most obese nation, report finds

Australians have out-eaten Americans to become the fattest people on earth, according to a study published today.

The report from the Baker Heart Institute found that 26 per cent of adult Australians had a body mass index of 25 or more, meaning they were overweight or obese. It warned that the …

(snip)

The findings make Australia the world’s most overweight nation, ahead of the US, which has a 25 per cent obesity rate.

For crying out loud. We wonder if that means Australia’s now got fatter flamin’ fellows than this?

And/or fatter flippin’ females than this?

Read this rest on this ‘orrible, Oz obesity story.

(Cross posted at How This Old Brit Sees It)

Still think there’s such a thing as a Coalition of the Willing?

Ha! How hilarious.

Have you heard the latest regarding further troop withdrawals from Iraq?

Australia ends Iraq combat role

Australia, one of the first countries to commit troops to the war in Iraq five years ago, has ended its combat operations there.

Australian troops are due to begin returning home in a few days in line with a promise by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who swept to power in November.

He said the previous government had abused intelligence information to justify joining the Iraq war.

In parliament on Monday, Mr Rudd said his predecessor, John Howard, had been wrong to join the war in Iraq.

Read the rest of this writing on the wall war report.

We wonder what these two will think, eh?

(Cross posted at How This Old Brit Sees It)

An Australian driver gets a fine for strapping in his beer, while leaving his five-year-old child unrestrained.