Attack on Australia? Please.

[changeling]

Speaking as an Australian, I was outraged that there was blatant emotional manipulation to get the people of Australia to support a war on Iraq/Terrorism/Al Qaeda/whoever Bush doesn't like by claiming that the attack on Bali was an attack on Australia. Um, hello? Last I checked, Bali wasn't an Australian state or territory. I can support it as an attack on Western civilisation/people who support Bush, but an attack on Australia alone? No. There are a lot of people who dislike Westerners for reasons not related to the US's current president (although that isn't winning them any favours either). Western civilisation has been seen as a corrupting influence in many places, but SE Asia is definitely one of them (I knew that article sPacific nOceans would come in handy one day...).

I don't want to deny the terror of the attacks, but we need to look at them in a more rational way. I don't know about you, but when I saw the first news broadcast whinging about what the attacks did to Australia, I raged into the kitchen screaming "What about Bali? Last I checked, tourism was a primary source of their economy, and that's sure as hell going to go down the toilet!" Several news broadcasts later, the potential problem for the Bali economy was mentioned.

I have never supported a "War against Terrorism", nor have I supported a war against Iraq. I have no desire to see school friends disappear in any conflict that may arise. I have no desire to see my hard-earned money frittered away via a War Tax on the massacre of a foreign people simply because one extremist group within that country decided that didn't want to put up with the US any longer.

When I was in high school, we examined emotive language by looking at a vocab listing of words used to describe the US and Iraq, to show how the media manipulated public opinion. Exactly the same thing is being done today.

What's worse is the way that everyone assumes that bin Laden is behind it. Where's your proof? Couldn't it have been some psycho whose mother ran off with a tourist one day leaving him stranded, so he's decided to get some revenge?

I am increasingly of the opinion that people are stupid.

Comments

[fineliner.livejournal.com]

The death of so many Australians makes it an attack on Australia, and Bali is much more an iconically Australian locale than an American one, inasmuch as any tourist destination can be defined by the people who tour there.

Grief and anger are rational (reasonable) responses to the deaths of so many people, but in grief and anger people aren't necessarily logical and dispassionate, that will take time. Go gently.

I agree the link to Bin Laden is tenuous and it's made entirely for the sake of trying to get the USA to pay attention (like that's ever gonna happen).

What it really shows is the need to turn our attention to our own back (front?) yard, to the real tensions which exist in Asia and the strength of our relationships with our neighbours, and not some stupid war in Iraq played out for the benefit of the American electorate.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Howard wasn't the only one to decide that bin Laden had to be involved, though. I remember the UK and the US also decided that he was involved.

I agree that we do need to look to the tensions in Asia, and that the war in Iraq is insanely stupid.

[dark-prophet.livejournal.com]

The war against Iraq, in fact the whole war agaisnt terror uses laudable terms and emotional language to try and justify what are really deplorable actions.

People are easily manipulated and quick to jump on bandwagons with nifty slogans, unfortunately people can die among the diatribe.

And a attack on Aussie is an attack on us.

[cairnsy.livejournal.com]

*rolls eyes* It's not that I don't agree with my own subject line, or that I have a problem admitting that the fact it was mainly Aussies who died has a deeper impact on me than say if it was American or French tourists, but come on. The attack was directed at Western tourists, regardless of where they were from. Just like when there was a terrorist attack aimed at the NZ cricket team/French tourists earlier this year while they were in Pakistan, wasn't an attack on kiwis or the french.

bin Laden was behind that as well, you know. Even though they never showed us any proof.

There are other terrorists out there aside from bin Laden and his followers. That particular area of Asia has its own groups all too ready to gain media attention for their cause - they're far more likely to be responsible.

Of course, they're not associated with Iraq, are they? But then, neither is bin Laden ...

Idiots.

[frzn-mmnt.livejournal.com]

Ooo, bombs. Let's just blame the Al Qaeda even though we have no PROOF!!

I've been avoiding everything having to do with the Bali attack because all the governments are being such morons right now. There is a lot of SPECULATION and a lot of blame being thrown around, but there isn't one shred of evidence what they are saying is remotely true.

Let me just roll my eyes and pretend that I'm not really a human being...because with people like that in the world, I'm not interested in being one.

Re: And a attack on Aussie is an attack on us.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Agreed! That's exactly how I feel. I really doubt that they were aiming for Australian tourists in specific; that really places far too much emphasis on our own importance overseas.

And I also agree that there are other terrorists than bin Laden & co. If bin Laden claims that he's responsible, it doesn't mean he is. We learnt long ago that groups always try to lay claim to something they may not have done if it means they'll get media coverage.

Argh! I'm so sick of this whole situation...

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Definitely. I remember watching the newscast, and there were American representatives and a UK representative talking about how it had to be bin Laden. I respected the UK rep far more because he at least tried to give a reason why they were convinced it was bin Laden.

Oh to be a sparrow, eh?

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Any war ever fought uses emotive language to try and disguise the fact that you're killing innocent people who happen to be allied with the "wrong side".

*hug*

[twelveeyes.livejournal.com]

Another sane person!

Re: *hug*

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

"If only we were among friends...or sane persons!" *grins*

[nys.livejournal.com]

I am increasingly of the opinion that people are stupid.
Exactly what I've been saying for the past week. People are stupid and paranoid. I have tried to see the war on Iraq from Bush's perspective and I truly cannot see what he aims to achieve through a war. Maybe all of these people should get a bit of a dose of reality and maybe do a course on 20th century history. Because obviously none of them realised that nothing has been achieved by wars before except a lot of innocent deaths and a lot of external debt for countries. *cough* vietnam...
*sigh*
The entire time I watch all this footage I have visions of my children/children in generations to come doing history in school and looking at the entire USA situation with the war on terror and saying, "But what did they think they were going to achieve? You can't eliminate terrorism with a war... it's a concept not a person"

If only our "leaders" had more intelligence and were not simply thinking about whether they're going to be re-elected.
(I'm seriously considering doing politics next year instead of revs.. whatya reckon?)

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

"But what did they think they were going to achieve? You can't eliminate terrorism with a war... it's a concept not a person"

EXACTLY!!! Regarding Pol...don't choose it over Revs. Do both. *grins*

Re:

[dark-prophet.livejournal.com]

It has to, if we told the truth people might actually sit down and talk or protest. I just shake my head every time someone says "Saddam is evil," "Saddam deserves it." "We should bomb Saddam's sorry arse"

I daresay. All of the above is likely very true (though somewhat lacking in eloquence), except contrary to popular belief, it will not be a war against "Saddam." It will be a war against Iraq. Is that grieving widow evil? Does that poor conscript deserve it? Should we bomb some desperate civilian whose trying to eek out a living's sorry arse?

Meh, apologies, I'm ranting again, and I think I'm preaching to the choir as well.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. If only people who weren't members of the choir would listen to us...

Re:

[dark-prophet.livejournal.com]

I don;t know what;s worse, those who, in true zombie fashion will swallow any propaganda thrown at them and seem to think protesting is "unpatriotic" or those who don;t care because Iraq is far away.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Heh. Thank god Australian politicians don't throw around the word "unpatriotic". "unAustralian", yes, but not "unpatriotic".