From: dwayne (dwayne@pobox.com)
Date: Thu Dec 27 2001 - 23:46:12 MST
Neil Blanch wrote:
> It should be noted however, that these atrocities were not one-sided -
> the aforementioned TV series also depicted through interview and previously
> unreleased film footage, atrocities committed by Allied troops, particularly
> in regard to the killing of surrendered soldiers and Japanese nationals
> including women & children.
there is a melbourne-based japanese researcher doing the rounds of the
pacific theatre at the moment, documenting cannibalism stories, and
apparently she was surprised to find that, while there are reports of
atrocities committed by japanese and american troops, there are no
reports of atrocities being committed by Australian troops. I read
about a New Zealand unit massacring wounded and doctors in a german
field hospital in North Africa, but I've not heard any reports of
Australian atrocities. Not that I've looked into this heavily, but
there you go.
> V6#358 Spudboy100 said: "Notice that the Japanese electorate seem content to
> live in a less, plush, economy during the last 10 years, while the USA
> enjoyed the longest prosperity in its history." (italics added)
>
> Don't you people notice the growing income disparity in the USA?
This is actually worse, and has grown at a faster rate over the last 10
years, in Australia.
(!!)
> V6#358 J.R. Molloy said: "Europe, Asia, and Australia have been quite
> restrictive about immigration. IIRC Australia only recently lifted
> restrictions on immigration. Do you know what year it was that Australia
> finally lifted immigration restrictions?"
If you mean the white australia policy that was lifted in the 50s
> Actually, Australia's stance on immigration has sunk to new lows in the last
> few years. We automatically detain refugees (sorry "asylum seekers"), the
> ONLY country to do so.
Britain is moving this way, now that our reptiles have shown it can be
done and you can still win an election.
> We detain many of these people in total isolation,
> literally, in jail, in the desert. We break international maritime law. We
> break UN human rights agreements that we are signatory to. We keep already
> traumatised children in jail, where they are regularly searched, subjected
> to roll calls at all hours, & where they witness the more desperate refugees
> self harm themselves (some have seen self immolation, hangings and the good
> old wrist slash).
The self immolation was done outside the detention centres, by someone
who was free to wander around the country but couldn't get his daughter
in because she had a birth defect. I know someone who moved here with
his wife, was about to become a citizen and he gave birth to a daughter
with mild down's syndrome.
boing, rejected, back to Italy.
As far as I'm concerned, his daughter was born here, she is a citizen,
but not according to the government.
> Words cannot express the sheer disgust I feel for my country, and my
> government at the moment. The Australian public has been consistently lied
> to by it's government & manipulated by the basest of emotions: fear. I love
> my country, but now...I'm just so ashamed.
Eh, blame the govt, public opinion is firmly behind the refugees
Dwayne
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 08:12:53 MST