My Christmas Blog
by Ian McPherson Mini-nukes?
According to the Brooking Institution, the US government spent $5.8 trillion on nuclear weapons programs between 1940 and 1998. Other defence spending during the period topped the list of government priorities at $13.2 trillion, with social security second at $7.9 trillion, welfare payments fourth at $5.3 trillion and interest on the national debt fifth at $4.7 trillion. The hawks in the Bush administration have now revealed that they want to develop "tactical mini-nukes", able to target small areas, such as those used by terrorists. One of the problems, of course, is that these targets are bound to be in countries other than the US, and no weapon of mass destruction can discern between the guilty and the innocent. This probably ranks top amongst the worst ideas of 2002, and sets the worst possible example in a world crying out for nuclear disarmament. The Walkley Awards
The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney’s leading broadsheet daily newspaper, is already crowing about its multiple wins in the Walkley Awards, Australia's version of the renowned Pulitzer Prizes. The Herald won seven awards, including the Gold Walkley, for its exposure of the Bulldogs football scandal, plus photographer of the year for Nick Moir's work in "Severe Sydney". The ABC, SBS and the Southern Cross Network dominated the Radio Categories, while Channel 7, Channel 9, SBS and the ABC shared accolades in the TV categories. Paul McGeogh of the Herald dominated the Newspaper Feature Writing Category, for his awesome work in Afghanistan and the Mideast. Check out the list of winners here. Good luck Hans!
Hans Blix, head of the UN Weapons Inspector team, will be spending his Christmas in Iraq, ferreting around on a mission for weapons the Iraqis claim don't exist. Hans is hardly a warmonger, having publicly attended an anti-war rally in London and having stated many times that he hopes that the Iraq weapons question can be resolved without war. I would like to wish Hans all the best, and I sincerely hope that these inspections are not a pretext for armed invasion by the US. Let’s give peace a chance! December 8 is the deadline for Iraq to publish its list of weapons and weapons stocks. Hopefully, we'll all know more then. Excellent work by Colin Powell
2002 was quite a year for Colin Powell. His work prior to the announcement of the new UN resolution on Iraq showcased his skills as a persuasive and respected international diplomat. Of all the strident opinions resounding from the White House, his voice reverberated with reason, international cooperation and the merits of multilateralism. Colin is, I believe, the man that the international community trusts, and I include the Arab nations here too. Colin's quiet, methodical approach to building an international coalition has restored confidence in the direction that the Bush administration is taking the US. No response from the Australian or New Zealand Internet Awards
Contrary to my last NetNacs! article, neither of the Award websites above have announced any plans to conduct their Award programs this year. Both sites still contain "coming soon" messages, but with nary an e-mail address to be found, there is no way to find out more. Neither program could get things off the ground this year anyway, so I guess that's it for 2002. Let's hope next year sees both programs return! Bali
The Bali bombing continues to grieve and confuse Australians, who have always considered themselves "far from the madding crowd". But, just like the US, our country's ever-increasing reliance on imported oil and gas, and our long-standing role as an ally of the US, has cast us as enemies of a violent Muslim minority who are as much at war with their own government masters as they are with us. So be it. But tensions are rising within Australia, and violence and the harsh treatment of Australian Muslims is on the rise. The Australian Federal Police's raids on Muslim homes bodes poorly for the future of race relations here, as the same ill-advised treatment of Muslims will do in countries all around the world. It needs to be remembered that we're only after a criminal, violent group here - and this is NOT a religious war! Israel
Recently, the Israeli government sent a delegation to the US, to plead for money, additional military aid and US support for the country's loan repayments. This is an ideal opportunity for the US to broker a serious solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. What point is there in funding Israeli atrocities, and earning the resentment of the entire Arab world, when both parties are just as brutal as each other? This can only assist terrorists like Osama bin Laden in his mad schemes! Both Iraq and the Saudis fund and support the Palestinians, while the US funds and supports Israel. Now Israel is going broke because of the high cost of its military and nuclear programs. It's high time this came to a peaceful end, and the US now has the opportunity to help. They can remove all nuclear weapons from Israel while they're at it - Israel's army has proven to be quite enough of a "deterrent" to its more aggressive neighbors. Something private
OK, 2002 was a pretty average year. Business is slow, and the economy is spluttering. Consumer confidence is down, corporations have lost a lot of consumer trust, and the world is scared that war will again dominate the international agenda. Still, Christmas is a time for rest, family and friends, and I wish NetNacs! readers all the very best. To all my international mates, Merry Christmas and a happier New Year :) See you all in the next issue! Ian McPherson
DownUnder Editor |
