Doublethink
Aug. 30th, 2005 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsidheI've just listened to Alexander Downer interviewed on triple J's Hack Current affairs program. There's a podcast, so it should be available for a week online.
It was ... stunning.
When asked if he supported West Papuan independance, he responded 'no'. He kept talking about 'the Balkanisation of the Indonesian Archipeligo'. OK, fair enough, but why?
Hack "Do you think that the original referendum to incorporate West Papua into Indonesia was corrupt?"
Downer "No."
Hack "?!?!?? But the Suharto regime hand picked the 1200 people, and told them that they would be charged with treason if they voted no..."
Downer "Look, that was a long time ago, and it wasn't Suharto, it was the UN."
Hack "?!?? But Suharto did the..."
Downer "No, the UN ran that referendum, [therefore it is the UN's fault, and if it was corrupt, then it was your precious UN which was the source of the corruption] and anyway, it was a long time ago [History is irrelevant]."
Hack "What about East Timor? You supported their independance..."
Downer "No, they're completely different. West Papua was a part of the Dutch East India Company, which is what Indonesia is now, Timor never was, it was a Portugese colony [Ooh look, suddenly history is relevant again!]"
Summary: If there is any blame to be laid for West Papua, it is entirely at the feet of the [eeevil] UN, and history is irrelevant except when it isn't [and we decide when], and I haven't heard of any atrocities in West Papua, and anyway, the insurgents have performed them too.
He then went on to prove that Black is White, and got himself killed on the next Zebra crossing.
Well... we can dream.
The sooner we can get these duplicitous, hypocritical, sophistic gray men out of power, the better off everyone will be.
Now excuse me, I have to go choke on some bile.
It was ... stunning.
When asked if he supported West Papuan independance, he responded 'no'. He kept talking about 'the Balkanisation of the Indonesian Archipeligo'. OK, fair enough, but why?
Hack "Do you think that the original referendum to incorporate West Papua into Indonesia was corrupt?"
Downer "No."
Hack "?!?!?? But the Suharto regime hand picked the 1200 people, and told them that they would be charged with treason if they voted no..."
Downer "Look, that was a long time ago, and it wasn't Suharto, it was the UN."
Hack "?!?? But Suharto did the..."
Downer "No, the UN ran that referendum, [therefore it is the UN's fault, and if it was corrupt, then it was your precious UN which was the source of the corruption] and anyway, it was a long time ago [History is irrelevant]."
Hack "What about East Timor? You supported their independance..."
Downer "No, they're completely different. West Papua was a part of the Dutch East India Company, which is what Indonesia is now, Timor never was, it was a Portugese colony [Ooh look, suddenly history is relevant again!]"
Summary: If there is any blame to be laid for West Papua, it is entirely at the feet of the [eeevil] UN, and history is irrelevant except when it isn't [and we decide when], and I haven't heard of any atrocities in West Papua, and anyway, the insurgents have performed them too.
He then went on to prove that Black is White, and got himself killed on the next Zebra crossing.
Well... we can dream.
The sooner we can get these duplicitous, hypocritical, sophistic gray men out of power, the better off everyone will be.
Now excuse me, I have to go choke on some bile.
