Go Rod Go

Well done Rod – I approve.

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tim barclay

I just hope that Rod goes to China and starts waving the Tibetan flag. Reminds me of the occaision the Indonesian Government did NZ a favour and locked up Marie Leadbetter. I just love the pasifist lefties getting a hard dose of reality from totalitarian regimes. I am sorry the Indonesian Government released that silly woman.
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May 26, 2005 10:31pm
reid

I have been disturbed at the Chinese treatment of the middle kingdom since I became aware of it in the early 90’s. But if you extrapolate the principles behind Donald’s actions, then why not go the whole hog and declare war on the congo and zimbabwe, and so on until we all devote 100% of resources to whatever crying humanitarian need has to be defended?

Life is about pragmatism and it’s a question of where you draw the line. Myself, I think Donald went too far, since there is a time and a place and this wasn’t it. The reason he choose the action is obviously to take advantage of the Chinese need to avoid losing face. Imagine the photos round the world, can’t have that. So Donald was being culturally insensitive, IMO.

BTW, how would readers feel if he did exactly the same thing with an Iraq field during a Cheney state visit?
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May 26, 2005 10:38pm
Paul

Acutally, I never ever thought I’d ever agree with anything done by a Green. I was living in Hong Kong before, during and after the hand over, have a feel for the issue. For once in my life I’m atcually with Rod. Wouldn’t ot Green of course, but good on him for wagging a finger at China.
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May 26, 2005 10:44pm
Matt

I cant stand anything that the Greens stand for but for this one I have to agree with Rod
Well done
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May 26, 2005 10:47pm
Craig Ranapia

Reid –

Vice President Cheney would just have get hard and suck it up. The right to freedom of association, assembly and speech doesn’t just apply to those I agree with
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May 26, 2005 11:31pm
spector

Nice one Rod! You’ve totally gone up in my estimation.
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May 27, 2005 2:47am
sagenz

Good on Rod. But really curious why a member of our parliament would need anybody’s permission to stand on the steps of our parliament. He is an elected representative of our people.

If there is a law or rule that says he cannot stand there that law is an ass.
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May 27, 2005 6:15am
Rodders

The Chinese dictatorship is terrified of freedom of speech. Good on ya, Rod.
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May 27, 2005 8:01am
phil u

cor..any chance of the odd party vote for the greens from any of you lot as a result of this?

i was thinking about those righties who have the intelligence to see past the current ideological staightjackets of the environmental movement and would like to see some serious attention paid to these issues…

i mean, if act can’t drag itself up off the floor in time, who else are you going to vote for..? peters..?..shudder…

phil(whoar.co.nz)
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May 27, 2005 9:19am
Glenn

It
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May 27, 2005 9:26am
Rodders

Any chance of me giving my party vote to the Greens? I wouldn’t lay odds on that, Phil 😉
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May 27, 2005 9:27am
phil u

aww, come on rodders…

phil(whoar.co.nz)
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May 27, 2005 10:24am
Rodders

Phil, if I voted Green I would have to say a few Hail Mary’s afterwards.
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May 27, 2005 11:00am
spector

I actually think a greens/nat alliance would be good. people would take the greens a bit more seriously if they had a few straight haircuts on their side. some of there policies are loopy.. but not all of them. And let’s be honest… who else had the balls to say what they really think to the Chinese.
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May 27, 2005 12:07pm
Aj

I totally support Rod too, he did very well not only to wave the flag but to interrup the formalities like that, congrats!

I can’t help wonder tho, what if it had been Jo blogs with the flag, would he or she have been removed from parliament???
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May 27, 2005 1:33pm
jackal

this is not a case of what Donald stands for, but support for his right to protest, be it that he stands alone, he has that right in our democracy, and in that endeavour good on him. I’m glad that we have this avenue in our country. Just because we support his right to demonstrate, doesn’t then automatically make us Green supporters, so sorry Phil U, you aren’t gonna win that one
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May 27, 2005 3:14pm
reid

IMO it’s not about a right to protest but about what is proper within the parameters of the moment.

Some people have defended NZ’s naive and self-destructive nuclear ships ban on the grounds that we had the right to do it. I agree, but that is irrelevent. The real question is whether it was right or wrong. Myself, I’ve never agreed with it for two reasons: (1) massive damage to NZ the true extent of which most people including myself will never know (2) more importantly, the policy has NEVER eliminated a SINGLE NUCLEAR WEAPON. ALL of the changes since it was introduced have resulted from OTHER international facters, nothing whatsoever to do with NZ. Not that most of the country saw that then, and probably most still don’t.

I put Donald’s protest into this same category. I agree with the sentiment (who wouldn’t), but there is a time, place and technique, and this, like NZ’s nuke ships ban, was not it.
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May 27, 2005 8:02pm
Enkidu

How long has Rod Donald supported the Tibetan cause? Since it has been election year and since he saw a publicity opportunity, that’s how long.
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May 27, 2005 8:48pm
phil u

wrong enkidu..the green party has long supported the struggle in tibet..there’s no inconsistancies/opportunism there..

if my memory serves me right sue bradford has been arrested for protesting the chinese invasion and occupation of tibet..long before she became an mp…

and using your rationale your lot must be a bit slow eh?..missing a publicity opportunity like that..this being election year and all…

btw..where do they stand on this issue?..national and act?..i guess trade considerations would over-ride any queasiness over human rights issues , eh?..what was that again about act being the party of principles…?

phil(whoar.co.nz)
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May 27, 2005 9:53pm
Rod Donald

Can I politely suggest that Enkidu puts aside his prejudices for a moment and checks http://www.greens.org.nz before he accuses me of jumping on the Free Tibet bandwagon because it’s election year. I have opposed the Chinese occupation of Tibet for as long as I can remember. Our website records my first press release on the issue on 15/9/99. I didn’t see Enkidu at either of the recent protests outside the Chinese Embassy but I guess some people find it easier to criticise others who stand up for what they believe than taking a physical, rather than virtual, stand themselves.
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May 28, 2005 8:05am
Lucyna

I agree with Reid, on this one.
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May 28, 2005 11:00pm

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