The Dictator threatens NZ

The Fijian Dictator has taken a break to threaten NZ with trade sanctions and loss of work viasas if we do not relax our travel ban on him and his cronies.

As Clint E would say, Go ahead, make my day.

Cutting off NZ exports to Fiji will hurt Fiji a lot more than it would us. It might lead to his overthrow sooner rather than later.

It’s just a pity NZ sanctions are half hearted and we have yet to ask for the things which would really hurt Fiji like exclusion from the Sevens and having their troops withdrawn from all UN peace keeping.

But the situation of Fiji is an interesting one in terms of how far can one go in resisting a self appointed dictator. Is it legitimate to use force to remove said dictator from office if he shows no signs of giving up power?

Force should be the last, not first, resort of any democracy movement. In the case of the old South Africa, groups like the ANC were right to use force against the Government (not right to target civilians though) as the Government was illegitmate and supressing the majority of the population.

So would it be a good thing for someone to kill off the Commodore, if say in three years he is still in power as dictator? If they did so, that might stop the next self appointed dictator from undertaking a coup, if they realise there might be personal consequences.