Qohel

Make a Difference

Day: January 27, 2009

Men are From Mars, Women are ..

January 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

No, men and women are both from Earth. But what planet is Jimmy Carter from? ‘Hamas Can be Trusted.’

‘According to the former president, Hamas never deviated from their commitments as per the ceasefire agreement.’  It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.

He has one thing right though, Hamas can be trusted – to try do what they have said they plan to do, what their charter tells the world they intend to do; obliterate Israel and murder Jews.

Sadly, they don’t seem to mind murdering Palestinians who disagree with them either, but I’m sure it’s a case of you know, like, hey, if you want to make an omelette…

This Lunatic Must Be Silenced At Once

January 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

And probably will be…

Via Instapundit, this story of an EU official who says Hamas bears ‘overwhelming responsibility’ for the destruction of Gaza.

Of course he also goes on to say some nasty things about Israel killing civilians, but heck, then he tells Hamas off for using civilians as human shields, and for fighting in populated areas.

Well done mate!

Hamas spokesmen are apparently shocked by his comments.  Oh dear.

Secret Whale Deal

January 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Despite Peter Garrett’s angst, I think this is possibly a reasonable option, if only because it will stop some of the whining from local anti-whaling activists.

However, stopping any taking of Minke Whales in Antarctic waters may not be a good thing for endangered whale species.

Minke Whales are widely distributed and abunbdant. On the IUCN red list of possibly endangered species, Minke Whales are in the bottom category – Least Concern.

Because they are abundant and range so widely, they compete for krill with endangered whale species such as the Blue Whale, which not do not have the same flexibility in choosing their habitat.

An argument could be made for culling of Minke populations in some places, for example in Antarctic waters, on the grounds of protecting those more endangered species.

There is no environmental reason for refusing to allow whaling nations to take a limited number of Minke Whales.

There is no other reason either. Modern explosive harpoons are accurate and quick, and as humane as factory methods of killing meat animals such as sheep or cattle. Minke Whales, like cattle, are essentially grazing animals, and have about the same level of intelligence – certainly much less than pigs.

As far as I can see, no one who eats bacon has any logically valid or ethically consistent reason to oppose a carefully managed quota based system of hunting Minke Whales.

I am happy to be convinced otherwise, by salient facts marshalled in a carefully crafted argument. Ranting and calling me a bastard won’t do it.

From Well Meaning Politicians …

January 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Good Lord Deliver Us.

There should be a rule that anyone wishing to enter public life should have worked with his or her hands, and should have owned, or at least managed, some sort of business. This would help to get rid of the idea that there is such a thing as free money, which the government can use for projects, such as saving the economy or creating jobs. I shudder whenever I hear politicians talk about job creation schemes.

In the latest plan from the Australian Federal Government, some $2 billion of tax payer funds is going to be used to provide loans to commercial property developers. The four largest banks in Australia are also being asked to put in $500 million each.

Why would this be necessary? The answer is that in the present circumstances developers may not be able to access funds to finance or refinance their projects.

But hang on a minute. Wasn’t the root cause of the present recession US government interference in the banking sector, and in particular, pressuring banks to give loans to people and organisations which would not have qualified under normal lending criteria, and in many cases were not able to repay the loans they were given?

So how is doing the same thing with taxpayer funds going to solve problems in Australia? Of course it won’t. It’s plain silly. If bankers operating under normal commercial guidelines don’t consider a particular project or property developer to be an acceptable risk, then the government giving them a loan is not a reasonable or responsible use of tax payer money.

Part of the problem is that many politicians do not seem to understand that there is no free money. Money they give to their pet projects, including unprofitable businesses, has to be taken from businesses which are actually producing something and making a profit in doing so, or from people employed by those businesses.

Taking money from people and organisations which are producing wealth, employment, and taxation income, and giving it to people and organisations which are not, will not save us from recession. Ultimately such policies undermine the economy, including the social welfare structure and safety net.

Serial Murderer Milat Cuts Off Own Finger

January 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Outstanding. He can cut off anything he likes as far as I’m concerned.

And if that sounds harsh, well tough. The movie Wolf Creek, which was based in part on Milat’s murder of seven backpackers (it’s a vile film, I don’t recommend it), did not exaggerate the horror of Milat’s treatment of his victims. What he has done to himself doesn’t amount to the tiniest, miniscule part of what he did to young men and women visiting our country.

Sadly, if he hopes it is going to win him some sympathy and attention, he may be right. But not from me.

Darn. Having said that, I also have to say that I hope and pray for his ultimate redemption. It will not come easy, because forgiveness requires repentance, which means understanding and taking responsibility for the harm you have caused.

Also, we do not know what made him the way he is, or how he came to make the choices he did. But at some point he gave himself permission to do things which were unspeakably evil, and it it is right that he should be punished for them, and society protected from him.

© 2024 Qohel