Those Iraqi interpreters then

[matgb]

After yesterdays silly petition, from the same guy is something a little more serious on YouTube--The plight of Iraqi interpreters:

Fair warning for the squemish, there is one (very brief) shot of injuries sustained, in my opinion it's worth watchin anyway, it's a set of narrated post-it notes.

Of course, not everyone agrees that the way they're being treated is despicable, Neil Clark, perhaps most well known for his belief that Slobodan Milosevic could do no wrong says Keep these quislings out, to which publicansdecoy responds:

this article, without a doubt, is the most disgusting, morally bankrupt piece of crap I have ever come across. Neil Clark, you are Arsehole of The Year 2007. Congratulations.

Which I feel sums up my response to Mr Clark admirably.

Petition to: offer asylum in the UK to the Iraqis who have been working as translators and in other capacities for the UK armed forces.

Sign please.

Comments

[davidnm.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting about this; I'd meant to write something myself yesterday, but didn't have the time between trying to catch various trains!

[matgb]

It was all over my 'stuff' filter this morning, let alone my blogs reading list, which I've not got to yet.

Besides, Tim's videos are always worth linking, he's damn good at that side of things.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Neil Clark (who I have never before heard of) is indicative of some fuckwits on the left who only seem to be able to grasp one fact and them flog it to death on a daily basis. Yes the war was wrong, no, not everyone who has anything to do with the war is a traitor or coward. Simple really.

And I thought it was only the Neo-Cons who saw the world in black and white... Seriously Mr Clarke, grow a fucking brain.

[matgb]

Yup, pretty much agreed. If your brain cells can handle it without screaming, read and then weep for the world:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=neil+clark+milosovic

The Guardian likes to publish opposing viewpoints. Fine. But some of his viewpoints are, well, nasty level wrong...

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

FTA - Neil Clark is a writer specialising in east European and Balkan affairs.

Well, I hope he knows a hell of a lot about Eastern Europe, because he doesn't seem to know jack about the Balkans...

Not that I read newspapers at the moment, but I'm beginning to have a real problem with the Guardian. (Actually, to be fair to it, it's the people that read it that I have a problem with). One friend of mine, who regards herself as 'Very Liberal' and reads the Guardian like the Bible, is currently bitching about Facebook because they showed BNP adverts in the first place. I could try explaining to her how stifling the words of a twisted yet let legal political party only serves to further their cause, but no, liberal girl thinks the BNP should be banned because they're 'evil'.

I think this is why I describe myself on FB as Libertarian - describing myself as Liberal is chucking my hat in with this lot of weirdoes...

[matgb]

Aye; there are a lot of self-described liberals who are anything but, in a way that's quite scary at times.

OTOH, Libertarian is really a different word these days for Right Liberals, and it's where UKIP are trying to position themselves; I'm going for Millite Liberal these days, because amongst others things a) proper socialist, non of this Marxist balls and b) Roy Hattersley thinks only cranks believe in individual responsibilty as per Mill these days.

The Fb political classifications are incredibly US centric; trying to tell USians that the Australian equivalent to the Republicans is the Liberal party is amusing though...

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Yup. Mill, Locke, Bentham; all had their differences, but essentially the basis of a good deal of what I believe about the interplay between the individual and the state.

I guess there's a difference between the Right's idea of libertarianism in terms of 'get the hell of my life, you evil nanny stater you' and the lefts idea of libertarianism in terms of individuals rights and responsibilities. (And I guess veil of ignorance and Rawles fit into that viewpoint quite well too.) It's a different political axis which leads to some strange alliances, but in the current political climate, the enemy of my government is my friend...

I dunno, sometimes I think 'ban smoking' or 'neuter chavs', but I don't believe in it and I'd never (as a liberal or a libertarian) put that viewpoint out in public. You can't really believe that sort of thing, can you?

Also, FWIW, I signed the petition.

[singanathema.livejournal.com]

I wish I'd never read that Neil Clark piece. Anyone who can pick and chose who is deserving of their compassion by some ill-conceived political agenda is truly deserving of contempt.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link to the petition. I think the way the British govt is behaving is dispicable.

Who is Neil Clark? Jeez. I am not pro-war - just the opposite - but offering asylum to people who have worked for the British forces isn't about the war; it is about what will happen after the troops have left.

[thapunkprincess.livejournal.com]

Might as well let those Quislings in, but might as well let in hundreds of thousands of the millions 'we' have helped displace as well. Keep the non-Iraqi mercenary fucks working for the Alliance out and that should free up a bit of a space.