Scoop Letters To The Editor

Tuesday, 6 April 2004, 10:18 am
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

"Obscure" And "Australian"

You can bet the farm that you are being read in the US. Personally, I access Scoop, The Guardian and the BBC more often than I access the mainstream US media. Although the US mainstream media is begining to wake up to reality, they are still hampered by monopolistic ownership, selective censorship, and a severe case of "The Emporer's New Clothes" virus. Their reporting remains as blind and biased as it was during the mid 1960s. In those days all I had was U.S News & World Report, Punch, and the overseas print edition of the Guardian. Thank goodness for the Internet.

Dave Laning - Towson, MD, USA

Monte Cassino Vets

Sir,

The government, without seeking either comment or consent from the people, can squander $15 million a year on Maori sing-along-to-the-radio courses which have achieved what?

Yet, when it comes to providing assistance to Kiwi veterans of the Monte Cassino campaign to revisit the site of their heroics and horrors and pay homage to those who paid the ultimate price in defending the freedom and rights that we so jealously guard today, the governments coffers are suddenly bare.

ET TU, BRUTE

Mirek Marcanik - Wellington NZ

Comment on Nettnin: The Longstanding Effects of Zionism on the Palestinian People

Sir:

To see the wall going up in the West Bank (or Judea and Samaria as it is known to Jews) as simply an extension of Zionism is to ignore completely the history of the conflict. Repeated notions of an Israel that wishes to erase the Palestinians are starkly contradicted by Israel's complete unwillingness to do so; why would Israel engage in negotiations for ten years and allow millions of Palestinians to live in the West Bank if the goal was to get rid of them? Why allow more than one million Arabs to remain in Israel proper?

Why this alarmism?

The wall is being built for one reason and one reason only: to reduce the risk of terrorists who aim to kill as many Israeli men, women, and children as possible. This week's barbarity in Ashdod killed ten people, but was meant to kill hundreds; the intended target was fuel storage tanks. This is not the first time an atrocity of this magnitude has been attempted.

Zionism is the movement for self-determination of the Jewish people, no more, no less. To the extent that this right is affected by suicide bombers and the like, Israel, the world's only Jewish state, has a right to defend itself.

Michael Brenner, New York, USA

Barrymore Residency Shows Double Standard?

I find it incredible that Michael Barrymore has been granted citizenship in New Zealand because of his relationship with his boyfriend, particularly with the controversy around the man found dead in his swimming pool 2 years ago about which it is alleged:

“At the British inquest into Mr Lubbock's death one witness described how Barrymore had rubbed cocaine into Mr Lubbock's gums, and medical evidence said Mr Lubbock suffered anal injuries.” (NZ Herald 12/3/04).

In light of our recent removal of a 16 year old Sri Lankan girl who had suffered sexual violence in her home country this is another example of this government’s model for citizenship. Perhaps if the girl had claimed she was a lesbian she would have received much more favourable treatment, perhaps even citizenship.

Yours faithfully

P Gilbertson – New Zealand.

War Images

I'm sorry I don't recall the US media showing graphic images of their own horribly wounded on 9/11.....

Ferg - USA

Iraq Worse Off Before!

Are you serious? The people of Iraq are somehow worse off than they were when Saddam was in power? I find it very hard to believe. Your site seems so one sided. It seems like you will say whatever sounds good with no regard for the facts. It seem like your cause against Bush is the same as the cause against yourselfs. Get real!! Sincerely, B Berg

Billy Berg - USA

To Be Or Not To Be Pro-Marriage

There is a saying that goes "Always make sure that the words you speak are sweet and tender, for one day you may have to eat them". In 1984, Helen Clark was quoted on the subject of her marriage to Peter Davis in Virginia Myers book "Head & Shoulders: "I felt really compromised. I think legal marriage is unnecessary, and I would not have formalised the relationship except for going into Parliament. I have always railed against it".

Threatened by a revolt of the conservative majority of "middle NZ", Clark attempts to convince us that she has "moved on" from 1984, and is now pro-marriage (NZ Herald 16/3/04): "I've had only one marriage and it has gone since 1981 to the present day and it's a relationship now of 26 1/2 years standing". Yet, in the gay tabloid newspaper "Express" (February 11-24th 2004), commenting on the impending Civil Unions Bill, Helen Clark states: "Marriage has a il Unions had been in place when I was much younger, I certainly would have chosen this option". Helen Clark is a fundaphobic, deceptive chameleon, content to change her message to suit her audience. Just as well the majority of voters have discerning ears.

Yours faithfully

Stephen D. Taylor – Auckland.

That Mel Gibson Movie

Hi, I read your (Sol Salbe) "review" with interest. The first interesting thing I found was that you say you are an atheist Jew? Isn't that an oxymoron?

How could a Jew be an atheist unless he doesn't study his history. I suppose you could stick your head in the sand and ignore it, but that doesn't make it not true. Your forefathers crossed the Red Sea and witnessed miracles unlike anything this world has ever seen. I don't get it, how a Jew could be an atheist. Anyway, I agree with your review of the MEl Gibson movie, despite the fact that I am a big Mel Gibson fan and thoroughly enjoy his movies. This was one he should not have made, but for many other reasons than the ones you cited. As for Christians being anti-semetic, if you are a Christian and study you're Bible, then you know who killed Jesus. It wasn't the Jews, it wasn't the gentiles. God killed Him and it is clearly laid

Jerusalem is on the opposite side of the world from where I live, in Canada, and our News media is so biased and weak and lame here that I can honestly say I have no idea what it is like for a Jew in Israel. All I can do for you is pray that your eyes will be opened. It does say in the Bible that God will blind His people (you) for a time. I didn't realize that meant that you would be blind that He exists, I thought it just meant you would be blind to the fact that the Messiah has already come, which coming from where I stand is incredible that Jews don't see it. With over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by his birth, death, burial and resurrection, it is inconceivable to me that the Jews don't recognize Jesus for who He is.

Anyway, I'm a nobody who just happened to stumble across your review and couldn't help but comment. It staggers me that there could be such a thing as an atheistic Jew.

But then you learn something new everyday.

Sharalee Worms - USA

Peter Crampton's Health System Funding

Peter Crampton says shorter life expectancy is grounds for race-based funding. But men have shorter lives than the population as a whole, so we should also have gender-based funding. And disabled persons have a shorter life expectancy, so let's have ability-based funding. And a seventy-year-old has less years left than a twenty-year-old. So age-based should be the go. What a load of diabolical crap. Utter fucking bullshit.

Besides, having tried race-based funding for decades (not just in health), what have we got in return? The worst set of Maori statistics in history.

Madness is doing the same things over and over but expecting different results.

John Colman – Whangarei, NZ

Community Spirit Environment Concerns

I am writing to notify your readers about the lack of community spirit, environmental concern, energy efficiency and conservation ethic of Freedom Furniture.

As a primary school teacher I am often on the hunt for good (cheap) materials for classroom and hobby activities. When told that Freedom Furniture threw out vast amounts of plastic sheeting and cardboard on a daily basis, I stopped by after work one day and found that their skips were indeed full to overflowing with plastic and cardboard.

As obvious rubbish, it didnt occur to me to seek 'permission'to salvage some of it before it was dumped. Imagine my surprise to be confronted by the store manager several minutes later, as I was making a wee pile of plastic to take away, and told to "stop that, you're stealing".

My protestations were dismissed, and I was told that the Police would be called if I persisted in taking their rubbish away, regardless of what use it was to be put, or of the fact that it was their actual rubbish. The stuff had no value, was no potential commercial threat and was to be taken to a tip to join the other inorganic detris sitting there for 1000 years.

Well, imagining the farce of being prosecuted for rubbish theft, I did as I was told and left with my tail between my legs. However, I would urge readers to consider spending their money elsewhere as there is nothing resembling Freedom to be found at this store.

Chris Grain – Brooklyn, Wellington, NZ

NZ Signs WTO Accession Agreement With Tonga

Yo ! Scoop,

Your New Zealand government should be ashamed of themselves for signing an agreements with the Kingdom of Tonga, who does'nt respect HUMAN RIGHTS and the FREEDOM of the PRESS a repressed Kingdom .boner

What else you gave him ( King ) ? Money for his own Army

Lower Boner

Army Wife On War Images

Even though we should all live in peace and peace we have not right now. I want to say on my behalf of an army wife i want to thank you for makeing war pictures for every one to see. life is so precious and death is so devistating and as my husband started his journey for the year i hope and pray for peace threw out the world. i was just so awakend by the photo's of the dead and pow's that every one needs to be educated on war times.and what happens when your loved one's are in that situation. Mrs. Vicente

Carol Vicente "Army Wife" – USA.

Reality Of War Images

With as much as I hate war's obvious tragedies, I have to disagree with the "war against war" theme. When we declared war on Iraq we did it with understanding of the deteriorating sanity of the current ruler.

With those that choose to look further into the subject of Saddam, you would quickly come to realize that it would/will not end with a rip old age passing of their leader. Their son is even more lost in insanity then his father. You didn't witness the death Saddam's own army did on their OWN people. The horrors of Saddam and his own sons with stories of streetside rape, streetside killings, etc is another area you should consider looking into.

Take this as a knock on the door which you will choose to open to see what's behind it, truth. Would you consider World War 2 a tragic misunderstanding when we fought against germans dehumanizing and viciously disregarding jews and gypsies?

It's when you come to an answer quickest that you should be most wary of it. It is after all, without thought. Study what you choose to have an opinion in. Including the obvious boring sides of studying the people through the dictator and his family, friends, hates, loves, you name it. You would be surprised just how lost ones soul can get, as like ones mind.

Joe - USA

Labour Favours Maori Over The Rest

Labour favours Maori over the rest of New Zealand, socialism over education, homosexuals over heterosexuals, beneficiaries over tax payers, prostitutes over a moral society, academic ideology over practical parenting, diversity over marriage, working women over our nation’s mothers, unions over employers and Helen Clark over New Zealand. Sadly, under the current leadership, Labour has become the party of extremes. No amount of parading their Leader in the media over the past few weeks will make the tar unstick and the polls go up. If Labour wants to move forward from this they need to dispense with the cause of their decline – bad policies and an extremist leader. The electorate is awake and does not believe Helen is a natural moderate!

Yours faithfully

David McKenzie – Edendale, NZ.

Labour Once Represented Working People

The Labour party once represented working people, not very well, but it represented them. Now labour gains power from minorities in return for promoting their interests.

In the case of Maori interests, labour set unrealistic expectations that middle New Zealand could never have supported. We are now seeing the backlash and Maori could end up in a worse position than they could have been if they had secured the goodwill of other New Zealanders.

In the case of homosexual union, New Zealanders may be prepared to tolerate legislation governing property rights, but the government faces another major backlash if it puts homosexual partnerships on the same footing as marriage.

Mike Williams - Auckland

Trust?

As a New Zealander I don't trust Helen Clark to run an inquiry into the role of the Treaty or constitutional reform.

I'd like Don Brash to deal with these things after the next election.

With less than 40% support, Labour does not have a mandate to change our constitution.

Mike Williams - Auckland

Tonga Kingdom Faces Media Laws Legal Challenge

Yo ! Scoop,

Do that whoever, whatever and get the British stiff upper brains to go and take away their racist class king that they have snicked in ( He is the fourth impersonator ) to robbed the innocent of our true heritage. We don't have that greedy manners ( stealing our lands and mini wealths that belong to the friendly people from then, 1800 Century up to now - caste ignorant idiots ) in our beautiful Island. Who else in the world were robbed like us, with the point of a British Bloody bayonet---Most of the world was robbed .boner

ps. Well, they always covered their lies with more lies and treats the original people like animals and they have no rights---Abusing our rights for more then a century with bullshit trickery of a king---He never want to compromised for Democracy for he's a faked. Perhaps they were brought in from India or whatever WHAT A BIG SHAME Go, jump ( British Government ) in the French channel

Low Boner

Festering On The West Coast

The Point of View "Festering Wound" (19 March, Greymouth Evening Star) emphasises the need for more government measures to encourage G.P.s to stay in rural areas like the Coast.

Up to a point that may help but what also needs to be recognized is the greatly increased turnover of rural G.P.s during the period of the monumental failure of corporatised health management begun in the early 90s and still continuing with the abject failure of elected DHBs to "make a difference". On-going resignations from DHBs confirm this, the latest to state that the Ministry and the Minister hold the power via DHB management being Susan Devoy who is resigning from the Auckland board.

Closer to home the complaints of health professionals continue to be ignored by a management which appears to think they know better, not only about bean-counting, but about the daily processes of being a health professional.

The local M.P. - an Associate Health Minister - says he can't understand why forty doctors have passed through the Buller Medical Centre in five years of DHB ownership. DHB primary services manager Robin Williams recently stated about GP dissatisfaction, "I think it's a collective thing that I haven't quite got a handle on yet" *. How have they missed the professional concerns being constantly expressed throughout the New Zealand media? The "handle" is obvious for those who care to look - treat employees with respect and they will stay; treat them with contempt and they'll leave, just as an increasing number of elected DHB members have left because they want no part of an immovably inward-looking regime completely out of touch with the communities they are supposed to serve.

Yours etc.,

David Tranter - Omoto Valley, West Coast, NZ

Maori Sold A Lemon?

Maori have been sold a lemon in the so-called "Partnership" treaty principle. The treaty separated government from every-day leadership or tino rangatiratanga.

What the left offers Maori in "Partnership" is insincere consultation on government affairs in return for the right of government to meddle in the every-day lives of Maori. This is not a fair exchange and is contrary to the Spirit of the Treaty.

What the centre-right offers Maori is the democratic right to vote and to lobby government alongside all other New Zealanders and limited government, which ensures that Maori can choose their own leaders and make their own decisions without undue interference.

Maori have a lot to gain from supporting Don Brash.

Yours faithfully

Michael Williams – Auckland.

Treaty and Nationalising Investments

It should be no surprise to us that a Treasury report describes the debate on the confiscation of private property as unsettling for investors. One of the biggest risks for foreign investors is Governments nationalising their investments.

No constituency in any community would die in the breach for the right of a Belgian dentist to own her little piece of the high country.

So when investors see political will, across the spectrum, to strip property rights and access to law courts from this nation’s own communities, what might they think to be the case for foreign investors, lacking even a single vote?

Foreigners do not understand the subtleties of the situation. Instead of indulging in Treaty debate internally and informing ourselves, might we consider a marketing campaign in Europe explaining why their investments are safe here irrespective of how internal groups might be tr

Yours faithfully

Peter Tashkoff - Henderson, Auckland

Nude Women Good or Bad?

Everytime a woman’s body appears nude on TV, in a magazine or in public, the lives of all of us women are affected. How? Because it teaches the nation that women are nothing more than sexual objects.

Last century, brave women gave life and limb to change the prevailing view that women were chattels, only now to be sold down the line in every TV advertisement that sexualizes women in order to sell their goods.

The woman’s body is a private thing, which should be ownership of the individual and not be paraded in the market place as a commodity. I challenge women of the country to speak out by using the power of your purse. Don't buy products and goods from companies who have exploited our sexuality in this way.

Yours faithfully

Jo van Kempen - Auckland

Airport Article

Sir,

I have read an article on your on-line service with reference to Prestwick Airport. Please can I correct you and say that Prestwick Airport is not in the City of Glasgow. As a matter of fact the airport is located 35 miles west of the City of Glasgow.

The actual airport at Glasgow is Glasgow International. This is a common mistake that people make due to the way that the owners the airport and some of the airlines (mainly Ryanair) promote the airport.

People have turned up at the true Glasgow International Airport only to be told that their flight is actually from an airport nearly 50miles away.

I hope that this clarifies the situation.

Regards,

John Dundas - Glasgow, Scotland

Treaty and Mainstream Media

Dear editor; With regret I note, that with all the recent mainstream media treaty issue and "exposure", not once has the recent controversy over the Littlewood treaty draft's legitimacy been investigated or reported on, despite Winston Peter's stating* plainly that he believes the Littlewood document should be regarded as the credible treaty version that should take precedence.

Mr. Peter's has also made it plain* this Littlewood English draft of the treaty should be recognised as a condition for his co-operation with the Government, in the proposed Government treaty inquiry.

Apparently, the mainstream media, and "one-sided state sponsored historians", have the subject listed as "taboo", as the Littlewood legitimacy and text proves that current treaty interpretation is false, and indicates the treaty has been manipulated to assure the promotion of Labour's social policy of raising Maori expectation and national worth, at the expense of all other New Zealanders.

For a report revealing what Winston Peter's now believes the true Treaty of Waitangi to be, I suggest readers and journalists view; www.celticnz.co.nz/The%20Littlewood%20Treaty.htm .

Winston Peter's is making this Littlewood document the backbone of his argument in addressing treaty issues. I suggest it is time the media accurately, and without bias, expose the Littlewood document, for the information and enlightenment of all New Zealanders.

Yours sincerely,

Sid Wilson – Auckland.

Project Aqua

With the demise of Project Aqua, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons proudly claims substantial responsibility for this development, and encourages New Zealanders to move into the 21st Century. Let's consider for a moment what that may look like through the lens of a Green Party perspective.

Local Government would have the power to ignore Central Government; we would have to eat what we were told to eat; the study of science would be merged with the study of history, as no new scientific initiative would be permitted; Pakeha would be a marginalised majority; we couldn't throw anything away; anyone could come and live here, regardless of what sort of threat to our national security they might pose; we wouldn't be allowed access to National parks or recreation areas; we could offer cannabis in our schools to senior students for school prizegivings instead of book vouchers; "busi uld cycle to work, breathing coal and carbon monoxide (no nukes or hydroplease), thereby breaking our premature ratification of the Kyoto protocol, and compromising our health in the process.

While I'm happy to move into the future as Ms Fitzsimons suggests, it just won't be her quite deluded utopian future that I'll be moving into.

Yours faithfully

Stephen D. Taylor – Auckland.

Paul Holmes And Nukes

Last night Paul ran an interesting vote on the use of nuclear power as an alternative for NZ energy. I felt he might be interested in looking at this amazing, and very frightening web site which is a motor cyclist filming the areas affected by the Chernobyl failure. She says it will be a minimum of 300- to 400 years before people will be able to farm and live in this huge affected area. Her father was a scientist involved in the plant.

Yours sincerely

Penny Hargreaves, NZ

Euthanasia

The conviction of Lesley Martin for the attempted murder of her mother Joy is a rally for reality, a triumph for truth, and a long overdue example in NZ of the punishment fitting the crime. Euthanasia (derived from 17th Century Greek) originally meant “happy death”; this has now morphed into one being a party to assisted suicide. Euthanasia advocates attempt to convince us that killing someone is actually an act of love; that eliminating a person is the way to eliminate a problem; that Doctors or individuals (family members included) untrained in palliative care are somehow qualified to determine the outcome of personal patient autonomy. Lesley Martins inability to process her own grief and sense of loss was most likely the main reason she attempted to prematurely end her mothers life, rather than an act of compassion (a word that means “to suffer alongside"). True compassion values e emotionally immature such as Jack Kevorkian, Phillip Nitschke, or Exit NZ on this issue: murder is murder, regardless of any convenient ideology that may attempt to convince us otherwise.

Yours faithfully

Stephen D. Taylor – Auckland.

Is this website for real?

I have to confess that I was excited to learn that we have a new government website – one devoted to CAM. To the uninitiated this stands for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. At last - official recognition that conventional medicine is not the only way to optimum health.

I eagerly surfed the site, looking for information to help me avoid disease. Alas the only significant material I found in the preventive area, was about how to avoid the common cold. The excellent article on the potential value of Echinacea cast some doubt on the lovely flower's virtues.

I decided to go to the heart of the matter. I engaged their search engine. Interestingly it challenged me in a way that I had not been challenged before. It invited me to insert a disease, or medical problem while also asking me to indicate a possible treatment method. Clearly the creators of this website will never be accused of providing back-door medical advise. As an international health surfer this search engine could be a world first. I have never before been challenged to provide the diagnosis of my ailment and then be required to offer a potential remedy. Perhaps this is a brilliant attempt to challenge the patient's mind. It seems that a GP may soon be irrelevant. I decided to throw caution to the wind and insert a disease and a possible cure in the search engine. I choose heart disease as it is probably the most common problem. As a treatment method I chose blood letting – a time honoured proceedure which has fallen out of favour in recent years. The search engine responded very quickly.

It provided three links presenting possible treatment:

An article on Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis; an article on homeopathic oscillococcinum for the treatment and prevention of influenza.( I am still trying to find out what oscillococcinum is), and an article on the treatment of calf pain when walking, with the use of garlic. Clearly alternative medicine has entered a new dimension in which the relationship between disease and treatment are now in a realm which most us are unable to enter. At least my proposed treatment of blood letting was not endorsed. In spite of the fact that it could contribute to the regular shortfalls experienced by our blood transfusion service.

In a final attempt to glean a little truth I tried Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer in the search device. The result ...No evidence summaries found!!! Clearly Government watch dogs have yet to link these diseases with overseas research. The government searchers have yet to confront some of our worst ills!

It seems likely that this website is being funded by the tax payer. It is almost beyond belief that anyone could produce such rubbish. One has to ask how it is possible that any competent Government agency could create such a product. It will make us the laughing stock of the world. If consumers do seek advise in the alternative health field there are a vast array of very comprehensive and competent websites available overseas. Is it possible that this site has been created as a clever ploy to denigrate alternative medicine?

Maurice Mckeown – Papamoa, NZ.

© Scoop Media

Scoop

Scoop Independent News

Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.

Contact Scoop

• Editorial - editor@scoop.co.nz
• Twitter - @ScoopNZ
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Services - services@scoop.co.nz
• Phone - 04 910 1844