Saturday 14 April 2007

Double standards

"To initiate a war of aggression. . . is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." - Nuremberg Tribunal.

"The US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter." - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan - -September 2004.

Commenting yesterday on a "Guardian" interview with Russian exile Boris Berezovsky, who had advocated "a revolution" in Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We deplore any call for the violent overthrow of a sovereign state. We expect everyone living, working or visiting the UK, whatever their status, to obey our laws".

What's sauce for the foreign goose is evidently no longer sauce for the US/UK gander!

11 comments:

Jose said...

I'm with you in that, Anticant. The Law is meant for everyone, national or alien, and it mut be respected mainly by those in charge of implementing it.

Richard W. Symonds said...

Do you honestly think all-powerful liars and killers 'give a monkey's' about double-standards ?!

'They' do what is required to stay all-powerful.

Let's wise up and grow up here, shall we ?

anticant said...

RICHARD - I'm getting extremely fed up with rude and patronising bloggers. I'm no more foolish than you are, and considerably older and perhaps more grown up.

Even if you could manage not to be so supercilious - which I doubt - please don't bother posting comments here any more.

Richard W. Symonds said...

Oh come on, AC, don't go off into one of your temper tantrums again.

I did NOT call you "foolish". I know you are not so - far, far from it.

All I was saying, perhaps too strongly - to which I apologise - is that to accuse a lying, killing regime of "double-standards" is too mild a form of criticism.

If a regime lies and kills, then we accuse that regime of being liars and killers.

I don't see myself as being rude or patronising on your blog - I just want to make my point crystal clear.

If you don't want to hear my point of view, in the style in which I express that view, just say the word AC - and I will delete your blog...with sadness.

Bodwyn Wook said...

I Say! Antimacassar, really, I do hope you do /not/ mean to shuffle off poor Mr Symonds to Coventry in so dire & after so abrupt a fashion? His role is patent and, to me at least, of obvious value to us all. I think that we all therefore must really re-read (and think carefully about) the dedication by Marcus Aurelius, of his /Meditations/, to his wife Faustina, who (the Good Emperor wrote) 'has taught me so much of the true value of chastity, modesty and humility'. ['The role of the so-called "malamiti", or /contrary/, is widely extolled by mad mahometan Suffis of every stripe....' -- MuHammad Nejmi]

B Wook

anticant said...

RICHARD - I do not have 'temper tantrums'. I post what I choose on my own blogs, and can do without ineffably smug snide comments like the one you made. It's a matter of taste, I suppose. You know perfectly well what tone is acceptable to me, and it's up to you to post accordingly. I've no wish to ban you or any one else - even if I could - but perhaps I may echo someone who I'm sure is one of your great political heroes [Attlee] and say "A period of silence on your part would be welcome." Not that I am suggesting you bear any resemblance to the over-brilliant Profesor Laski - or even the less brilliant Professor Joad....

EMMETT - I cannot honestly say that Richard has ever taught me anything about the value of chastity [some hope!], modesty or humility. Sorry - I'm in my GrumpyAunt mode today.

Bodwyn Wook said...

Anti, er, Aunty, and you, too, Rashid -- it was precisely because the Empress Faustina was more or less a slut & nymphomaniac that Marcus Aurelius (a neurotic)wrote that she had taught him to value certain virtues -- it's one of those 'indirection' thingies that I keep telling my american step-children we English are rather good at. My youngest son Miah says (in American), "Oh, you MEAN sarcasm!" Point to Jeremiah!

Emmett

Bodwyn Wook said...

I Mean, it is /not/ as though Mr Symonds were anything like so bad-off as Gaoler Schluckbebier, whose viscissitudes I have lovingly outlined to-day, in the attached:

http://bodwyn.wordpress.com/2007/04/14/the-bible-belt/#more-194

Jose said...

I've known Richard for a time now and have not found him to be supercilious in any degree, on the contrary I find his remarks quite to the point and valuable.

anticant said...

Don't worry, Jose and Emmett - Richard and I have been talking by e-mail and are good friends again. We'd both been having a bad day and were too easily irritated.

Those of us who care - perhaps too anxiously - about the state of the world must take care not to inflict our bruised feelings on each other!

I hope you, and other visitors here, will take a look at the latest offerings in anticant's burrow.

Peace and love to everyone.

Bodwyn Wook said...

'A Bad day'? 'Easily irritated'? You know, it may be on account of all the fool drinking that gets done over there! Everyone seemingly is either in a YOB-like state of intoxication -- or else bloody hung-over & crabby as bastards! Here is my (distinctly American!) homage to AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, here at home in the heartland....

http://oldunclecrow.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/a-real-meeting/#more-43

A Careful reading should reveal that there /are/, indeed, unforeseen gifts & treasures to be found in Sobriety -- at least the way she is done, here! Drily,

Wook