tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post1099858747298438306..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Australia to boycott Durban IIRussell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-78363318199967952582009-04-21T12:17:00.000+10:002009-04-21T12:17:00.000+10:00Well, obviously I can't spell "Ahmadinejad" withou...Well, obviously I can't spell "Ahmadinejad" without checking. Meanwhile, this is a good article on the conference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8007673.stmRussell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-17321029338515662072009-04-21T11:37:00.000+10:002009-04-21T11:37:00.000+10:00And it continues. 30 countries walk out during Ahm...And it continues. 30 countries walk out during Ahmedinejad's (I wonder whether I got the spelling correct without checking it!) speech, and some won't be back. Looks like they've lost Poland and the Czech Republic. Maybe more? France doesn't sound very happy, but the French said before the conference that they wanted to engage.<br /><br />It seems to me that the conference's supposed purpose in addressing racism was lost long ago. It's turned into a conference about attacking Israel and stifling the right to criticise religions and cultures ... and, indeed, it was apparent a long time ago that that's what it would be. <br /><br />I don't actually mind criticism of Israel, which has a fair bit to answer for - up to some reasonable point where it is not one-sided, etc. But the stifling our right to criticise religions and cultures bit is totally unacceptable.Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-59210674127387967702009-04-21T09:55:00.000+10:002009-04-21T09:55:00.000+10:00And now New Zealand has joined the boycott. UK nex...And now New Zealand has joined the boycott. UK next, or am I behind the news?Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-76274994329379380842009-04-20T19:19:00.000+10:002009-04-20T19:19:00.000+10:00How can representatives of democracies discuss hum...How can representatives of democracies discuss human rights with delegates from theocratic or totalitarian states? There is no common currency, it's not equivalent to nation states negotiating a border or an international treaty.macehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00077569413983513298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-6573280931719157542009-04-20T13:35:00.000+10:002009-04-20T13:35:00.000+10:00It is very difficult, but with the potential for g...It is very difficult, but with the potential for giving Ahmedinejad a platform for irrational Holocaust-denial views, and those views being given credibility by the presence of heads of state, boycotts are probably the right decision.Steve Zarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16867968082532563442noreply@blogger.com