Satire and conspiracies
Helen Robertson writes: Re. “Is this the real world? Bin Laden conspiracy theory makes plenty of sense” (yesterday). A few days after the 2012 story about the American raid and the death of Bin Laden came out, comedy duo John Clarke and Bryan Dawe did a skit on it. Dawe interviewed quiz show contestant “Oliver Beerthanks” about it and most of the main points in the recent new story were covered in their exchange on 10/3/2012. “Possibly” the Pakistani authorities knew bin Laden was there. “Possibly” the Americans carried out the raid in the early hours of the morning so the Pakistanis could pretend they didn’t know it was going to occur.
It finishes like this:
“And now, you’ve won a collection of stories, Oliver!”
“What sort of stories?”
“All sorts”
“How many are there?”
“How many would you like?”
“I’d like as many as you’ve got”
“That’s why you’ve won”
“Who wrote them?”
“Experts”
“I love his stuff; he’s my favourite author.”
On budget measures
Paul Montgomery writes: Re. “Axe the F35s, boost the economy” (yesterday). Thomas Richman’s comments yesterday on the huge benefit to our budget’s bottom line by cancelling the $24 billion F35 Joint Strike Fighter order was, for me, right on the money. In a related issue, I’ve long thought; forget all the endless talk about where our new high-tech submarines should be built. The question surely is: just why do we need these incredibly expensive questionable pieces of hardware at all? Can someone please explain to me how they would enhance or even play a role in Australia’s security and humanitarian roles from a distant launch date and into the future? Even allowing for the fact that our soon to be replaced Collins Class subs — another staggeringly expensive folly — have mostly spent their time in dry-dock, I’ve not exactly seen an urgent need or purpose for Australian subs in any of our recent conflict or humanitarian zones to date.
Corruption vs capitalism
Ailie Bruins writes: Re. “Kiwis move hard and fast on Auckland property bubble” (yesterday). A crucial factor contributing to NZ’s economic success which is never mentioned in the Australian, is NZ’s lack of corruption. Corruption is highly inefficient.
Exactly my question – why do we want submarines? It is going to take several years to build them – wouldn’t it be more sensible morally and economically to start talking diplomatically to potential adversaries about any problems that may be on the horizon. If we cannot point to any particular adversary then we are taking a the risk that the people who build the submarines might actually be the future adversary and they will have built in an undetectable self destruct mechanism that they will trigger when we step out of line. Talk is more cost effective than killing.
Recent conflicts have been us going over to far flung places with the yanks to clown on 3rd world forces, including non state forces. Yeah sure lets dismantle the navy based on that alone. Won’t ever be a war again! Let’s be like Israel and lose the capacity to fight real enemies who don’t have Acme Rokits
http://carl.army.mil/download/csipubs/matthewsOP26.pdf