THE KOMBI KONNECTION

Piratekombi · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:33 pm Post subject:

"Greens Leader Bob Brown says a raid on the Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling ship by the Australian Federal Police was outrageous behaviour.

The Steve Irwin remains in Hobart after it was boarded by AFP officers late on Friday at the request of Japanese authorities.

The ship's captain Paul Watson says officers took hundreds of hours of video footage and a log book.

Senator Brown says he has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asking for an explanation.

"It'll be one of the most unpopular decisions the Rudd Government has made so far," he said.

"Australians will be outraged by the appearance that the Australian police are doing the bidding of the Japanese whaling authorities."

He said he had been told by Mr Watson that the ship was delayed coming into the port in Hobart so that the AFP had time to make their raid.

"I'm also told that the Japanese used absolutely outrageous tactics, like sound wave attacks on people in helicopters, which could have brought down those helicopters from the Sea Shepherd.""

...continues...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...21/2497804.htm

_________________
....Woz

'72 Sierp Bros poptop - "Woger the Jolly Piwate"

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Piratekombi

This article is from Perth Now:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25086985-948,00.html

"WITH the whaling season ending, Liam Bartlett gives his stinging assessment on the man who gave up his public morals to satisfy his personal ambitions.

THEY grew up in different countries but with similar values. They shared the same dreams and worked tirelessly for many years with the same aims, based on exactly the same principles.

They became crusaders in their own right and were lauded by those who respected their commitment, zeal and, on the face of it, genuine passion for what they believed in.

Only three years separates them in age and you would be forgiven for thinking they should still be brothers-in-arms. But, inexplicably, Peter Garrett and Paul Watson now differ in perhaps the most defining quality of character _ integrity.

In his short road to becoming a federal minister, Garrett has smashed his moral compass and jettisoned any ethical baggage that may have made him uncomfortable in the grey corridors of Canberra.

Capt Watson, on the other hand, as Master of the Steve Irwin, still throws himself between Japanese harpoon vessels and majestic whales at great personal risk while copping public criticism, even from minister Garrett's office, that he is an ``extremist''.

The contrasts couldn't be greater, so where or when did the divergence begin? The easy answer would be one word _ politics. More precisely, a safe seat with the promise of a portfolio.

Paul Watson has never played it safe. In 1972 he was one of the founding members and directors of Greenpeace.

He still has his original membership card, numbered 007. One year later, on the other side of the world, Peter Garrett became a member of a rock band called Midnight Oil.

While he and his highly talented mates were churning out stirring lyrics espousing important environmental and social issues, Watson was organising Greenpeace's first campaign to oppose whaling.

In the months that followed, Garrett was honing his hits in the pubs while Watson was taking on everything from the Soviet whaling fleet to the powerful business lobby of the seal-fur traders on the east coast of Canada.

Both men made a big impact and both followed up with more action. At one point they even found themselves standing side-by-side, protesting clear-felling in the Clayquot Valley on Vancouver Island.

Garrett went on to become president of the Australian Conservation Foundation while selling thousands of albums that covered everything from land rights to corporate greed to US foreign policy, nuclear dangers and environmental catastrophe.

Watson, meantime, left Greenpeace in disgust over what he thought was a lack of action and too many bureaucrats. He founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and under that banner became the bane of polluters and whalers around the globe and was named one of the environmental heroes of the 20th century by Time magazine.

To this day, he accuses Greenpeace of being more interested in soliciting donations to raise its corporate profile than actually protecting the environment. When it comes to whaling, he says, they are ``doing little but ocean posing, getting photo ops to raise large amounts of funds and not using those funds to defend whales''.

Garrett's road to ruin seemed to begin with a photo op in 2004. Drafted by Mark Latham _ maybe there's a clue in there _ he made noises about being able to do more from the inside as a decision-maker rather than a protester.

That predictable twaddle became a precursor to dumping his personal file of beliefs and morals into a giant recycle bin.

Now, it appears everything he has ever been respected for has been largely forsaken.

Since becoming a minister, he has approved the expansion of a uranium mine and the dredging of a sensitive bay and provided support to a pulp mill, but perhaps what mystifies most is his stance on whaling.

On September 18, 2007, Garrett promised, ``We will enforce Australian law banning the slaughter of whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary'', and ``Labor has the guts to stand up to the Japanese whalers''.

There's a lot more to the press release, but it's all a big fib. In the election that followed, Pinocchio Garrett and his mates raked in the Green votes while convincing good people like Paul Watson to talk them up on the back of those porky pies. Having won office, they then left the Japanese to randomly kill as many whales as they liked.

The fact is, the Japanese operate illegally in our waters and Garrett's office does nothing. No, worse than nothing _ it panders to the Japanese through lap-dog diplomacy and spends time criticising not the Japanese lawbreakers but the only ones who have the guts to protect the whales _ Watson's Sea Shepherd. Maybe it's because Watson reminds Garrett of how far he has slid.

We used to think his epileptic dance moves were part and parcel of a uniquely individual personality that would not be swayed by the stiffest of breezes. We even put up with his more brazen protests because, well, that was just Garrett and at least he had the courage of his convictions.

How wrong we were.

Remember the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics? Hard to believe it was only eight and a half years ago that he was out there thumbing his nose at a prime minister on an international stage, wearing a black tracksuit emblazoned with ``Sorry'' _ but when you become part of the establishment, you roll over and let your ministerial mates tickle your tummy.

It's a breathtaking turnaround _ use an event designed to showcase Australia to score your own cheap political point and then, when things get hard, turn your back on what most Australians want and throw your own value system out the nearest porthole.

The only thing Watson has thrown is the odd stink bomb at a bunch of Japanese fishermen who masquerade as scientists. But even if you don't agree with his tactics, you can be absolutely sure Watson is trying to do the right thing.

I had the pleasure of spending time with him last year in Atlanta, where 60 Minutes enlisted his help in highlighting the plight of captive whale sharks in one of America's biggest aquariums.

Despite his hectic schedule, he went out of his way to ensure we could bring the story home and let as many people as possible see what was happening to these amazing creatures. He was not concerned with his profile or how he would be seen, and couldn't care less what he was asked or how he was treated by the aquarium staff, as long as the animal's plight was front and centre. This bloke was the real deal.

Conversely, to go back and read the words that Garrett helped write invites a level of incredulity that is rare indeed. Take Power and the Passion, for example: You take what you get and get what you please.

It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. By this reckoning, the Environment Minister is at least 10cm shorter than when he started, and dragging his ankles as I write.

I used to think the strongest part of Garrett was his conscience, but I now realise it must be his most flexible asset. He is now, not as a politician but as an individual, so compromised that I wonder if he knows any more what he really stands for.

And I ask myself: How does he sleep when his bed is obviously burning?"

Liam Bartlett is a reporter with 60 Minutes on Channel 9. The program returns tonight at 7.30. Bartlett writes on a monthly basis for The Sunday Times.
_________________
....Woz

'72 Sierp Bros poptop - "Woger the Jolly Piwate"

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kimba · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject:

That's a very good article...
Pinocchio Garrett Laughing

I have to say that Liam Bartlett is certainly getting more "green" as he gets older.
He was vehemently opposed to a blockade camp I was on once, until he actually spoke to us about it, then he became our best media supporter!!

Kinga · Moderator Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 487 Location: Perth

Liam is certainly not afraid of telling it like it is.

Good article.
_________________
Kinga

kimba · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:35 am Post subject:

Default
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/s...own/index.html

Online petition to Pinocchio. (I love that )

There's also a wastebook "cause" for this... another way to get it out there among your networks...
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/2271...371?m=f6a2e5a8

Roadcow · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:19 pm Post subject:

As an American I'm outraged at the Japanese whaling fleet and it's blatant misuse of the oceans fisheries. I watched Whale Wars with great interest last year and was silently hoping that it was having a positive effect. From my point of view the Austrailian Government have, as previously noted, been doing the bidding of the Japanese government. It's a shame, I hope the people stand up and make the government take notice of what's right. Thanks Pirate kombi for posting this.

Piratekombi · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:53 am Post subject:

Thank you everyone for your support! Smile

The good news is that the video footage belonging to Discovery Communications appears to have been copied and returned, so there should now be a second series of "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet (the first series was their highest rated show ever) - this is, however, yet to be confirmed on the Sea Shepherd website. "Whale Wars" is an excellent series following last season's Sea Shepherd campaign, and is quite confronting - it is yet to screen in Australia, however the DVD can be bought from overseas (eg from Amazon).

Another excellent DVD is "Sharkwater", following Sea Shepherd's campaign against shark-finning and exposing the corruption of police and govts.
_________________
....Woz

'72 Sierp Bros poptop - "Woger the Jolly Piwate"

Aus liebe zum kombi

Piratekombi · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:56 am Post subject:

The three most notorious whale killing nations on Earth are collaborating to engage in the illegal international trafficking in endangered species.

Norway and Iceland are unlawfully shipping Fin and Minke whale meat to Japan, and Japan is making illegal purchases of this meat. In response to this, other nations are saying nothing or sending mild letters of protest. Enforcement is non-existent.

This revelation of shipments of whale meat from Iceland and Norway to Japan that began five months ago marks the first time since 1988 that whale meat had been exported.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officially authorized the trade on February 6th, 2009 to ship 5.6 tons of Minke whale from Norway. Iceland began shipping Fin and Minke whale meat in 2008.

Tests demonstrated that the whale meat contained high levels of mercury. The Japanese government said the tests on raw whale meat failed and that only cooked whale meat may be sold.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society condemns this illegal trafficking in whale meat and urges conservation minded nations to invoke sanctions against Japan, Iceland and Norway in accordance with international conservation law.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-...-090303-3.html

The Steve Irwin received a bomb-threat on Monday night - the good news is the police were able to trace the phone-call. This is certainly not the first time that the Sea Shepherds have received threats, and is unlikely the last - such threats, while worrisome at the time, will not deter the anti-whaling activities.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-...-090303-2.html

Sea Shepherd members attempted to assist the beached whales on King Island - and will now attempt to ascertain the cause. Parks and Wildlife did a splendid job in organising the rescue effort.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-...-090303-1.html

_________________
....Woz

'72 Sierp Bros poptop - "Woger the Jolly Piwate"

Aus liebe zum kombi