So why does anyone care about the AWB scandal?

[Martini_Enfield]

@Princhester

But you don’t see it as a problem that as late as late 2002 and early 2003 the AWB were the single largest buster of sanctions (ie source of cash for Saddam) at the same time as the US and its allies (ie Australia) were facing Saddam down and preparing for a war that started in March 2003?

No, I don’t.

Some people were bad so we’re not bad if we are bad too? That makes sense to you?

In a nutshell, yes.

This is not just paying bribes, though it was certainly that. This is paying money in breach of international sanctions Australia supposedly supported. The same government that got us into a war with a dictator on the basis he was:

(a) working on uber weapons and

(b) oppressing his citizens

to an extent so bad we had to get involved in a war to depose him, also gave the hidden nod to giving him $220m that (due to the sanctions we were the biggest breacher of) he would otherwise have found hard to come by, and that doesn’t bother you?

Not in the slightest. We didn’t “Have” to get involved. We could have sat the whole thing out with a slab of coldies and taken bets, and we’d be a lot better off, IMO.

That doesn’t bother you?

No, it doesn’t.

The people who should be enforcing policy, and who are expected to have responsibility beyond “whatever it takes to earn a buck” are the government. The sad thing is that the teflon style of administration we have these days means that no one in the government will cop anything over this, and the general populace are too ignorant, apathetic and amoral to punish them at the ballot box.

No arguments here. I’m thoroughly sick of John Howard, but I realise he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

[Giles]

@Martini Enfield

No arguments here. I’m thoroughly sick of John Howard, but I realise he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

No scandal ever sticks to little Johnny. He made sure that this one would just affect the AWB people directly involved, and not the ministers (including himself) who ought to have kown what was going on, but didn’t.

[Princhester]

@Martini Enfield

No, I don’t.

But you wouldn’t sell arms to the enemy?

In a nutshell, yes.

I’ll remind you of this when you suggest someone should be punished for raping your mother.

Not in the slightest. We didn’t “Have” to get involved. We could have sat the whole thing out with a slab of coldies and taken bets, and we’d be a lot better off, IMO.

You miss the point. Your position is contradictory. Read your last comment in your last post in which you agree with me regarding the government, and then read what I wrote again. I don’t think we should be in Iraq either. What I said was (in short) that the government was telling us that a dangerous dictator who had to be stopped was developing WMD and giving a nod and wink to paying substantial sums of money to the very same guy at the same time. You should care about the AWB scandal (if for no other reason) because it is yet another illustration (if one were needed) that the government was lying through its teeth when it sold this country on the idea that it was actually concerned about Saddam.

No, it doesn’t.

But you wouldn’t sell arms to the enemy?