by Keith Locke
Dear Secretary Clinton,
The Green Party welcomes you to New Zealand.
We are pleased that your administration is engaging with world problems in a more consultative and multilateral way than was the case with the previous Bush administration.
We welcome the new direction President Obama has taken on nuclear disarmament, recognising that we need a world free of nuclear weapons. We hope that this will soon result in more concrete measures to speed the process of nuclear disarmament.
It also seems that the United States, under your administration, is finally accommodating the 25 year ban New Zealand has had on nuclear armed or powered ships visiting our ports. We understand that the United States will soon be announcing an end to the ban on US forces exercising with New Zealand forces.
We also welcome the strong stand on human rights your administration has taken in several countries. In some of these – like China, Burma, Iran and Sri Lanka – it is has been commendably stronger than the stand taken by our own government. You could, however, give much greater recognition to the rights of the Palestinians than you have to date.
We are concerned that your administration has not fundamentally broken with the Bush administration’s unjustified resort to military force in international affairs.
We think it was a big mistake to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan. The many problems faced by the Afghan people are only made worse by the active engagement of foreign combat troops. The presence of foreign occupation troops has unfortunately helped the extremist Taliban to gain more support. We are not in favour of the presence of New Zealand SAS troops in the Afghan conflict.
We understand that the annual cost of the 30,000 extra troops your government recently committed to Afghanistan is $1 million per soldier, or a total of $30 billion.
We request that you consider redirecting much of the money you currently spend on the military towards solving the critical problems facing the planet, not least global warming. The Greens believe that your government, like our own, has a long way to go to fulfill its global responsibility to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help poorer countries to transform their societies for a low carbon future.
Taking serious steps to end the social injustice and poverty which still bedevil most countries would do a lot more to ending terrorism than all your administration’s military measures put together. In fact, your ‘war on terror’, which is undermining human rights around the globe, has given more oxygen to extremist terrorist groups.
We wish you a pleasant and successful visit to our country.
Yours sincerely,
Keith Locke MP
Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson
Published in Justice & Democracy | Media | Parliament by Keith Locke on Thu, January 14th, 2010
More posts by Keith Locke | more about Keith Locke
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
“we”
Hillary might like to know how many people “we” represent.
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Who knows, jh. Do you?
Could be millions.
Or just the Green party, on whose behalf Keith is speaking.
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Ps; Hillary – I’m always happy to take a Southern Gal for a Paddle Steamer ride upriver – forget about life for a while.
See if you can’t get our Mayor a job in the Great Crusade.
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They’ll be no time for paddlin’ Mark, her visit’s been cut short in order that she can visit Haiti, the island of her honeymoon.
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No mention of prosecuting war criminals either. But I guess the objective in Keith’s letter isn’t to alienate the Obama administration. Shame that mentioning upholding the rule of US law would do so.
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Now why Visit the scene of a disaster Fly?
Beside which there’s been an earthquake there as well – no she be better off with me, and a south seas welcome – a Girl of her calibre would appreciate some down-time.
Beside which we have things to discuss you know….
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He he, yes Mark! The Clinton nuptials! Rictus, rather than Richter!
She’d be putty in your hands.
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@ Mark – and no worries about the ‘old Dog’… cause these days, he don’t stray too far from the porch.
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Nice if Billy could come – always welcome – Haeri Mai and Gidday and all that hey! Grab a beer Bill!
Enough of the fish-heads in Wellington.
You are keeping Track of Billy? – Hell Ah liked him….but it’s a shitty job I reckon.
Cain’t blame one Man now – that’d be unfair.
No, just want to borrow a Polaris – I’ve got this new Torpedo that homes in on Purportraitors (sp;see:Sapient).
And I thought the Dod might like to try it out on the whale killers.
Americans Love Whales.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Wow. I see Trevor has figured out how to use a computer. Doesn’t your copy of Atlas Shrugged need reading little bro? Got some stats to back up your “…most of us…” claims?
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Bro; Mouth = Money time…..
Betchya 1 k that the Greens will have an increase in 2011.
The Rest are faceless, speechless – rudderless.
No wonder you have trouble in calm water.
Pete; most people ignore te bro.
He works 9-5. Monday to Friday.
What else could I tell you?
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Betchya 1 k that the Greens will have an increase in 2011.
You’re on, proceeds to go to the charity of the winners choice?
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Trust that charity is not ‘Dance lessons for balding middle aged twat’s'?
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Mouse
SPCA, although I will give some thought to a right wing charity that will make Mark puke at the thought of handing over $1000 of his DPB or dole money to.
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The Board says that Gambling in Pariculate and Politics in General are not Part of my Mission Bro.
Maybe when I retire, become Louche and Profligate.
Lets see…
My Investments are doing Poorly – Hillary might know where I can get a cheap apartment @ NYC.
Cheap down south Manhatten I’d reckon eh????
Geee but Phil takes some holidays don’t he?eh.
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Trevor! Knock me over with a feather! Trevor !!!
Bloody ‘L!
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Interesting how these news items play out. Something I’m pretty sure Mr. Locke is familiar with. Instance the backstory potential of one former US Prez, Bill Clinton, as he ‘stepped up’ post the Haiti rearrangement for the good Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
Neat letter Mr. Locke and excepting your assessment of the Afghanistan position — I think ‘alien’ infestations there are a point of fraught relations — where a greater transparency would be most helpful(if not a greater security risk of course) – it sets outs a helpful line if thought.
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Money Bro?
You seem to know the price of everything and the Value of nothing.
It ain’t about money Bro
We Kiwi’s rich already
Just gotta learn to Share a bit more
JH’s Swat team be on to that !
Mon Frere Massiv..seeya Monday
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Perhaps successfully taking some step to reducing social injustice in the USA via successful health care reform would be a good way to launch a more progressive foreign policy.
But not now, after Senator Kennedy’s seat has gone Republican.
The American centre has chosen not to take the side of the have nots. Preferring obstruction to such action.
The end time days of America as a great power and as a great nation are upon us. They are becoming the northern version of South America (and that’s in the old class divide days, before the more recent democratic co-existence – ala Brazil and Chile). All it will take is an internalisation of their external security apparatus to internal control, when resistance to the social injustice arises.
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Donate a $1,000 dollars to my Great Day Out and you will invited to a Great Day and have a tour of one of the greatest outdoor art galleries in the world!
And meet lots of interesting people from NZ, Australia, Canada and the US.
Go to:
http://www.rmastudies.org.nz/big-farm-day-out/
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When I lectured in an MBA course at the Auckland Institute of studies ( mainly for students from Asia altough we always had a few Fins for some reason) I used to ask them where they wanted to be working in five years time.
They general response was back at home or in New Zealand or America. When I asked “What about Europe?” their virtual universal response was “No way! They’re so racist!”
The ability of immigrants to succeed in the US remains one of their great strengths. And when do you think France or Germany will have a Black President?
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@SPC – The Macedonian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the British Empire, the Soviet Union…
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SPC go read the proposed US health care bill there is nothing in it that helps anyone other than the insurance company’s. Of course the retarded progressives in the US keep on supporting it and if it did pass the cost for it will fall on to the middle class as usual thanks to inflation.
But this is all moot because the people of Taxachusetts have spoken and told Odumbo that they don’t wont his so called health care reform.
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It is very good that you mention the Palestinians!! But stronger words would have been much better.
Obama & Clinton will do for the Palestinians (eg return of stolen land and compensation) as much as Bill Clinton, Bush and other US politicians have done.The Israelis will as always get all the money and weapons they need to keep the Palestinians down (and to steal more Palestinian land)and the Palestinians will get what? Words, words,words, eg that the must refrain from violence.
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