tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.comments2023-10-30T02:03:56.081+13:00Capitalism Bad; Tree PrettyMaiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comBlogger4131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-10647347705373747162011-11-03T13:47:15.093+13:002011-11-03T13:47:15.093+13:00First, great article. Disability rights and "...First, great article. Disability rights and "choice" are not separate at all. If we look at the kernel of the pro-choice movement, its foundation is built on the principal of equality of women as equals. The disabled community still fights for that same civil equality. And exactly to your point, their dignity begins being stripped when we subjugate them to a second set of rules based on lower value for them. You make those points quite succinctly.<br /><br />The main point of pro-choice is to allow people to make an informed and independent choice. Today, many parents of a child with disabilities do not have that option. All language used to communicate the fetuses differences are framed as "bad". I have a 3 yr old daughter with DS. Before her I was brainwashed to believe it was a "bad" thing.<br /><br />WHne she was diagnosed by surprise after birth I had a very very different experience. And most parents of children with DS speak of the amazing positive experiences they have had. There are surveys that show this (Dr. Skotko just did one) and there is demographics data (Tennessee birth and divorce records showed a lower divorce rate of parents with a child with DS than parents of a chile with only typical children).<br /><br />Yet, there is also plenty of survey data and personal stories to tell how genetic therapists and the medical community misrepresent the truths.<br /><br />Doing so strips dignity from one population and free and informed choice from the other. See my blog if you are interested in the details.Bradhttp://liftedupbyds.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-23478900921656763972011-11-02T10:07:09.979+13:002011-11-02T10:07:09.979+13:00You wrote: "There are two, related but distin...You wrote: "There are two, related but distinct, reasons that people decide that they cannot continue a pregnancy based on some characteristics of the foetus. The child your foetus is going to be will take more resources to raise than the child you had hoped to have. And the child your foetus is going to be is valued less, by society and/or by you than the child you had hoped to have."<br /><br />There is a third possible reason, which is that the fetus won't survive if it is born, or will survive for only a very short period of time. (I know someone who decided not to abort, though she knew the fetus would live a week at most after birth--but it was a very difficult choice for her.)<br /><br />Excellent analysis, in any case. Thanks for this.rosmarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17644767870193735776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-76596084288441652232011-10-31T22:31:09.516+13:002011-10-31T22:31:09.516+13:00The anti abortionists should probably reassess the...The anti abortionists should probably reassess their advertisement. It would be much more advantageous to their cause for them to promote the empowerment of woman and equality... although I would surmise that such an idea wouldn't sit well with their "woman are incapable of thought" ethos.Jackalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09817202814426957062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-72194422417103639422011-10-28T15:52:46.206+13:002011-10-28T15:52:46.206+13:00"I may think that anti-abortionists are have ..."I may think that anti-abortionists are have to be some combination of: lying, deluded, misigoynists, who are incapable of argument, reason, empathy, compassion, or logic"<br />That is a pretty strong insult. I take it you don't know personally as friends any pro-lifers. I sugest you should as it might change your opinions.<br /><br />I could argue that pro-choicers are incapable of empathy as they show no empathy for the fetus/unborn. I agree on occasion pro-lifers may appear to lack empathy, but if you hold their view the women must undergo some suffering so that the fetus/unborn can live, not having no empathy whatsoever with women.<br /><br />A 2009 UMR poll showed 45% of New Zealanders morally disaprove of abortion (link http://umr.co.nz/Reports/MoralityOfNewZealanders_%28Aug-09%29.pdf ). Now not all 45% may fit into what you consider "anti-abortionists" and want it illegal, but it does raise the question as to what portion of New Zealands population would be considered "incapable of argument, reason, empathy, compassion or logic"Nicholas O'Kanehttp://www.kiwiblog.co.nznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-37677070689450769492011-10-27T21:59:58.081+13:002011-10-27T21:59:58.081+13:00I like "women and all pregnant people'.I like "women and all pregnant people'.La Ranitahttp://laranitanx.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-28191049004574139132011-09-29T23:38:57.815+13:002011-09-29T23:38:57.815+13:00At the incident Tove described in her original pos...At the incident Tove described in her original post, Omar described how Ira Bailey had been the target of a similar "witch hunt" at Climate Camp, and how it had "ruined Climate Camp".<br /><br />In describing the authors of the 'Open Letter', he said, "Do you know who these people are? These are my political enemies." Someone replied, "Seriously? That sounds like a conspiracy theory," to which Omar responded, "It is a conspiracy."DG.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-22691799975295871912011-09-29T01:19:13.454+13:002011-09-29T01:19:13.454+13:00Anita - It's certainly not too soon (it may be...Anita - It's certainly not too soon (it may be four years too late for me to be answering - but that's another story).<br /><br />Although the answer is complicated.<br /><br />At the time I thought about that banner and that slogan applying to three defendants: Emily Bailey, Valerie Morse and Urs Signer. The ones I did know and love. Now I think it was naieve in the extreme. But it was very much in reaction to some of the - and hte conditional support in some quarters - "If they're engaging in terrorism we can't support them."<br /><br />I didn't know how Omar treated women in 2007 (if he treated him that way then). But I did know that Ira Bailey (the fourth person arrested in Wellington) was emotionally, physically and psychologically abusive to women. My position was then (and still is now to the extent that it's relevant) was that I give him unconditional solidarity from his attacks on the state - but he gets no other support of solidarity from me of any kind. <br /><br />I've written a bit about the time when everyone was in jail in various formats. But I neatly excised that thread from the story. In reality on top of everything else I was drawing and redrawing my line between political solidarity and personal support, ignoring my boundaries, and stressed about it a lot of the time.<br /><br />Since then I've learned that Ira (and Omar) are not alone among the defendants in the way they treat women.<br /><br />Anyway to go back to October 15th - i'm not sure I've felt at the time (or really since) that hte support was abou ttheir political actions being laudable - so much as they were under attack from the state in a really specific way. It wasn't about them being virtuous individuals (and I've always struggled with a lot of the material around their political defence that is based on who they are as good people - because some of them really aren't).<br /><br />I think the only thing you can do is speak openly about both, although that has its pushback.<br /><br />Thanks for asking this - it's great to be prompted to articulate some of the stuff that I've been silent/felt silenced on.Maiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-66568743391691406162011-09-28T19:20:39.241+13:002011-09-28T19:20:39.241+13:00I'm not sure this is (yet) the time to ask thi...I'm not sure this is (yet) the time to ask this, if it isn't then I apologise and moderate away if required... :)<br /><br />One of the things that has struck me over the last few years is one of the banners sometimes used in support of the Urewera 15 - it says "Unconditonal Love, Unconditional Solidarity, Unconditional Freedom". Each time I look at it I wonder about the first line - how is it possible to stand for someone with such revolting personal beliefs and actions and proclaim unconditional love?<br /><br />I guess the challenge for me, as it has been before, is how to feel about someone whose political activism is laudable and well worth respecting, but whose private - of course equally political - actions are loathesome.Anitanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-73456427715280226322011-09-05T10:46:08.974+12:002011-09-05T10:46:08.974+12:00I agree, the plot was pretty bad. it certainly sho...I agree, the plot was pretty bad. it certainly showed that one of the co writers was a high ranking police officer and the other was Tom Scott (who seems to be one of those "I was a protester when I was young but I didn't really follow the details of what was going on in the movement apart from remembering a few activist stereotypes which I can use in a film 30yrs later"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-76838362410232071192011-08-20T10:14:47.205+12:002011-08-20T10:14:47.205+12:00Farrer is a hypocritical wanker.
Just a few post...Farrer is a hypocritical wanker. <br /><br />Just a few posts along from his sneering at Felicity Perry, under the headline "Labour makes it personal" he pens this prissy unctuousness:<br /><br />"When I was a campaign manager, I never advocated nastiness towards my candidate’s opponent (Marian Hobbs). To the contrary I made a point of only saying positive things her in a personal, not political, sense"Don Franksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-79065389274468345492011-08-12T18:54:54.186+12:002011-08-12T18:54:54.186+12:00A man can't possibly know what abortion is lik...A man can't possibly know what abortion is like. As a man I freely admit that I will never be in the same position and I would never deign to try and force my opinion (which incidentally is pro-choice) on anyone. <br /><br />Yes, all the candidates present at the debate were male. However, I think you give James the short shrift given than in the top 15 on the Green list, 8 are female. That's very nearly balance. It's not perfect, with only 12 out of top 30... but it's a damn sight better than most parties. <br /><br />It's pretty unfair to criticize the Greens for having two other male candidates (who actually go to Victoria university) there when the there are female candidates running in the Wellington region. Holly Walker, Dr Sea Rotman and Jan Logie and the outgoing Green WLG based MP, Sue Kedgley, may not have been able to make it, and definitely do not attend Vic.<br /><br />So while you have valid points about males — especially PFB and the United and NZ1st males — hate is not the answer. To quote Yoda: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." <br /><br />I am be interested to hear what you would have liked to hear the candidates say about abortion, because that is not clear from your post.Jean Doomhttps://www.facebook.com/people/Jean-Doom/100002296865928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-17525984561564177772011-08-11T23:05:05.116+12:002011-08-11T23:05:05.116+12:00Where are the women this election? At the NCW pre-...Where are the women this election? At the NCW pre-election forum all the candidates were men too.La Ranitanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-32275725020636893672011-07-20T19:49:25.427+12:002011-07-20T19:49:25.427+12:00What did the Big Radical Left Fair organisers have...What did the Big Radical Left Fair organisers have to say for themselves when they were squarely confronted with this crucial issue?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-6631791807919387232011-07-20T17:07:24.894+12:002011-07-20T17:07:24.894+12:00Anonymous, I can name a couple, although that is b...Anonymous, I can name a couple, although that is besides the point. There are already too many barriers that increase social alienation. As radicals we should be trying break these down not contribute to them. I think that its one thing to be oblivious to disabled access needs, I've definitely been guilty of that plenty of times, but another to have these points raised and then disregarded.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-60429404780381425372011-07-19T19:52:04.984+12:002011-07-19T19:52:04.984+12:00How many people with mobility disabilities do you ...How many people with mobility disabilities do you think would have been terribly disappointed to miss out on getting animal rights badges and communist tracts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-19995699680660982722011-07-19T00:26:01.622+12:002011-07-19T00:26:01.622+12:00Anonymous 1: I wasn't involved at all in organ...Anonymous 1: I wasn't involved at all in organising the event. I did raise the issue with the organisers as soon as I realised what the venue was, and did have an argument with the organisers about it.<br /><br />I really don't agree that the choice is between having a venue with stairs or having no event at all (I explained why in some depth on the hand mirror. Here I will just say that I thought of 20 venues that might be suitable while being grumpy about htis http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8770341086445997547&postID=6423049796804983718&page=1&token=1310989436169). I'll answer the <br /><br />Anna (I loved your work with FWD by the way): I know the feel of being unsure where to draw the line. My perspective is that I can only fight for change where I have some kind of power (this is the basic philosophy for my politics - not just something that applies here). Either because I organise an event, or there are people interested in exerting pressure through collective action (I can't tell if anonymous 2 was being serious or not, but if they were then) (and possibly 3rdly through the power of not shutting up). If I know that it won't make any difference whether or not I go I tend to base going on personal decisions. I only avoid events, if the exclusion makes me particularly angry, or I want to prioritise spending time with people who are excluded (or sometimes in solidarity with friends who can't attend if they want to attend). So I try to draw a line between political actions, like insisting that groups I'm part of use accessible venues, and personal lines I draw, like my best friend really wants to go to this and can't, so I won't go. I do think there are times when that becomes more problematic though.Maiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-35923008429510127052011-07-18T13:40:31.671+12:002011-07-18T13:40:31.671+12:00Let's demand that disability unfriendly Crossw...Let's demand that disability unfriendly Crossways install a lift and picket the building in protest if they don't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-29750685722445720372011-07-18T12:38:17.089+12:002011-07-18T12:38:17.089+12:00This is the sort of thing that drives me up the wa...This is the sort of thing that drives me up the wall and I had the sorts of choices individual people are required to make to solve an institutional problem. Do you want to go to this event that is important for a variety of reasons, or do you want to insist on giving up the event to argue for inclusiveness? I've been shut out of awards, networking opportunities, and be branded a trouble-maker for not only refusing to go to wheelchair-inaccessible events but making sure people know *why* I'm not there. It would be so much easier to just *go* and try and make my points from within the system rather than protesting outside of it.<br /><br />*sigh*Annahttp://trouble.dreamwidth.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-36936017075800931042011-07-18T10:22:27.567+12:002011-07-18T10:22:27.567+12:00Sometimes the choice is between a venue with stair...Sometimes the choice is between a venue with stairs or having no function. You had a stall at the fair; did you argue with the other organisers for a wheelchair access venue? <br />If this issue was so important to you, why did you participate in the 'exclusion ' exercise?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-78480240515460719442011-07-06T11:11:26.340+12:002011-07-06T11:11:26.340+12:00@Anonymous, good point that if we tapped DSK's...@Anonymous, good point that if we tapped DSK's phone calls we'd probably find some hair raising stuff.<br /><br />But the issue is whether we can be certain he committed rape, and obviously we can't when the only witness is someone who has actually lied before about rape. Also what's with the men depositing >$100,000 to her bank accounts, according to the NY Times? Sounds like she may be a practicing criminal as well as someone who lies under oath--yikes! Of course that doesn't prove she was raped, but here we don't put people in jail because we can't prove they didn't commit a crime--sheesh!Smookynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-67646765422489542782011-07-05T13:42:54.612+12:002011-07-05T13:42:54.612+12:00@sharon
..and we know that DSK is someone who ma...@sharon <br /><br />..and we know that DSK is someone who makes it a point to never lie, and so he does not have zero credibility.<br /><br />If they spent the same amount of money dredging through his background and tapping his phone calls, they may find some pretty grubby secrets.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-72566207138409595362011-07-05T04:07:44.594+12:002011-07-05T04:07:44.594+12:00Great to hear on Al Jazeerah News that the French ...Great to hear on Al Jazeerah News that the French writer is pressing attempted rape charges against DSK. She tried to discuss it on the radio at the time but the radio station bleeped out his name. At the time she told him she would press charges but he didn't seem surprised as if it had happened many times before. Her mother who is in politics persuaded her not to press charges. Fingers crossed this serial rapist ("the great seducer" yeah right!) will finally get what's coming to him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-82405335933633937862011-07-04T03:31:01.077+12:002011-07-04T03:31:01.077+12:00Yes, all these things can be true of someone who t...Yes, all these things can be true of someone who then becomes a rape victim. But the problem is that when these kinds of things are known to be true about a complainant, then we know the complainant cannot be relied upon. Some people make it a point never to lie, and those are the only kind of people you can trust in a he-said-she-said situation. Anyone who lies in all the ways this woman has lied, has zero credibility. <br /><br />So you're right--we'll never know for sure she wasn't raped--but we sure won't know beyond a reasonable doubt that she was raped, will we?<br /><br />So he goes free. What other system of justice would you have, Maia?Sharon Huangnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-35561058340444739542011-07-01T12:33:09.345+12:002011-07-01T12:33:09.345+12:00this site is good for greek news in English, but i...this site is good for greek news in English, but it seems to be down at the moment.<br />www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/M Ehttp://www.makingchristmascards.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-51180652135921574412011-06-25T00:07:18.259+12:002011-06-25T00:07:18.259+12:00Realy looking forward to your take on the train-wr...Realy looking forward to your take on the train-wreck that is called Alasdair Thompson.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com