20 March, 2003

I remember a photo taken during UK riots (presumably around the 60s) that showed one particular demonstrator with a placard that read “When those who make the law, break the law, in the name of the law, there is no law”.

It struck me that this is as relevant today as it was then. Despite overwhelming opposition a small group of stupid white men are able to break international law in the name of that same law so they can have a war. If the UN has no control over these men and there is no punishment for breaking international laws it is feasible to ask why bother having those laws.

Is the Australian prime minister now allowed to decide that the people of New Zealand have been a thorn in their side for too long and invade us? What could we do? Throw sheep at them? What’s the point of demonstrating if public opinion can be so easily dismissed? Would it be more effective to simply beat up on the people we’re opposing or who don’t agree with us. Sounds like a dangerous precedent to me.

What kind of a world do we live in these days? It’s not the one I thought it was.