Doublethink: the acceptance of or mental capacity to accept contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination.
You maybe missed that interview this morning on BBC Raidió Uladh/Radio Ulster. It was with a man who runs a business which produces knives. Not just any knives – really sharp knives which can be used as weapons of assault as distinct from chopping food. The man cited the case of that fatal knife assault on a man in Dublin over a chess game, where the victim’s body was so mutilated, one of his lungs was missing. The man told Karen Patterson their business was so good, they were opening a branch in Belfast that’d employ thirty-four people. “You must see this as news” Karen said. The man agreed.
OK. By now if you’re awake you’ll know you didn’t hear that interview because it never happened. But Karen did interview another man. It was in relation to an arms sale to Indonesia that David Cameron has wangled. Cameron is loud in his praise for himself and his party having secured the deal, and says it will mean a considerable number of jobs. The man from East Belfast interviewed by Karen was really pleased too, because it’ll mean considerable work and jobs for his firm. “You must see this as good news” Karen said. The man agreed.
There are, unfortunately, awkward people in Britain who object to Cameron making statements such as “Britain makes some of the best defence equipment in the world and it is right that it is available to Indonesia, under the very same criteria that we apply to all our partners around the world.”
The Labour government put an embargo on arms sales to Indonesia after allegations that British-built Hawk aircraft were used to bomb civilians in East Timor. Human Rights Watch has criticised Indonesia for “continuing abuses, including extrajudicial killings and torture in Papua and other areas”.
What’s that, Virginia? The Indonesians say they’ll use the new weaponry only for defence purposes? Very good. So they won’t use violence to achieve their political ends, just the threat of violence. And no, Virginia, the British government will not urge Indonesia to decommission its weaponry. Where would be the sense in that?
The sheer hypocrisy over arms sales never ceases to amaze me. They are of course only ever referred to as `weapons of death` if they are to be used against the British or their cronies. Funny, I was under the impression all weapons were intended for that purpose otherwise they would not be much use. As for Cameron, the expression snake oil salesman could have been invented for him.
If Virginia answered rhetorical questions she would answer that she is all about Defense Contractors.