International Socialists

Racism, knitting needles and the weather

Richard Prebble believes NZ's refugee policy needs a "serious rethink." According to Mr Prebble, there are millions of refugees in the world and instead of taking refugees from "desert cultures" such as Somalia, the country should take "refugees who would have no difficulty integrating into New Zealand society - for example, white farmers being driven off their land in Zimbabwe." Perhaps white people feel the effects of the weather differently to others?

 

Mr Prebble's racism angered Abdi Bihi, on the executive committee of the Refugee and Migrant Commission, who said Mr Prebble's remarks were "so obvious and cheap." Parts of Somalia were tropical and green and it was a joke to suggest that somehow people weren't able to adapt to a wet country.

(New Zealand Herald )

 

In another piece of racism Mark Everitt, an aviation security boss, has announced that "passenger profiling" (read racial profiling) may become standard practice.

 

"I have a great deal of sympathy for the people who call me asking, 'why are we taking knitting needles off little old ladies?' What I want to do is establish a regime of passenger profiling, identify the ten people out of 400 on a 747 who could be the risk on that plane."

 

And the Taleban don't even know where New Zealand is!

(Consumer Magazine, December 2001)

 

 

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The wages of sin

There's an old right-wing cliche about the number of ex-Catholics who are in socialist groups. They should all watch out!

 

A press release from the head of the Roman Catholic Church made it official - sin makes you sick. Ill health, diseases and depression are all attributable to the high levels of sin in today's society, the release said. Still, the hours are good.

(The Dominion)