Bushwacked

[Niko]

As a visiting student to the United States from another country, that being of Australia. I marvel at your political system of checks and balances and how now one at this time has called in Bush for an explaination of the current "war on terror" if we (meaning the willing allies) are at war. I am not so sure if we are at war or are busy playing policeman to clean up some old cold war trash.

I enjoy being here in this country and the opportunity I have to express myself as an individual. I am also impressed by the knowledge of the American people, who all know where Iraq is, but have not heard of West Papua which right now is going through some serious ethnic cleansing under the workmanship of the Indonesian government. However what I find most disturbing is the fact that the Indonesian government is fully backed by the US.
Dont get me wrong I am not hating on the US, I am just a little bewildered at the current admins policy on rogue states, surely ethnic cleansing comes under the rogue heading. But alas it appears that there is gold in dem dere hills and the American mining companies stand to make a pretty penny from Western Papua mines, once the people have been cleansed.
So where is West Papua anyway? I have never heard of it on CNN or Fox, the only two news channels in the world right?
Lovely chatting, I enjoy this room.

 

[Comrade]

Welcome to our country, Niko.

I admit I've only heard of Papua New Guinea. I guess the other half is West Papua? Before it became Indonesia after WWII wasn't the entire island group under the Dutch? Anyway I'm a studied historian but I admit I don't follow the islands.

We depend on you Australian blokes to take care of business down under, too, you know!

It's not like the Aussies couldn't actually invade, occupy, and put a stop to the questionable activities of their next door neighbor.

But nooooo.... do you even know you are quoting the liberal hag Molly Ivans who just despises Bush and his War on terror?

Anyway, my point is this is one of the few state leaders who is actually DOING SOMETHING, and even though the priority of West Papua is probably way down on the list, there's nobody tending the garden, didn't you notice? Except for a few, including your fine country. You handle West Papua, and we'll get your back, ok? Same play we did with the Japenese.

 

[modman]

You make an argument most of us in this country are making these days. Plain and simple if it will not benefit the US we will not get involved. There has to be something in it for us. It's sad that it has to be that way. Liberia and such places we have no ambition to get involved because they have nothing to offer us.

 

[Annie]

In spite of the moniker I must agree with Comrade, the Aussies, brits, etc., must pick up where rational. The US does have limits, imposed not only from within, but from without. None of which, no matter how deserving, can be ignored.

 

[Isaac Brock]

West Papua is on the same island as Papua New Guinea, Papua, but on the west, Indonesian controole side. Terrible violence there. Rapid industrializationg is causing mass stratification of once stable cultures. The ugly head of colonization rears itself once again... doesn't matter who does the colonizing.