Article

2003-03-16 International

Those Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones

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Posted by George H. Beckwith 2003-03-16 09:09 am|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The various movements in the South Pacific are driven by large scale immigration to the region since WWII. Some island populations have moved closer to economic centers of activity. Some islands have had East Asian and Chinese immigration take over the commerce in the area.

The original population was overtaken by events because of its primitive nature and lack of adaptibility to change. Islands are not conducive to migration, to begin with, because of limited land area and the economic restrictions imposed by the ocean. Add to that immigrants with a more advanced culture and differing world view, and the original inhabitants get left behind.

And that ticks them off. The solution, for many of them, is the same that the African nations chose. Drive out the foreigners and everything will be better. "We'll all be richer and powerful." Of course, when the immigrants leave, so does the money, and the labor force that kept the money flowing.

Posted by Chuck 2003-03-16 11:31:12|| [blog.simmins.org] 2003-03-16 11:31:12|| Front Page Top

#2 Just for the record : the 1988 "clashes between opponents and supporters of independence" were actually a full-scale hostage-rescue situation; the 22 april, 4 gendarmes were killed and 24 taken hostages by dozens of FNLKS (independence mvt) members. The situation was very tense, mainland France being right in the middle of the presidential election which opposed its conservative prime minister, and its socialist president. The 5 may, a few days before the election, the conservative prime minister, low in the opinion polls, opted for a military option. The GIGN, DGSE paramilitaries and Hubert naval-commandos launched an assault on the OuvÃ©a cave, where the group was hiding (location was partly found through brutally rounding up suspects & roughing them up ?). 19 hostages takers were killed (4 of them after they surrendered ?), as well as two gendarmes; alas, despite this and a shadowy (read "ransom") well-timed lebanon-hostages release, the conservative prime minister was defeated, to be elected in 1995 only. As you already guessed, his name was Jacques chirac.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-03-16 12:06:42|| 2003-03-16 12:06:42|| Front Page Top

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