Tim,

If you go back to some of the earlier iterations of the "discussion" you'll probably find me asking Peter some of the same questions you have been, with similar "success".

I agree with you, that somewhere you need to say "OK, so what is the solution, the alternative, the answer?", given that you don't like the current situation.

I agree with Peter that I don't like the current situation and I think it's inhumane, and really there has to be a better way.

I just don't know what a better way is and throwing the blame at any one of the governments doesn't help. Stomping your foot and whining about it doesn't help. Indonesia is playing its charade for its people. Both sides of Australian politics are playing their hands for their electorates, from Tampa to "stop the boats".

I'd love to bring every asylum seeker here and give them a home, without razor wire fences, but I think doing so would just invite others to put up their hands. 

I'd love to put up a sign saying "no boats allowed" and stop the drownings and stop the streams of asylum seekers coming through Indonesia and through wherever else they're coming. 

I'd love to have no need for asylum seekers.

Michael


On Sat, Mar 1, 2014 at 9:52 PM, Tim Josling <tim.josling@gmail.com> wrote:
Michael,

OK. No worries.

I wrongly assumed from the comment about "but I'm pretty sure the current policy isn't it" that you felt otherwise.

I think it was Nassim Taleb who pointed out that there aren't necessarily nice solutions to the problems the universe throws at us. 

Tim Josling


On Sat, Mar 1, 2014 at 3:46 PM, Michael Scott <luv@inoz.net> wrote:
Tim,

I've been following this subject on LUV and your postings and Peter's and I have fully supported you and mostly agreed with what you've said in relation to what Peter's said, just to make myself clear.

I don't know WHAT is the solution. I can't offer a solution. For me, send over Hercules after Hercules and bring them all back here. That will open the flood gates and double the numbers wanting to come here. It's not the solution. I don't know what the solution is!



On Sat, Mar 1, 2014 at 3:05 PM, Tim Josling <tim.josling@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Michael Scott
Subject: Re: [luv-talk] Mike Godwin comments on Australian politics

> ... I'm not sure what the right answer is to Australia's "asylum seeker"
> situation, but I'm pretty sure the current policy isn't it. The current
> policy suits the current populism, on both sides of politics.... It may
> have started under Howard but it continued and was revised to something
> similar under Rudd/Gillard...and is being continued under Abbott. The only
> difference I can see is that Abbott is trying to make it less visible....

If you have no alternative, how are you so "sure" that the current policy is not the best that governments can do in the circumstances? How do you know such an alternative exists? Particularly when the ALP came to power in a blaze of moral indignation claiming they would do away with the coalition's inhumane policy and would do far better. And then - as you suggest - proceeded, after some delay, to do the same thing but less competently.

You seem to have plenty of energy to spend on denouncing "populism" and by implication the general moral inferiority of other people etc. Why not spend that energy coming up with an actual alternative?

Tim


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