Why no threads about Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers?

[TerryBosniak]

Times coverage today suggesting key factors in the SLA victory were surveillance drones supplied by Israel and ground attack aircraft supplied by China.

China get a port for its trouble. Wondow what Israel wanted? Maybe just cash?

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Because you'll just re-shape your definition of 'independence' any time someone has a valid example.

Well we can cross that bridge when we come to it: got a decent example?

FWIW there probably is one or two examples of a peacceful independance being granted as a breakaway state from an empire as it is crumbling, such as England breaking from Rome. But apart from that situation I can't see how anyone can suggest with a straight face that the peace process is the best method to gain independance, as peace has a horrible track record.

The Tamil's are going to go back to bombing and assassination, which they are very, very good at. They've killed Indian and Sri Lankan Prime ministers, managed to acquire tanks and an air force, recruit children etc. they will not just forget and let it go. Ireland and Palestine have taught us that much at least.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Times coverage today suggesting key factors in the SLA victory were surveillance drones supplied by Israel and ground attack aircraft supplied by China.

China get a port for its trouble. Wondow what Israel wanted? Maybe just cash?

I imagine yanks were involved too. This is a great result for any nation that has issues with uprisings or terrorism (whatever you want to label it):

USA - Islamic Extremists
Israel - Hamas, Hesbollah, Iran
China - Tibet, Falun Gong

Regardless of the actual rewards they recieved, its great PR and practice for all three nations. What was it the British SAS used to say of Northern Ireland, particularly West Belfast, again? sometihng about it being the best live training exercise in the world for counter terrorism tactics.

 

[Qsaint]

Yep, and often the diaspora are far more hardline than those at home, largely because they are sitting safe in their nice houses, not facing death every day.

That's why most Israelis who actually live in Israeli are far more accomodating of a two state solution and peace with the Palestinains than thoswe in the US or Australia.

Same with Greeks/Turks/Macedonian and everone else here

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Same with Greeks/Turks/Macedonian and everone else here

Serbs, Poms, Italians, Irish etc.

Amazing isn't it? People get more and more comfortable, and are more and more prone to being outraged or militant.

 

[Qsaint]

common fallacy Ghandi was against violence or armed resistance. This plays into the statist paradigm of oppression imo.

Can you post a link to, sorry a reasonable link to some proof on this.

 

[Chief]

Well we can cross that bridge when we come to it: got a decent example?

Australia.

We have the freedom to change our system ourselves and remove the Queen as head of state.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Australia.

We have the freedom to change our system ourselves and remove the Queen as head of state.

Ok well I don't think we're really independant, considering we have another nation's stamp on our flag and the Queen of England (who is German, funnily enough) as our head of state, but rather than derail the thread I'll just state that obviously there are exceptions to the rule, and that only the vast majority of newly independant states won their independance through war or the threat of war.

Like East Timor, the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, France, Cambodia, Thailand, Israel/Palestine etc. and to suggest that war hasn't been the most commonly used and effective way of garnering freedom is imo ridiculous.

 

[TerryBosniak]

I
Regardless of the actual rewards they recieved, its great PR and practice for all three nations. What was it the British SAS used to say of Northern Ireland, particularly West Belfast, again? sometihng about it being the best live training exercise in the world for counter terrorism tactics.

Its weird, I was walking down the Falls Road on Saturday. Quite strange to think the place used to be a warzone.

 

[TerryBosniak]

Australia.

We have the freedom to change our system ourselves and remove the Queen as head of state.

That's the crux of it.

If we didn't, then I suppose sooner or later, people quite heavily in favour of a republic like me would consider other means of attaining one.

 

[medusala]

I'm yet to hear of true, autonomous independence without war. Ukraine is a US/NATO puppet regime right now.

Czechs and Slovaks

What about when the Brits pulled out of Africa and the West Indies.

Of course one could always state the obvious in Australia.

 

[blackcat]

Can you post a link to, sorry a reasonable link to some proof on this.

Phil Weiss has been reading Gandhi texts. Here is his take.

Gandhi hated passivity--and at times even supported violent resistance. Non-violence isn't passivity, it's a form of soldierly engagement full of bravery. It works as a publicity tool when you are in the right: when the world generally approves of your agenda, as the world generally agreed that the British should get out of India.

 

[TerryBosniak]

Backo topic, the Sri Lankan Government are going to keep 250,000 in the camps for two years to try and weed out Tigers infiltrators.

Many of the quarter of a million people held in internment camps in Sri Lanka face up to two years behind razor wire, a government official said today.

Despite international concern over conditions inside the camps, the defence ministry spokesman, Lakshman Hulugalle, said Sri Lanka was not prepared to let the UN dictate terms over the length of time people could be held.

I'm sure their Israeli advisors will have plenty of hints on how to manage an illegal and immoral giant open air prison.