While you're not looking » Politics http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com An online think tank of Wendy Cooper Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:33:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Chinese retaliate by hacking http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/chinese-retaliate-by-hacking http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/chinese-retaliate-by-hacking#comments Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:27:49 +0000 Wendy Cooper http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/?p=867 It’s a busy time in Melbourne when MIFF hits the calendar. From here onwards the rest of the year is jammed pack with the arts. Someone whose also busy is the Chinese Government when they demanded the banning of the documentary made about exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, The 10 Conditions of Love, from this year’s MIFF programme. This year’s Asian selection has suffered tremendously by the several last minute withdrawals. It is only understandable when you are part of the regime and there is no way of retaliating. But in the western world, we are not part of that hold and to remove a film for no just reason is simply not on. When the Chinese government did not get the response they desired they childishly sabotage the website early yesterday. What sort of statement are they making with all this trouble? This tantrum fit would only bring prominence to the film they so wish to dampen and forget.

Source: The Age

]]> http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/chinese-retaliate-by-hacking/feed 0 David Kilcullen on counter-insurgency http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/david-kilcullen http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/david-kilcullen#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:52 +0000 Wendy Cooper http://www.whileyourenotlooking.com/?p=373 David Kilcullen is a household name in the America-Middle East politics. He is an expert in warfare and counter-insurgency and this is a bite size interview reflecting on recent events from a brilliant series quaintly named Tea with The Economist.

If you are as inspired as I by his eloquent responses, then immerse yourself into his recent publication, The Accidental Guerrilla, and this conversation from The Washington Post

The distinction between combat and non-combat forces in a counter-insurgency environment is largely theoretical. Anyone who is still in Iraq will actually or potentially be engaged in combat.

Our knowledge of these matters have become more sophisticated the longer we are exposed. These initial radical concepts are now part of our daily vocabulary. Live and learn, in hope the next generation will not forget—and the importance of the printed medium and art are vital through this process. They validate and remind us of these horrendous events that they are real and not of fiction.

Source: The Economist
Image: Call Of Duty 4

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