Hicks on Channel Nine

[Superfly]

well I'd enjoy having a conversational beer with the man - try to discover the man behind the myth.

ask him what it was like fighting in Kosovo - was that before or after the West realised there was a problem, etc.

In the same type of western bar full of infidels that Hicks and associates would have blown sky high ( with you in it ) some years ago before he was captured...

 

[Superfly]

Garpal old Pal, I feel sorry for you. You have the same mentality as the old wild west lynchem party.

what do you think Hicks would have done to you if you were found in Afganistan when under the Taliban... hanged.. if you were lucky..

The only story that is out at this stage on David Hicks is the story that the system wants you to have. That system is the US of A standover one. People like the Hicks case serve to divert attention from the need at all cost to control the Middle East for oil.

It is interesting of late that Pakistan is doing deals across the boarder with the Taliban. America is supplying the arms for the effort in Aphganistan and they are also propping up and supplying arms to Pakistan. Get real and think about that for a moment. Who's making the profits and at the same time trying to control the oil cartels.

goes to show how far one can stretch to put together a story...

David Hicks was just a misguided young colt, experimenting with an alternative side to life in another land.

My god ... and how many more Hicks are out there and how many innocent people have to lose their lives while the young colts experiment with an anti western style of life.... but its ok, they are just young !!!!!!!!!

If we were truly at war then some formalities of law can be overlooked for the safety of the overall. But this is not the case here. The story of David Hicks is the one presented by the establishment (one that will be proven corrupt by history) that was obtained under the duress of soiltary confinement and other tortures.

Nothing compared to what the Taliban would do if they caught you...nothing..

I could go on but you are not worth it Garpal, your lack of feeling for a fundamental fair go and non understanding of basic legal rights is a disgrace to our education system.

What basic human rights do the Taliban etc excerise.... Hicks is lucky and should just fade away, but the anti-US crowd just can't get enough of this Hicks traitor...
Hicks is in Australia, under the protection the Australian military, so he can live safe and sound... that is more than enough of a "fair go" for the traitor...

 

[Superfly]

Well I would like to see him interviewed. I'd like to hear from the man himself THEN I'll make my own judgement. I couldn't give a damn one way or another whether he gets paid or not. Remember Chopper Reid. He was a self admitted criminal and made money writing a book and appearing on telly. Hicks has paid the price of being a fool.

Chopper Reid didn't kill women for wearing jeans or talking to someone when alone etc etc... didn't fly plane into buildings or want to end the way we live our lives in the west....

 

[Superfly]

The real pity is that Hicks wasn't given the opportunity to freely speak about his side of the story via an open and transparent legal process, so we have had to rely on spin and hearsay from the US military/US government instead.

There is plenty of hard evidence that US govt spin often provides a misleading representation of the facts.

The whole purpose of an open and transparent legal process is to prevent exactly the sort of situation that we are in now which is that nobody really knows the truth.

"Truth is the first casualty of war".


We've heard plenty from the US military and US govt - but haven't really heard much from Hicks himself - so why not give him the opportunity to speak without duress. An opportunity that the US government, being the defenders of 'freedom and democracy' should have given him.

"Should have given him"... why should he have been given anything other what he has been.... Hicks has his freedom in the west now, Hicks was caught !!! Hicks did NOT surrender, he was in with the Taliban and Hicks should think himself lucky...very lucky...

Wonder if Hicks had been held by Russia or China if the same interest would be happening......

Is this more about having a go at the US..... hmmmmmmmm

 

[Superfly]

Similar arguments were put by the hard left and communists during the cold war. They have been replaced by the maudlin and green left who complain about the war on terror. The times they are not a changin. Hicks has done his time. Lets not glorify him with publicity.

gg

Agree 100%...

 

[Superfly]

Could Hicks have known that the US + sycophants were going to invade? No!

Thats a maybe, not a "NO"... Hicks was part the the Taliban forces guarding Kandahar airport at the time of the invasion...

He chose his allegiance and suffered the consequences of being on the losing side by being imprisoned. That should be the end of it, unless he has further hostile intentions.

Agreed... but Hicks is just to much of a trophy boy for the anti-US crowd, and Hicks is going to try to cash in on that...

 

[Superfly]

American troops are guilty of war crimes (Abu Graib).

From the anti-US crowd....

America invaded a sovereign nation (Iraq) based on "evidence" that was subsequently shown to be misleading.

And more from the anti-US crowd...

America detained an Australian citizen without charge for several years (David Hicks).

And more.... anti-Americanism shinning through again...

These are facts.
It is naive to think that we know all the facts of the David Hicks case.

What is naive, besides the vagueness of the post above, is anyone who thinks that Hicks is just going to turn up at channel 9, sit down and be asked questions... lol ....

Everything will be scripted...

...all questions will be rehearsed prior with RM and Hicks will say you can ask me this, not this etc etc... does anyone really think that Hicks is going to sit in front of anyone in the media, let alone a national feed and incriminate himself ... now that's "naive"... Hicks is not going to be interviewed blind.

... it does not matter who interviews Hicks, Hicks is NOT going hang himself... if you want to see Hicks put on the spot... then put Hicks in front of Bill O'R on Fox or on "Hard Talk" on BBC world...( I will wait for the lefties to scream that B O'R has been mentioned)... but B O'R would question Hicks properly and fairly, ask the hard questions and make him answer, which what everyone wants to see, right ??...... or do some people just want the US to be made to look bad and Hicks made out to be just a poor guy who has had wrong done to him by the BIG BAD US.....hmmmmm....

 

[wayneL]

Superfly,

I don't think it is so much "anti-Americanism", as disappointment with them.

As someone who was raised an American, this is what I feel.

WE don't expect anything else from non-western countries, because they don't make any representations to the contrary; they are what they say they are.

However, what America says it represents, and what is represents according to its actions, are two quite different things. People are not so stupid as to not notice these things.

You would never have gotten anyone more pro-American than me at one time, based on what it said were its ideals. Since then I have discovered that America speaks with forked tongue.

I still have great faith in a great portion of the American people, but I'm sorry, the beaurocracy(?) and that proportion that support political chauvinism can go to hell. It isn't anti Americanism at all, it is recognition of American duplicity.

There is nothing more representative of American duplicity than Guantanamo Bay. That's it.

 

[Superfly]

I don't think it is so much "anti-Americanism", as disappointment with them.

Agree WL... but some are just anti-US period...

As someone who was raised an American, this is what I feel.

WE don't expect anything else from non-western countries, because they don't make any representations to the contrary; they are what they say they are.

However, what America says it represents, and what is represents according to its actions, are two quite different things. People are not so stupid as to not notice these things.

You would never have gotten anyone more pro-American than me at one time, based on what it said were its ideals. Since then I have discovered that America speaks with forked tongue.

I still have great faith in a great portion of the American people, but I'm sorry, the beaurocracy(?) and that proportion that support political chauvinism can go to hell. It isn't anti Americanism at all, it is recognition of American duplicity.

There is nothing more representative of American duplicity than Guantanamo Bay. That's it.

Have never been to GB, but some of these other places that people are crying about with the US I may have been first hand ( same as you maybe )and can tell you that the US/West can bring so much good to people that the likes of China never would...it is not a perfect world...

 

[Stan 101]

Superfly,

Are you David Hicks? Is this why you know so much of what you have been written to be total truth.

Just for the record, Superfly (Hicksy) I was hoping you would have had a fair trial. Does that make me an infidel, still?

cheers,

 

[kevosero]

I'd love to chat to the guy and hear his side as I don't think we'll ever know what really went on there. Personally I think whatever the U.S wants to call these people, they were captured during a war and should be treated as POW's.

 

[cuttlefish]

Superfly,

I don't think it is so much "anti-Americanism", as disappointment with them.

As someone who was raised an American, this is what I feel.

WE don't expect anything else from non-western countries, because they don't make any representations to the contrary; they are what they say they are.

However, what America says it represents, and what is represents according to its actions, are two quite different things. People are not so stupid as to not notice these things.

You would never have gotten anyone more pro-American than me at one time, based on what it said were its ideals. Since then I have discovered that America speaks with forked tongue.

I still have great faith in a great portion of the American people, but I'm sorry, the beaurocracy(?) and that proportion that support political chauvinism can go to hell. It isn't anti Americanism at all, it is recognition of American duplicity.

There is nothing more representative of American duplicity than Guantanamo Bay. That's it.

I'm not an American citizen but this is very well put and reflects my view of the situation. I believe that there are a lot of thinking Americans that are also dissappointed and ashamed at some of the behaviour of the government and military. And I'm optimistic that there will be change after the forthcoming elections.

Superfly you are using the term 'Anti-American' liberally in place of presenting sound argument - in the same way people like to use 'Un-Australian' in place of sound argument.

The destruction of rights and values within/by America is as much a threat to our 'way of life' as terrorism is. If we throw out our basic civil lilberties and human rights in order to 'win' against the terrorists then they have already won. You speak emotively of the actions of the taliban whilst at war - well unfortunately the US is guilty of similarly abhorrent acts at Abu Graib but I'll avoid an emotive illustration of those acts. The other inconsistent reality is that those members of the military that were involved in that situation - which would constitute war crimes in anybody's language - were not subject to the same punishment as as Hicks. (who as far as we know didn't commit such acts). This is the unfortunate hypocrisy of the situation and does not do the US any favours on the international stage.


I also agree that an interview with Hicks won't tell us the truth - but that doesn't change my point that it is naive to think that the US government has been full and frank in their own disclosure in relation to the situation.

I take on board some of your comments and agree that we shouldn't canonise Hicks because he was subjected to failings of the US legal system - but the reality is I don't feel any of us can know for certain (and ever know) what his actual war crimes and actual motivations were at the time - because the only side of the story we have heard is US spin. And that isn't good enough for a country that holds itself to the moral high ground as its justification for its military activities.

 

[Superfly]

You speak emotively of the actions of the taliban whilst at war - well unfortunately the US is guilty of similarly abhorrent acts at Abu Graib.

Really... so strpping insurgents ( most with western blood on their hands ) naked with hoods on, or having dogs bark at them or keeping them awake to get life saving infomation or playing heavy metal music in the prison is the same as the torture rooms being discovered in most over run insurgent held area's... remember that in Basra that has now been mostly cleared the insurgents caught have been raping girls, shooting women for wearing jeans and for living alone, one guy was involed in up to 16 rapes some of the girls were 12 yrs old, rape is normal, torture is normal and do not tell me that the western forces are just as bad... take your head out of the sand...

 

[Superfly]

Did Hicks ever do this interview ?

 

[nioka]

Really... so strpping insurgents ( most with western blood on their hands ) naked with hoods on, or having dogs bark at them or keeping them awake to get life saving infomation or playing heavy metal music in the prison is the same as the torture rooms being discovered in most over run insurgent held area's... remember that in Basra that has now been mostly cleared the insurgents caught have been raping girls, shooting women for wearing jeans and for living alone, one guy was involed in up to 16 rapes some of the girls were 12 yrs old, rape is normal, torture is normal and do not tell me that the western forces are just as bad... take your head out of the sand...

I was always taught that two wrongs don't make one right. Has that changed?

 

[Beej]

I was always taught that two wrongs don't make one right. Has that changed?

Watching US foreign policy unfold over the past 7 years would seem to indicate yes, that rule has changed - it in fact takes 100+ wrongs to make the original one wrong right

Beej