Scoop Feedback: Compressed Protest

Thursday, 26 January 2006, 5:36 pm
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

I am so worried and angry about the way our world is being treated by our governments. They spy, they invade countries illegally, they are involved in torture and at no point are they doing what they were elected to do - look after the interests of the people of their countries. I can think of no decision in the past few years that was made for my good by my government. I know too that many,many people feel the same. But what is worse, we feel unable to do anything about it.

Personally, I have attended marches, been to a major International Peace Conference, written countless letters to politicians and media and signed a ridiculous number of petitions - and nothing happened. My voice is not heard. My anger with the government grew even more when I recently searched Google for anti-war/peace groups and well over 3 million appeared. All these groups have concerns about the legality of the war in Iraq and concern about impending wars in Syria and Iran. The issues move faster than the protesters can keep up with and again, no- one is listening anyway (except the 'intelligence' agencies who are spying on their own citizens).

I wondered how many it would take - how many anti-war/peace groups increase the volume and visibility enough so that governments can realise we are more against the war, than for. How can we make them see that the people who elected them disagree with the decisions they are making and the actions they are taking in their citizens' names? I don't want my tax each week to kill an innocent civilian, mis-informed soldier or anyone else - I am responsible for this war waged by my government - in my name. I wish I wasn't.

So, to finally reach the point of this letter. How do you feel about the war in Iraq? Would you like to have an end to it? Do you oppose your tax paying for it? Do you object to the death of our young soldiers? Do you object to the reasons for war? If you do want an end to the war in Iraq for any reason then please, please do me just one favour - one concerned human being for another - wear a strip of white fabric around your arm.

I realise it sounds small, insignificant and futile - but, I truly believe, that a show of opposition is essential in order to get media and government to be in a position where they can no longer ignore the many, many people who oppose this one point in unison. I realise there are so many issues that need to be tackled, but believe that tackling just one, gives us a united start. The reason a white armband of any fabric was chosen is important. I know that not all people the world over, who oppose the war in Iraq, can afford to attend demonstrations or spare the time, many people do not want to affiliate themselves with specific anti- war/peace groups as they may not agree the rest of the agenda, many people cannot spare the time to write letters, make calls and bother their (largely ignorant) governments who rarely, if ever respond - so a simple white piece of fabric is available to everybody, all the time, without purchase, without an agenda.

If you choose to wear the white armband you are saying just one thing "I WANT AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ". You are not agreeing to any agenda, movement or politics - you are acting as an individual saying just one thing "I WANT AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ". This form of voicing your opinion is a way to make this statement at all times, peacefully, until we are noticed. I know the instant response in your heart will be "what is the point?".but please ignore that and just make this one move, take this one step in the direction you want the world to improve. No war in Iraq would be a start - and a start is exactly what we need, at this moment, to begin. This is a highly visible way to show the governments that their people object in large numbers, to the actions they are taking. Please, please join me - if only to make one person happy ?

Thank you so much for reading and thank you so much for your support, each of us is a vital part of humanity with a right to have our say.

Namaste
Tina Louise
www.armsagainstwar.info
www.pledgebank.com/armsagainstwar

Hey Editor... there is another nuclear drill coming to Charleston SC... via Fort Monroe.
Scheduled for Jan 31 to Feb 2? Second nuke drill for this Holy City... What;s up with that>?
Considering in Columbia we have the unmarked white airplane brigade flying over homes at the
treetops... are we being set up or monitored for reaction or what????? There is a story here in South Carolina... who knows it>????

[Re: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0601/S00026.htm]

Gentleman,

I had opportunity this past weekend to read an article published by Scoop entitled Video Compression Players Should "Compress" Hype, authored by Predrag Filipovic, Ph.D. I thought the piece contained interesting observations and opinions regarding the current status and future direction of video compression technology. But I feel it necessary to take serious issue with one of the the author's statements, to wit:

"However, the promise of fortune and fame has also led to "snake oil" posturing on the part of many players, some of which are spouting exaggerated and erroneous claims. Valiant marketing efforts aside, the hype surrounding new video compression solutions by Euclid, Blaze, On2, and Qbit has created a general mood of skepticism."

The obvious intention is to impugn certain companies regarding their proprietary video compression technology claims. Perhaps there are some that deserve to be challenged. Yet the author provides absolutely no substantive basis to support his statement nor to differntiate the nature of the dubious claims he says create a "general mood of skepticism".

With specific respect to one of the firms mentioned, On2 Technologies (On2), Mr. Filipovic has done a disservice with his unfounded characterization of the company being engaged in "snake oil postruring". Even a cursory investigation into the background of On2 and its publicly idenitifiable partners would contradict such an asertion.

On2 Technologies developed the VP video codec that powers Flash 8 from Adobe (Macromedia) and it is used by AOL for both its video streaming service and AIM video instant messaging service. It is also the same technology that powers Skype video telephony over IP and has been selected by XM Satellite Radio for its satellite video system which was recently previewed at CES in Las Vegas. Vividas Ltd. Vividas.com) out of Australia utilizes On2 VP to deliver full screen streaming video and Viewpoint produces internet video advertising using the same technology. There are many additional examples I could cite. But by now you probably get the gist. Would perhaps an apology to On2 technologies would be in order?

Sincerely,

Douglas Wiegand

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0601/S00026.htm

"However, the promise of fortune and fame has also led to "snake oil" posturing on the part of many players, some of which are spouting exaggerated and erroneous claims. Valiant marketing efforts aside, the hype surrounding new video compression solutions by Euclid, Blaze, On2, and Qbit has created a general mood of skepticism."

Snake oil? I would like to point out that many large companies such as Adobe/Macromedia, AOL, Skype etc selected On2 as their video compression solution of choice. I am quite sure they did their due dilligence on all availble codecs before incorporating On2 into their latest products. Did you do yours?

"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God, the things that are God's"

PURERUA
A $12 million memorial centre is planned on the Purerua Peninsula, to mark the 1814 landing in NZ of Samuel Marsden and the early missionaries and their contact with Maori.
The Marsden Cross Centre Day, held at Peter Cooper's property, began with a Maori welcome. Speakers included MP Shane Jones, Archbishop Sir Paul Reeves, Bishop Kito Pikaahu (Maori Bishop of the North), Bishop Richard Randerson, Rangihoua Pa Reserve chairman Hugh Rihari, Allan Hubbard and Bill B irnie.
Auckland based Rev Patricia Bawden, whose vision it was to establish a memorial centre on the peninsula, has been working towards this since the 1960s.
It is her wish that Maori and Pakeha walk together to achieve the project.

To the Anglican Church of Aotearoa:-

Surely this is more of a monument to arrogance and ego rather than an act of Christian charity? Jesus Christ came to show us the 'Way to the Truth and the Light'. Christian Churchmen (and women) seem to have lost their WAY.

The $12 million could be better spent relieving the abject poverty of the Maori 'flock' of Northland who, since the arrival of the 'shepherds', have been fleeced, year in and year out, since 1814.

For Example:

WHEREAS there is real and personal property in New Zealand held on trusts for and in connection with the Anglican Churches in New Zealand and Melanesia: And whereas the powers of the trustees in relation to the investment of the trust assets are limited by the instruments creating the trusts: And whereas it is desirable to consolidate and extend the powers conferred on trustees by the Church of England Trusts Act 1913 and its amendments and to give greater powers of investment to the major Trust Boards holding property for the said Churches: And whereas there are trusts held for religious or charitable purposes in connection with the Anglican Church where it has become impossible or impracticable or inexpedient to carry out the trust objects or purposes, and by reason of the limited assets of the particular trusts or for reasons of expense it is desirable to provide a means for varying the trusts in addition to the means provided by the Charitable Trusts Act 1957:

http://www.anglican.org.nz/canons/Parl.%20Acts.pdf

FOR EXAMPLE:

" On the contrary, the New Zealanders, a hardy and active people, appear well fitted for useful employment and are always ready for vigorous enterprise................Contrasting, therefore, the genius and habits of this people with those of the other Islanders in this immense Ocean, he found them much more prepared for cultivation than the generality of savage tribes, and less tenacious of their own barbarous institutions. But he rightly concluded that moral lectures and abtruse religious discourses, however proper at a subsequent period, when the mind became susceptible of their importance, could do but little at first towards reclaiming a people so totally immersed in ignorance; therefore he resolved on a better plan, and paved the way for introducing the mechanic arts, by creating artificial wants to which they had never before been accostomed, and which he knew must act as the strongest excitement to the exercise of their ingenuity. Accordingly he did not apply to the Society for men only of scriptural attainments, but for experienced and useful mechanics, who could instruct the natives in cultivating their ground, building their houses, and regulating the whole system of their internal and external economy"

J.L. Nicholas of Samuel Marsden from "Narrative of Voyage to New Zealand" Published by James Black and Son London 1817 reprinted by Wilson and Horton. Auckland.

WHICH GOD WAS HE SERVING, WHICH GOD ARE YOU SERVING?

Would Jesus not say "Aue, Aue, taukiri e"?

[Probably Re:Driver sex cases breach Bill of Rights Act]

The effect of a conviction is not a punishment. Thousands of New Zealanders are affected in their employment by previous convictions. What should exist here,as in other blanket situations eg CYFS funded employment,is some element of discretion so that the historical indiscretion is not treated the same as more serious recent offending.

© Scoop Media

Scoop

Scoop Independent News

Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.

Contact Scoop

• Editorial - editor@scoop.co.nz
• Twitter - @ScoopNZ
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Services - services@scoop.co.nz
• Phone - 04 910 1844