NZ Politics

563 readers

1 users here now

Kia ora and welcome to the NZ Politics community!

This is a place for respectful discussions about everything that's political and kiwi

This is an inclusive space where diverse opinions are valued, but please don't be a dick

Other kiwi communities here

Banner image by Tom Ackroyd, CC-BY-SA

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

Dave

RaoulDuke

Labour’s Ginny Andersen claims Police Minister was ‘paid to kill people’ while working in private security overseas (www.rnz.co.nz)

submitted 9 months ago by Ilovethebomb to c/politics

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

We deserve a better standard of political discourse in this country, in my view. It sounds like Mark Mitchell has done some pretty impressive things in his career, including taking on gangs and uncovering war crimes.

Meanwhile, so many people on the left think Saddam should have been left alone, conveniently ignoring the horrible crimes he inflicted on the Iraqi people.

It's also worth noting that a security contractor is a very different role to a mercenary, and by the nature of his work, it sounds like he was very much the former.

We need better opposition in this country.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Rangelus 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

As far as I know from this story, everything he did was legal. Perhaps unsavory, but nothing illegal as is being suggested by Labour here.

I agree there should be a better standard of discourse from all sides.

Meanwhile, so many people on the left think Saddam should have been left alone, conveniently ignoring the horrible crimes he inflicted on the Iraqi people.

As a lefty, I've never heard this nor do I think it. Saddam was a monster, and honestly got what he deserved. I can accept thinking he shouldn't have been killed, if you are against the death penalty, but is this something people actually think?

[–] Ilovethebomb -3 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I've seen a lot of comments online saying the USA overthrew a legitimate government, the Iraq war shouldn't have happened, etc etc. These people do exist.

[–] Xcf456 4 points 9 months ago

I mean you can find just about any point of view online, I don't think this is a fair representation of the opposition to the Iraq war. People against it were overwhelmingly anti war, not pro Saddam.

The reasons for it were incredibly flimsy, they didn't find any wmds (except for some of the chemical weapons the US themselves supplied Saddam from when they were actively supporting him, go figure), it led to up to a million deaths, cost literal trillions of dollars (good for 'security consultants' though) and destabilised the region and led to ISIS.

[–] Rangelus 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Wow, ok. What morons.

I mean, that sounds more like something the hard right would say (supporting a dictator), but regardless it's dumb as hell.

[–] thevoyagekayaking 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

"appease the dictator" is a surprisingly common view, especially on the left, unfortunately. There's been a surprising number of people suggest Ukraine cede territory and make a peace deal with Putin, most notably a handful of German politicians, for example.

[–] Rangelus 2 points 9 months ago

That's so weird

[–] BalpeenHammer 2 points 9 months ago

The only people on the side of Putin are the on the right though. Hell the republicans are blocking aid to Ukraine as we speak in the USA.

[–] BalpeenHammer 3 points 9 months ago

So you heard some people on the internet say it and then decided everybody on the left thinks it?