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Sunday, July 24, 2011

On an island, on a lake...











I'm tremendously saddened by the deaths of so many young people gunned down on the island in Norway's lake Tyrifjorden. Their experience has been terrifying and tragic in so many cases. They were targeted, it seems, by the gunman described as a 'right-winger' for the reason that they were 'left-wingers'. It's a very clear instance of ideology taken to it's extreme and turned lethal. I wonder what effect the massacre will have on world politics and in particular, politics here in New Zealand, given that the reasons for it are so stark. Will right-wingers here feel guilty for the actions of 'one of theirs' and will left-wingers feel aggrieved because so many of their 'brothers and sisters' were murdered for political reasons?
I suspect there is a deep effect being felt around the world and that there will be a change in perception as a result, especially as stories from the dreadful event emerge and explanations from the gunman are made public. Already, blogs here that focus on politics are showing signs of discomfort around the contrast between the extreme actions of the right-wing gunman and the vulnerability and pathetic fate of the Labour Party youths.
Discussions are heated already and I expect they will become more so.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Danlmc over at the Dim Post has this to say about it

Breivik’s plan seems to have been the destruction of the political left in Norway, by blowing up the current generation of left-wing politicians with a car-bomb in central Oslo and then murdering their next generation at their youth camp. The second phase of his plan was more successful, but I’m not sure it will have the impact on Norway’s domestic politics that Breivik intended. I think political parties function similarly to revolutionary movements – other capable people will step forward and replace those he killed.

jabba said...

Breivik. An organic farmer from Norway with extreme political views is responsible for the worst act of violence in this peaceful country since the 2nd world war.
You see bOb, he says that he is a right winger, he says that he is a Christian, it’s hard to tell really BUT we know he has an organic farm.. go figure.
First we have organic veggies killing Europeans now an organic farmer blows them (Europeans) up and shoots them.

robertguyton said...

jabba - for the sake of your credibility and to show that you're not just being a troll attempting to discredit organic farming by making false claims, please provide a link to the claim that Breivik was an organic farmer. I've read many reports that say he was a farmer, but none that say he farmed organically. The purchase of synthetic fertilizer that he used to make the bomb he detonated strongly suggests that he wasn't an organic farmer as they don't use synthetic fertilizers - kind of the point of being organic. Looking forward to reading your links.

robertguyton said...

Did some research myself jabba and found this:

Merge Left

It’s an early warning sign there’s something wrong with your ‘organic’ farmer when he buys six tons of ammonium nitrate [New]

Norway massacre suspect Anders Behring Breivik has been reported to have bought six tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which was delivered to his “organic farming business” on May 4th. It is alleged that he subsequently used it to make the bomb that destroyed a swathe of federal government offices in that country yesterday, killing 7 and injuring dozens before going on a shooting rampage at a nearby youth camp.

One would think that by now most developed countries with regulatory agencies and federal law enforcement would be monitoring the sales of ammonium nitrate given its history as a bomb-making component, and that it would be a red flag to somebody when an “organic farming business,” née, organic farmer – prohibited by regulation of both his government and his guild from using ammonium nitrate in any way, shape or form – buys six pallet loads. Here’s the guidance from the Organic Management Research Institute in the US. I imagine the European Union has at least as strict guidance:

Ammonia Products
Status: Prohibited
Class: Crop Fertilizers and Soil Amendments
Origin: Synthetic
Description: All synthetic ammonia products are prohibited for crop nutrition including: anhydrous ammonia, aqua ammonia, ammonium forms of micronutrients (see also AMMONIATED MICRONUTRIENTS), ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium soaps.
NOP Rule: 205.105(a)

That’s my tip to the Homeland Security people here in the US and to their counterparts elsewhere.

And in the department of understating the obvious, this man was thoroughly sheared away from any of the core values that inspire the organic farming movement.

robertguyton said...

And this (emphasis mine. It's very interesting to read about this jabba - thanks for the heads-up. I wonder though, if you think this is some how hurtful to genuine organic farmers. I suspect not and can say that in my case, definitely not)

He had been stockpiling fertiliser to make bombs
Breivik had run a series of failed businesses but found more stability lately with an organic farm outside Oslo, which he said existed to fund his "political activities". On May 4 he ordered six tonnes of fertiliser and it is thought he used this to manufacture the car bomb and another device which was found unexploded on Utoeya.

jabba said...

wow .. are you saying he was an Organic Farmer then. Well done for admitting it. Took awhile to find out though aye bOb. Attack ist aye (2 posts), find out the truth, suffer an ohoh moment then spin spin spin.
From the Express ""His organic farm produced melons, root vegetables and tubers". What is a tuber bOb?

robertguyton said...

The truth jabba, according to the news, is the the gunman stated that he usewd the farm as a source of income for his plans and as a front in order to be able to buy bomb-makingb materials.
That aside, given that he was an organic farmer, what is your point? It's clear that you want to provoke an organic farmer with your comments but aere you somehow hoping that anyone would believe that his involvement with organic farming influenced his actions in murdering those Labour Party people?
You argument, jabba, is purile.

nutmister said...

everyone thinks organic farmers are a bit nutty......

robertguyton said...

..especially if they grow hazels etc...

robertguyton said...

Jabba asked 'what's a tuber'?

http://robertguyton.blogspot.com/2011/07/reconnected.html

jabba's conscience said...

jabba said...(on a right-wing blog)

I pointed out on bObby G's site that the killer was not only a right winger BUT also an organic farmer and it put the poor bugger in a spin. All I did was make this observation and he had the bare faced cheek to call MY posting as "You argument, jabba, is purile" .. well he should know was a purile argument is I guess.