Faux Outrage

Bethunism: A Neologism for Gross Idiocy

There can be few things more self-servingly maudlin than the display of faux outrage we have had to endure over a New Zealander currently being held on a Japanese whaling ship.

The facts are these--and they are not in dispute by anyone, apparently. One Peter Bethune, idiot extraordinaire, international man of misery, went down to the Southern Ocean to protest against Japanese whalers. His fizzy speed boat collided with one of the whaling vessels. He and his fellow conspirators called for the New Zealand government to come to their rescue and defend them against the hostile acts of the Japanese.

When that histrionic move failed, indefatigable Bethune upped the ante. He boarded the Shonan Maru 2 illegally and sought to make a citizen's arrest of the captain. He instead was arrested, and (we hope) being held in irons on the Japanese ship. His co-conspirators have tried to pressure the New Zealand government to intercede with the Japanese government to negotiate this enviro-warrior's release. They are angry that their calls have fallen on deaf ears. One of their number, Mr Paul Watson is reportedly concerned that he has not heard from Bethune (probably it is difficult to make contact when you are languishing in irons) and he is worried because apparently Mr Bethune has a cut hand. Diddums. Things like that tend to happen when you break the law and engage in hostile acts of piracy.

Here is our advice to the government. Foreign Minister McCully needs to contact his Japanese counterpart and inform him the position of the New Zealand government is that any NZ citizen who commits crimes (as defined by New Zealand criminal law) outside of this country must face the full weight of the laws of the local jurisdiction. Therefore, the government will not be interceding for Bethune in any way, and supports him being taken to Japan in irons, and delivered up to the Japanese authorities when the Shonan Maru 2 returns to that country. The government expects the Japanese to treat this matter according to the rule of its own law and international maritime law. This position of the NZ government naturally is without prejudice to its position on international whaling. That's it. Enough said and done.

We cannot leave this nonsense without commenting on the Labour politician, Chris Carter who has bizarrely urged the government to "get involved" so that relations don't sour any further with Japan. OK. So the government taking up Bethune's case to attempt to shield him from the legal consequences of his criminality is going to help our relationships with the Japanese government how exactly? Mr Carter is a joke.

But perversely he does expose an opportunity for improving relations with Japan--not that they are really under any threat. Supporting the Japanese government's rights to hold Bethune to account under the law will nurture our relationships with that country just nicely.