Manufactured Issues

It was a source of bitter, ironic laughter to see Rob Hulls speaking out on the David Hicks affair, calling for Hicks' civil and human rights to be respected. Hulls does not attend to the civil and human rights of those within his own jurisdiction. As Attorney General of Victoria, his Justice Department is mandated only to avoid representing the rights of Victorians, or those who reside in this state.

I understand that politicians must manufacture issues in order to project commitment and belief in principles they have no real interest in. It is part of the job description.
It is the degree of hypocrisy that sometimes highlights the reality.
The Hicks affair has taken on a moralistic tone that is highly hypocritical. This aspect would attract a politician like Hulls, I'm sure.
Hicks was caught in a war zone, armed and ready to attack his fellow Australians if he had found the chance. Instead of being given British citizenship, he should have been sent back to Afghanistan and left there. - Or simply hung as a traitor.
Because that is what he is.


My ex manufactured issues, too, between her children and family and myself. I've often wondered how many such issues she attempted, since such efforts usually involve many failures to make the shit stick on the wall.
I'll never know, of course - and I suppose that's a good thing.
From my intuition, I realize that such efforts were not so much a matter of malicious intent towards me as they were simply habitual on her part. I heard some of her issues with her ex husband, dismissing most as either having no substance or excusing her on the grounds that I did not know the whole story.

To this day I don't know what issues she manufactured to cause her daughter to be afraid of me. Realistically, I don't think her daughter ever was. My ex simply built no the normal tensions between a step-daughter and step-father. First cutting off any attempts to overcome these tensions - by threats, abuse and arguments which only fuel the bad feelings between all family members -, then exacerbating them to cause her daughter and her sons to believe there was some threat.
It is impossible for me to believe that all of them knew there was none not far beneath the surface of their acting out.
Her actions were not uncommon. In fact, they are very common.

That is an aspect of many relationships that is not well discussed or dealt with. Long before the condemning label of PAS can be applied, a great deal of harm can be done by manipulating the normal tensions between people.
It is a form of child abuse most often performed by the mother.
To drive a child to fears that are unfounded, and consciously build on those fantastic fears to manipulate other children, family members and friends by abusing their love and trust is a bitter cruelty.
And in Victoria, such base behavior is given the force of law.
If legislation, police and the courts are determined to extend themselves into these matters, then they must all take on all aspects of these matters. A feudalistic perspective will illustrate the ignorance and inadequacy of the law and the courts, as has become apparent.

Before Rob Hulls should be commenting on the rights of Australians overseas, he should attend to his own duties in his own jurisdiction.