John MacDonald: Fighting over Government statements won't bring peace

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark hasn’t been slow in criticising our government’s response to the attacks on Iran.

She’s not just criticising it - she’s slamming it. Saying that it’s “a disgrace” for not condemning Israel and the United States and, instead, criticising Iran’s “indiscriminate” retaliatory attacks. 

Helen Clark says the Government knows full well that Israel and the US are breaking international law with these strikes and the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister should be saying so.

She says the Government knows that negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear capability were underway and we should be ripping into Israel and the US for what they started on Saturday.

But here’s where I’m at. When I hear about people in Iran cheering and celebrating the demise of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who am I to criticise what’s happened?

Who am I to tell these people: “Oh no no, stop celebrating, it’s not right what’s happened. Israel and the US aren't playing by the rules.” Who am I to say that to those people?

And who is Helen Clark to say that?
 
This is the problem you get with people on the left side of the political spectrum, who seem to be incapable of seeing the bigger picture.

Has Helen Clark and the opposition MPs lining up to criticise the Government forgotten about the death sentences handed out to some of the people involved in the recent mass protests?

They want things done to the letter every time. But what if this brings a better life for the people of Iran?    

It’s a big if. Because who knows whether this will be the end of the current regime running Iran or not?

Regime change is easy to talk about but very difficult to do. Because it’s not just the regime, it’s who fills the vacuum afterwards.

As we saw in Iraq. Yes, they got rid of Saddam Hussein, but then they got rid of the Iraqi army as well and that’s when it really hit the fan with other extremists and terror groups all wanting a piece of the action.

So, who knows how this is going to end up in the long term? But, when all is said and done, for me this is about the people of Iran. 

Which is why you’re not going to hear me piling into our government the way Helen Clark is.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark hasn't been slow, has she
in criticizing our government's response to the attacks on Iran
at the weekend. In fact, she's not discriticizing it, she
is slamming it, saying the government's response is quote, a disgrace,
a disgrace to As you know, on Saturday, Israel and

(00:36):
the United States launched strikes on Iran, killing its supreme
leader and other senior regime figures. The strikes have continued.
I Ran, of course is retaliating, and yesterday, as governments
everywhere do, our government put out a statement not condemning
Israel and the United States. Our government condemned quote, in

(01:00):
the strongest terms, what Christopher Luxen and Winston Peters described
as a Ram's in this criminate retaliatory attacks. So instead
of criticizing Trump and Netan Yahoo, our government had to
go at Iran for fighting back, which Halen Clark isn't
having a bar off. She says, the government knows full
well that Israel and the US are breaking international law

(01:24):
with these strikes, and the Prime Minister and the Foreign
minister should be saying so, She says, the government knows
that negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear capability were under weigh and
we should be ripping at Israel and the US for
what they started on Saturday. But here's where I'm at,
Here's where I'm at. Yes, it appears Donald Trump hasn't

(01:46):
ticked all the boxes in terms of getting approval for
these strikes. He's getting the heat. I haven't necessarily seen
NETANYAHUO get the same level of criticism on that front.
And yes, technically these strikes are in the strictest terms illegal,

(02:06):
and yes, the world feels much less safe this morning
because of them. But when I hear about people in
Iran cheering and celebrating the demise of Aotola Ali, come
and I who am I to criticize what's happened? Who

(02:28):
am I to tell these people? Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no no, stop your celebrations. No no, no, no, it's it's
not right. What's happened. You know, Israel and the West
are not playing by the rules, so you know, forget
about your celebrations. How am I to say that to
those people? And who is Helen Clark to say that, see,

(02:49):
this is the problem to get with people on the left,
on the left side of the political spectrum, they seem
to be incapable of seeing the bigger picture. You know,
has Helen Clark and the opposition opposition MP's as well,
who are lining up to criticize the government. They've forgotten
about the death sentences handed out to some of the
people involved in the mass protests in January. They want

(03:13):
things done to the letter every time. But what if,
what if this brings a better life for the people
of Iran. It's a big if, I know, because who
knows whether this will be the end of the current
regime running Iran or not. I've got no idea, but
you'll know as well as I do that regime change

(03:33):
is easy to say and very difficult to do because
it's not just the regime, it's who fills the vacuum afterwards.
As we saw in Iraq. Yeah, sure they got rid
of Saddam hus saying, but then they got rid of
the Iraqi Army as well, and that's when it really
hit the fan with other extremists and terror groups or
wanting a piece of the action. So yeah, who knows

(03:54):
how this is going to end up in the long term,
let alone the short term. With Trump saying this morning
that their operation is ahead of schedule. Also, we've got
a run heading back with missiles and drones. And yes,
the claim by Trump and Netanya, who have some sort
of imminent nuclear threat from Iran, also has a bit
of a rk about it, doesn't It's got a whiff
of that. But when all is said and done, for me,

(04:20):
this is about the people of Iran, which is why
you're not going to hear me piling into our government
the way Helen Clark is. But what about you? Do
you think New Zealand should be condemning Israel and the
United States for what they've done? And how are you
feeling this morning about what's happening.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
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