Comments on: Stranger than fiction: who the f-ck is Harry Nicolaides?

By: Neil Walker

Neil Walker — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Nothing wrong with slamming a foreign country in print, Lucy. But if you do so, best to get the facts right rather than relying on the urban myths, gossip and hearsay reported in The New Statesman article on Saudi Arabia. Also have no issue with the Australian Government assisting Harry as a citizen in strife abroad. Hope he’s freed soon. However, let’s not turn this foolishness into a cause célèbre.

By: ROUND SUMS

ROUND SUMS — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“Oh Hell!” said the King of Siam,
For women, I don’t give a damn.
You think it odd of me,
I prefer sodomy.
You call me a bugger, I am,
“Oh Hell!” said the King of Siam.

By: Merri

Merri — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Hmm, no. It shouldn’t be a crime. If it was a crime, Guy Rundle would have been strung up months ago.

Terrible article, Neil.

By: wyane

wyane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Neil says, "best to get the facts right rather than relying on the urban myths, gossip and hearsay."

What if hearsay is all you have?
I was in Philippines for 5 months during 2008 and blogged a few cultural / politcal observations, amongst the travel info - google "eastern samar time".

I'll be the 1st to admit to being a naive and careless writer - well, the last to say I'm a writer.
But being in cramped tropical internet cafes in 40C heat and humidity; usually after a couple of 1-Litre stubbies - and essentially posting 1st drafts - can lead one to publish the odd odd, confused rambling.

But I did use a little caution - I deleted many posts (under the "rants" tag) before flying home.

The thing is, when you hear stories of the national army using "truth drugs" on local bushmen, abductions of school girls to be used as "companions" for the night back at base camp, using forceful "interview" techniques to coerce mothers into outing their sons as militants and so on - it can become irresistible subject matter.

In case archive.org missed, I did keep those deleted posts on a USB stick - naively flying home with it in my pocket.

I'll line up one of those digital dictation gizmos for next time - are first hand interviews better than "hearsay", or the same?

By: Lucy

Lucy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

So Harry Nicolaides is a publicity whore. So what? And who cares if he’s a serial slammer of foreign governments in print? Are we against that kind of thing now? Or should we only criticise liberal democracies who aren’t in the habit of locking up their detractors?

“Angerous” is awful. Maybe all his writing is awful. But aesthetic considerations really shouldn’t prevent the government from supporting a citizen incarcerated abroad. Nor should they prevent Reporters Without Borders et al from drawing attention to the case.