In his March 7 Counterpoint article, Roger Pulvers completely misses the point. Unlike Pulvers, I respect Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for having the fearlessness to challenge Australia's largest trading partner over the whaling issue through diplomatic channels — and legal channels if that fails.

The debate here isn't about animal welfare, indigenous peoples' killing the occasional bison, boar or seal for subsistence, or shipping sheep off to Yemen. The issue is more complex and has many layers. The Japanese government's position on whaling is another case of a stubborn Japan whimpering that other countries are playing unfair. Other examples include Japan's position on child pornography, human trafficking, the Hague convention on protection of children, and bluefin tuna.

Indeed, Japan itself needs to look in the mirror. Whaling has nothing to do with food culture or "research." Just consider the 5,000-plus tons of whale meat that sits stockpiled and unconsumed in government warehouses. And, Australia doesn't condone attacks on Japanese vessels; she condemns them. Pulvers dangerously mixes words to no one's benefit.