Shit or get off the pot

Sooner or later the most vivid expressions in our language make it into the political realm. I was thinking here of ‘shit or get off the pot’, famously uttered by that American paragon of political finesse, Richard M Nixon.

It’s the sort of message politicians like to utter, crudely or otherwise, to press their particular agenda. But it not a dictum they tend to follow when it comes down to effective governance.

We have a couple of major (depending on perspective I guess) issue, where words are increasingly beat up in place of reality. It’s crazy; either a short term gloss or a decidedly delinquent approach to very serious issues.

The first reflect the inability of the Bush administration to control events it unleashed in Iraq. We were greeted with enthusiastic comment, over the weekend, regarding breaking Iraq’s political impasse.

No doubt the rush of enthusiasm has emboldened Prime minister elect, Jawad al-Maliki, but it is folly to, prematurely, tout this as the end of the problem.

“THE death squads did not wait long to welcome Iraq's prime minister-designate as they launched a series of attacks to demonstrate that the armed militias would not easily surrender their weapons.” The Australian

THREE car bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing at least six people and wounding nearly 50, as politicians met to try to form a new cabinet. Sydney Morning Herald

As my old grandmother used to say: ‘kind words butter no parsnips…’

In the South Seas version of the Middle East democratization program, the taming of the Solomons, Canberra is showing no greater skill than their Washington counterparts. Send in the troops, supported with words of assurance about supporting democracy and the need to fight corruption which is undermining the institution in that tiny Pacific Island State.

But what is the point when the troops are merely there to shore up a corrupt government who are doing their best to jail opponents?

THE Solomon Islands were plunged into crisis last night when the opposition threatened to boycott the newly elected parliament after two MPs were charged with serious offences relating to last week's riots. Sydney Morning Herald

The outbreak of violence following this month's general elections in the tiny South Pacific country of the Solomon Islands has dealt a setback to Australia's efforts to establish a viable democracy there. Christian Scientist Monitor

The Solomon Islands parliament was sworn in under heavy security, as foreign peacekeepers arrested another opposition politician after violent protests against the election of Prime Minister Snyder Rini. Stuff

Clearly the overlords of democracy are confusing ambition with ability when they head out to solve other peoples political problems. Both the USA and Australia have a poor record on their domestic ‘democracy’ fronts.

It is interesting, after the incredible disaster they visited on Vietnam, just how that evil regime, left to its own devices, is doing very well indeed. Their meddling in other societies has led to a string of disasters and grief.

It’s time both concentrated on getting their own houses in order. Domestically ‘shit or get off the pot’, before going out to fix up the problems of others.