Terror Australis

A draft Bill for 'an Act to amend the law relating to terrorist acts, and for other purposes’ Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005, marked: DRAFT-IN-CONFIDENCE This draft is supplied in confidence and should be given appropriate protection, has been leaked to the web.


Since gaining a full majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, earlier this year, the government has been determined to ram legislation through without scrutiny.
Sydney Morning Herald columnist, Alan Ramsey, in this week’s article, explains a little know Senate procedure called the 4:30 rule.

“It is a so-called standing order that forbids a Senate vote of any kind after 4.30pm on the Thursday of any sitting week. The cut-off used to be 6.30pm, but it was amended to 4.30pm after the Government got control of the Senate this year.”

The rule is intended to allow Senates time, when weekly sittings finish each Thursday, to return to their home states that night rather than the following day.
Ramsay reports:

“And smack on the stroke of 4.30 on Thursday afternoon this week, the Government's Senate leader, Robert Hill, got the call and announced: "I move that upon its introduction in the House, the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 8 November, 2005."”
This unprecedented move has the effect of “killing any meaningful scrutiny of its proposed anti-terrorism measures, in alliance with state police forces, to detain people for as long as a fortnight without charge and in complete secrecy. The detail is not known. The Government has not released the legislation.”

See the leaked draft version of the Bill.

Tasmania's Bob Brown (Greens)is quoted saying:

"This is an absolutely black day for the Senate and for democracy in this nation. This is a manipulation of the rules in a snide and underhand way by a gutless minister, who has left the chamber, to totally override the democratic principles of the Senate and its review function by effectively abolishing the committee system on a major issue."

At The SMH’s sister paper, The Age, respected commentators, Michelle Grattan and Brendan Nicholson took the story a step further. After revealing the leaked document, they gave a further analysis of its contents: Terror laws 'leaked' to net.
They report that the legislation contains a qualified right to kill in certain circumstances when taking a person into preventive detention or detaining them. In response, Law Council of Australia president John North said the law was "frightening"

"…especially in light of the fact that federal police were not always in uniform and not always identifiable as law enforcement officers. The legislation seems to be couched to cover the London Underground shooting situation and is therefore frightening," he said. British police shot and killed Brazilian man, Jean Charles de Menezes on the Underground in July, in the mistaken belief he was a terrorist.”

The article goes on:
Under the legislation, control orders can be sought from a court where it would assist in preventing a terrorist act or the person has trained with a terrorist organisation.
People under them can also be prohibited from going to specified places, stopped leaving Australia and forced to report in at specified times.
They could be required to be photographed and fingerprinted.
A person faces life imprisonment for financing a terrorist, even if done recklessly, not intentionally.
This government is taking a similar, heavy handed approach to their proposed industrial relations reforms. (See: Australian Ethics?)

A Positive Note

A Positive Note
The recently reported Tasmanian (Australia) mess surrounding member of the State’s upper house, Ivan Dean’s decision to run for Launceston Mayor is having a positive effect.
Sensitive to claims of double dipping, receiving salary for both jobs, Dean pledged to donate the council salary to charity.
Regardless of Dean’s good intentions the plan, inadvertently, constituted electoral bribery.
But there is a bigger issue at stake here, as one commentator put it:“…the situation raised the broader issue of whether it is still either feasible or advisable for one individual to try to hold two senior public offices at the one time.”
These, to ordinary folk, are highly paid positions. Presumably they are highly paid because they require time, effort and a measure of expertise to do the job properly.The questions are; how can anyone do both jobs properly? If they can, do we have too many elected officials on the payroll?
Tasmania is well known to be over governed. Currently there are five Federal MPs, 12 senators, 40 State MPs and 29 councils with around 300 councilors; all of this for fewer than 500,000 people.
Pruning these numbers, at any level, has always been complicated by ego, local loyalties, and no doubt a reluctance to reduce the size of the easy money trough.
If Tasmania cannot shed a few of its surplus, under employed elected representatives, the least they can do is make sure the largesse is spread around fairly.

Choosing Your Freinds

While in Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian is probably in it deeper than his favourite TV star.  He has pledged to resign if he was linked to a recent scandal involving the Kaohsiung MRT project, which has already claimed the careers of two presidential advisers.As far as your correspondent can determine this falls into the realm of a Rapid Transit construction funded rip off. Chen’s government recently pledged that "All reform will begin with the government's own reform."He was responding to mounting public criticism about his administration's ethical integrity, sparked by the recent explosions of the various alleged scams plaguing the Kaohsiung mass rapid transit construction project.Chen is said to be is surrounded by people picked based on kinship or personal connections, not on their ability and character, they tend to be problematic. Another recent case of impropriety provoked a great deal of public anger and raised serious questions about President Chen's policy of rewarding people with government posts more for his loyalty than for his probity and uprightness.Chairman of China Steel Corporation, Lin Wen-yuan is a long, close confidant of the president. He recently made headlines after a ruling party lawmaker first revealed that Lin has been paid by the dominantly state-owned firm extraordinarily high salaries and dividends.He now gets a yearly NT$8 million in salary from the company, plus an approximate NT$40 million in dividends which in any language sounds impressive to your correspondent.Some feel it is unreasonable that those huge payments should have fully gone into his own pockets rather than to the state coffers.Now we wait to see how this ties in with the Triad and the self abusing TV superstar. With all that wonderful government cash floating around, the tough boys will soon separate it from the wankers in the game.

Sex Scandal or Just a Wank?

They tend to do things a little differently in parts of Asia. The shock, horror revelations of
Taiwan TV superstar, Peng Chia-chia, began with a not so entertaining video of the great man beating his meat.
The co-star in the masturbation vcd caper turned out to be a triad boss's daughter, an B grade actress.
Now we don’t often venture off the political stage with our scandal, but it is Friday. Besides, the scandal ridden Taiwanese political landscape is sure to be implicated somewhere in this particular imbroglio.
Actress Lu admitted on Monday to having filmed a popular TV host naked in her apartment, but denied she used the video to extort money from him.
But what began as a little harmless romp landed the superstar in deep doo doos with the cute Lu’s family. This is not the sort of family you mix with comfortably.Peng said that since August last year he has been blackmailed six times because of the five-minute clip of him masturbating.As one commentator has it:

"We clearly see a love-hate relationship between high-profile entertainers and pistol-wielding gang members. Financial and contractual disputes between artists and their agents are negotiated and solved by some of the most sought-after "big brothers" who are well-connected with the police and the business community.But the sword not only defends, it kills. Gangsters never maintain sincere relations with any superstar or showbiz bigwigs. They are, of course, 100 percent money-oriented while, as the old Chinese saying goes, "the bad guys are in the dark and good guys are in the light."

Well I still think it is all a big wank, but then in Taiwan, who can tell?

And a special blog for Bruce!

Perth, Western Australia is a long way from anywhere, even in Australia. Even distance and relative isolation does not preclude ethical breaches in this ‘wild west’ town.
The very latest, fresh off the presses is that the State’s Sports and Seniors Minister Bob Kucera has resigned from cabinet over a shares scandal.It seems Mr Kucera's wife Susan held nearly 3,000 shares in Alinta Gas, worth more than $20,000, when he did not withdraw from a Cabinet decision to award a consortium, headed by Alinta, a financial assistance package to expand the Dampier-to-Bunbury gas pipeline.
This little affair, in a State well known for its self serving politicians and business leaders, is styled; a breach of the ministerial code of conduct or conflict of interest. You have to wonder how much money must be involved before it becomes outright theft.
However things might have been put in to perspective by Mr Kucera’s statement to Parliament saying he had no alternative but to resign.

"My personal integrity will not allow me to do anything else other than admit that I was at fault," Mr Kucera said. "Integrity has always been the hallmark of my career, but also underpins my belief in the Westminster system and the values this Government operates under. "I believe there is only one option left for me, and that has been to ask the premier to accept my resignation as a minister of the Crown in WA - the premier has accepted that. "

Meanwhile Western Australia's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) says criminal charges against the former acting commissioner of WA's Corruption and Crime Commission, Moira Rayner, have arisen from her continued conduct during a period in August.That’s right, the former top anti corruption fighter cops it in the head for playing fast and loose.
The sad part about all of this is that like many Australian’s I have grown to admire Rayner as a stalwart fighter for justice and equity.
So what did she do?
The charge is official corruption and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Rayner allegedly tipped off the then Clerk of the Legislative Council, Laurie Marquet. She went to visit him in a Perth hospice and warned him not to use his phone because it may be bugged.
Marquet was under investigation and later charged with more than 50 counts of corruption and theft during his exalted term as Clerk.
This has been a long running, on again off again saga, perhaps reflecting the respect in which Rayner was held.
So there you have it Bruce, a little more political BS from place far flung.

A Ban on Terrorism?

Jemaah Islamiah is the South East Asian version of al qaeda. They work out of countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Tagged JI, they are the ones reportedly responsible for the Bali bombings and other assorted atrocities in the region.There was reference to allegations of Indonesia’s involvement with JI, see post; Terrorism Bogeyman.To be sure, these allegations were, and remain, unsubstantiated. Circumstantial evidence might abound, but it does not prove fact.The Australian Government, who are well versed at using terror as a public control measure, are today crying that Indonesia will not oblige them on banning JI.For Australia, such a ban would serve to underline their ‘strong’ approach to terrorism issues. The cowered public would no doubt be assured that the ‘deputy sheriff’ in Asia was hard at work.
For Indonesia, with its largely Muslim population, would serve only to weaken the fragile political alliances of the country.
Whether there is any truth to military and police involvement with JI is largely irrelevant to the wider political implications for that country.
The real point, however, is the belief that a ban on JI would have any real effect on what is a secret organization anyway. Not even the risk of driving them ‘underground’ can be a concern when that is how they already operate.
Seeking to ban a shadow organization is just a political nonsense. It is grandstanding of the worst kind.

Terrorism Bogeyman

Indonesian military and police have a well reputation over the years for ‘free lance’ activities. So it was not totally surprising that former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid claims Indonesian police or military officers may have played a role in the first Bali bombing.
Wahid told SBS's [Australia] Dateline program that he had grave concerns about links between Indonesian authorities and terrorist groups and believed that authorities may have organised the larger of the two 2002 Bali bombings which hit the Sari Club, killing the bulk of the 202 people who died.
Needless to say, the claims are being rejected by the current government in Jakarta as well as Australia’s government and various ‘terrorism’ analysts.
Given the vested interests in terrorism, Wahid will need to come up with something concrete to support his claims.
Dateline also reported claims that Indonesian intelligence had close links with many local terrorist groups. "There is not a single Islamic group either in the movement or the political groups that is not controlled by (Indonesian) intelligence," said former terrorist Umar Abduh, who is now a researcher and writer.
The issue goes back many years in Indonesia. Commentators concede: “it is true that at times the Indonesian military has tolerated or even encouraged the radical Islamist movement.”
There is evidence that the military is deeply implicated in fomenting sectarian strife in troublespots like Sulawesi.Evidence of military backing for the Islamic terrorists emerged again in December 2000, when Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) co-ordinated attacks against Christian churches, killing 19 people and injuring 120 in a dozen cities.
Then, ducking for cover; “The military link in Medan, which was never thoroughly investigated, was an anomaly.”
Just as the US is justly implicated with dubious terrorist figures in the past, Indonesia’s authorities also have the dubious honour of consorting with there own home grown brand.

Just how much terrorism and its political capital are manufactured we will probably never know. What we do know is that the constant trickling of allegations cannot be ignored.
Security is a fundamental concern for all, and implying threats on that security has been standard practice for many years.
The sad part is that the general public fall for it over and over. Under the cover of ‘threat to security’ governments can go as far as they please in undermining the rights of their own citizens.
Time and again, the evidence used to support the current ‘war on terrorism’ is found to be faulty or just plain manufactured.
It seems governments can say ‘Boo!’ and compliant citizens will cover their faces and cower in fear.
Until citizens begin to wise up to the games of their political masters, issues like transparency and accountability will remain a dream.

Australian Ethics?

The Australian Government's sweeping industrial relations changes are, predictably, causing a storm of criticism.
That fact doesn’t really concern a government which has the numbers to push this unpopular legislation through.
The big problem with ‘stable’ or full majority government is that it brings the bully tendencies to their highest form.
Not that John Howard’s Liberal Government, which seeks to strip workers of hard won and basic rights, is not fighting back.
Even before this bill has seen parliament, even before any opportunity to scrutinize it, the Government launched a massive ad campaign to sell it.
Now here, as history can testify, is a government which came to power pledging to enforce the most rigorous ethical standards.
Well the wheels fell off that promise early on when a number of ministers and parliamentary secretaries were dumped on various corruption issues.
So the bar was lowered while the rhetoric continued. But that, it is plain now, is all it is – rhetoric.
Respected media commentator, Michelle Grattan, (The Melbourne Age) reflects that: “The Government is behaving as though it is in the middle of an election campaign and the taxpayers' coffers actually belong to the Liberal and National parties. John Howard tries to say it's just about informing the public.” Article here
The massive advertising campaign, launched prematurely, to sell these industrial relations reforms is in itself scandalous.
Grattan also charges: “The revelation that about 60,000 booklets promoting the Government's industrial relations changes were pulped is embarrassing, mostly because it further highlights the Coalition's outrageous misuse of public money.”
This is government which can do pretty much as it pleases, and does. With total control of both federal houses of parliament, ethics is well down the list of considerations.This is also a government proposing to use its power to legislate new electoral laws which will serve to reduce the already tattered democratic process of the country.When any government starts to take the high ground on ethical behaviour it seems like the time to fear the worst.

I don’t think it is very funny

The Only Hot Fresh site is a pain in the arse!
If you are getting as annoyed as me with the spam blog -
Only Hot Fresh Funny Pictures and Jokes click the title and email him or email - jon@funnywebsite.com
Spam him back or just tell him he is a useless piece of shit.

Leaky Old White House 2

The US Protectorate of the Philippines has been stirred by leaks from the White House as well.
A former top Philippines police official was indicted by US federal prosecutors on Thursday for spying and conspiring with an ex-FBI officer to pass on classified documents to Philippine officials.The former FBI officer, Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, was also arrested on September 10 and is accused of using the agency's database to download the documents and giving them to Michael Ray Aquino.Aquino, an ally of senior opposition politicians, was arrested at his New York residence in Queens on September 10. He is accused of passing 150 classified and sensitive documents to three public figures, each identified only as "a former high-level national public official in the Philippines."
Aragoncillo started working at the White House in the vice-president's office in 1999, while it was occupied by Al Gore, and worked there for 31 months.According to the indictment, Aragoncillo passed classified documents to Aquino between February and August this year using cellphone text and e-mail messages. They included assessments of the political situation in the Philippines and political leaders.Aquino, a former police intelligence officer, served directly under Lacson when the senator was national police chief in the 1998-2001 administration of President Joseph Estrada. Shortly after Estrada was ousted in a military-backed popular uprising in 2001, Aquino moved to the United States where he worked as a registered nurse.

That is some of the background to this little side play. But what is it all about?
According to W. Scott Thompson in the New Straits Times, Malaysia, The Filipino political merry-go-round is aburst with their greatest spy scandal ever.
Thompson’s colourful account of this drama takes the spy scandal right to the heart of the White House.

“It may be common knowledge that President Arroyo is stubborn and overrates herself, but for it to come from the Oval Office, or near it, makes it ever so different.” He asserts.
Adding “…But in the Philippines still, what America thinks is of the essence. It is routinely believed that Washington can turn a switch off and on and make or break presidents. And as long as people think it, in a perverse way it’s true.”

Model democracy
As a model for US sponsored democracy, the Philippines is a disaster. The country is riddled with entrenched corruption. Despite a reasonable beginning in the democracy stakes, the wheels fell off with President Ferdinand E. Marcos. At least the latter part of his rule has been described as "constitutional authoritarianism", but was more akin to constitutional plundering of the nation’s wealth.
In 2003 Bush used the Philippines as an example of US-sponsored “liberation” and democracy. The president told the assembled Filipino politicians he was “proud of its [the US] part in the great story of the Filipino people”. It had “liberated the Philippines from colonial rule” when it invaded the Spanish-held archipelago in 1898.Since then there have been strong indications that the Bush administration has been behind efforts to replace President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with one of the elite factions, together with a bloc of traditional military-business groups
The people of Iraq should have plenty to fear if the Philippines represents the peak model of US sponsored democracy. More so when there is growing evidence that the US administration would actively engage in undermining a democratically elected government in the Philippines for its own cynical purposes.

Roving the White House

There is nothing new or even uncomplicated, about US White House intrigues. It is, of course, the biggest game in town. There is also a measure of secrecy which comes with economically sensitive decision making.
That is not to suggest the aura of secrecy is limited in any way, or even that it is inviolable.
Presidential appendage, Rove, is the kind of personality who will always generate speculation, most of it sordid. As always however, at least part of the secrets, along with a mass of other extraneous smoke screen, will out.
Rove gets to face his accusers soon on the weighty matter of naming sensitive names in an effort to silence a powerful detractor. You all know the story.
The interesting part now is will the appendage fall on his sword, rather than allow the rest of the White House cabal be sullied by further revelations. It is one thing to suspect the involvement of Bush and Chaney in this scandal, but perhaps Rove’s greatest service to his puppets will be to cover for them.
It is one thing to expose a CIA agent for political gain, but exposing the nation’s noble leadership can’t be tolerated…

It seemed innocent enough

When Tasmanian (Australia) member of that states upper house finally announced his intention to run for Mayor of Launceston, he meant to do so in style.
Ivan Dean pledged to donate his potential mayoral salary of $84,000 to charity and youth activities.
"Many people have criticised me for being greedy and wanting to double dip the public purse," he said, referring to his existing parliamentary salary. Dean already earns $104,957 including allowances as a Legislative Councillor.
By holding to his offer, Dean would risk breaching the Local Government Act’s bribery provisions by, essentially, buying votes.
The Act states that a person must not promise, or offer money, in relation to a vote at a poll or the support of a candidate and the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided the matter needs more investigation
"I don't want any controversy, so, of course I will withdraw my offer." A contrite Dean announced.

Putting aside that Dean is a lawmaker, and as such should have a better understanding of the law; this was a noble sounding gesture. There will always be an issue when elected office bearers hold multiple positions.
Apart from the ‘double dipping’ there are also issues of being able to run two offices simultaneously, not to mention the dangers of conflict of interest between the two sectors of government.
Tasmania has often had to face the issue of multiple office holders and perhaps should consider some kind of restriction.
However, the law in this case is quite correct so far as electoral ethics. The other factors being acceptable, the pledge gives Dean an unfair advantage over candidates who are not in a position to donate their salary.
City councils were once, generally voluntary positions, with a small stipend. As city management becomes more complex, the role of councillors has demanded far more time and energy. Hence a reasonable salary often goes with the job.
With that expectation tax payers should, perhaps, expect those who fill these positions to stick with one job at a time. Rather than donate his salary, Dean should consider resigning from parliament to concentrate on his council interests.

Show and Tell

Canadian Prime Minister, Paul Martin, recently promised greater scrutiny of government finances, to address issues of corruption.
Within days we have yet another whiff of scandal emanating from Ottawa. Ironically, the allegations are not of corruption per se, but an attempt to avoid scrutiny.
A deal Indian and Northern Affairs Canada signed with Ottawa-based Totem Hill Inc. explicitly states that "presentations shall be oral with supporting material provided to aid comprehension but not retained by the department."
A spokeswoman for the Treasury Board, which sets government-wide policy for procurement, declined to say whether the "oral" report adheres to the regulations.
But (Media Relations Spokesperson Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat) Michelle Laliberte said Indian and Northern Affairs needs to be able to demonstrate to auditors that the work paid for was in fact delivered.
No doubt the Audit Branch of Treasury will have something to say about the efficacy of this kind of procedure.
Canadians don’t really do corruption all that well, fortunately. If the Federal Government is to establish any kind of credibility in the ethics stakes, transparency and independent oversight are essential.

The Moral Trap

With respect to clarity, and my friend Bruce, I should clearly acknowledge the corruption activity in other developed countries.
America, You Are on Show and other articles focusing on US corruption are making a specific point. That is, the USA has assumed a moral leadership in the world, which requires that malfeasance, is denied, hidden or attention diverted. I merely seek to put the spotlight on that reality.
Having done that, what of other countries:
Australia
It was no easy thing to grow up in Australia and not be aware of public corruption. It was rampant and visible. So much so that a number of very high profile special and royal commissions entertained the populous with gory detail for years.
The emphasis soon became, not how to live with corruption, but how to root it out. Well, given human nature that might never happen. However, given various federal and state responsibilities, a number of very efficient corruption fighting bodies were created.
The primary issues in Australia were:
Police corruption of various types
Political such as ‘jobs for the boys’ or cronyism, expenses and travel rorts (fraud), influence peddling; and in a bracket all of its own, electoral fraud and manipulation. Sadly, in some cases, the latter has been dealt with by legalising it.
Canada
It is difficult to pin a great deal of corruption on the Canadians. To be sure, there is the long running ‘sponsorship scandal’. This was more a nest of corrupt activities, including cronyism, expenses fraud, influence peddling and outright theft.
The various enquiries into these activities looks set to become a scandal in itself, but that is what happens when corruption fighting is used as a political tool rather than for its own ends.
The current government is moving toward greater oversight of public activities, essentially finance related. Perhaps they should be adopting a more rigorous approach, such as fully empowered anti-corruption agencies.
Britain
Here is a country with a tremendous legacy of scandal and corruption. Most notable, perhaps, are those somehow related to the intelligence community. Spying is a strong part of the government culture in Britain and regularly produces scandal.
Electoral fraud still seems to make regular headlines in Britain. Not so much the big money kinds as street level vote fiddling. Like Australia, Britain has tried to legalise various electoral aberrations, but she now has Europe looking over the shoulder, insisting on fair play.
The very powerful local government system in Britain has its own culture of corruption. From development to car parking, the monster is forever raising its ugly head.
Britain identified another species of corruption, more annoying perhaps than actually dangerous: the Job's Worth. These people can exist virtually anywhere within the civil service or even private enterprise. While there is often no gain for them, the job's worth simply like to make things difficult, because they can.
Europe
There is generally some scandal bubbling away across the continent. France, Germany and Italy are well versed in the ugly art.

I do not include the ‘transition governments’, notably Russia and of course a range of African and Asian countries. It is generally expected that transition governments will have a battle with all levels of corruptions until they have sufficient strength and recourses to keep it in check.
Many of these countries have some interesting conditions which make the world view of ethical behaviour problematic. Gifts, for example, look like bribes to us, and most probably are. But they are also part of longstanding, acceptable tradition. Time will tell if they will fall into line with the rest and outlaw gifts.

Finally, none of these countries assume a moral high ground. To be sure, most of the developed countries recognise the problem and take steps to combat it. Steps modified perhaps by political culture and imperatives. Only the US goes into the world waving a flag of moral righteousness. And while they continue to do so, they are fair game for special attention.

Private Thoughts

Government, it seems, are forever trying to increase its surveillance on citizens. Canada is the latest reported to be seeking better coverage with wiretaps and email intrusions.
For many, this news sends a quiver through them as they fear for loss of privacy. The big news is, you probably never really had privacy in the first place.
The good news is, the more ‘private’ information the greater their difficulty in managing it. To be sure, there is software capable of many powerful functions. A compilation of private data might indicate general trends, might flag potential misdeeds, might spoil the fun of careless pedophile groups, (we can only hope) but they do not serve well to pinpoint individual issues.
To find these individuals, computers scan voice and print data for key words. That approach assumes a great many things. It assumes that the baddies are incapable of modifying language. It assumes also, that the cheeky brats of the internet, once becoming aware of key words, won’t flood the system with them.
Overall, however, is the vision of a mass of stored data, creating a mountain of useless information. The more intense the surveillance, the greater your privacy is.

Great read

Having upbraided the US for its attitude toward culture, it is only right to spotlight other side of the coin. Aaron Dyer of The Oklahoma Daily deserves a bouquet for; Corruption and cronyism: political modus operandi by

America, You Are On Show

Send the spin doctors home, face the truth and let us all get on with life.
Business First’s Kevin Kemper, in discussing the current rash of corruption related issues in the US, asks; “…is unethical behavior really growing?  Some say the answer must be provided with the proper perspective.”
What ‘proper perspective’? The USA brags of being the world’s leader of nations. The self righteous, ‘holier than thou’ cant might gall other nations, but without doubt the US is powerful enough to promote its own self image.
Power and its trappings do not come free. The US, because of its assumed position in the world, is obligated to show consequent responsibility.
The response to corruption in the USA is a curious one, reflecting much of the political technique which leads to scandal.
The Republicans are fond of pointing out that the Dems are just as bad. That is not an explanation, nor is it excuse; it is simply minimizing through shared guilt.
More often is the plain self denial, or the vapid “…is unethical behavior really growing?
It is not a question of quantity! That it happens, and happens at a regular pace undermines the very moral authority which the US claims.
This is not the super burger, two for one, early bird world of consumerism; it is the underpinning of social values. If greed, bullying, lying and the other unsavoury aspects of corruption are condoned by those in trust they have the potential to become normal, acceptable behaviour.
America, you are on show! You created the myth, now you must live up to it of face the fallout of rightfully negative opinion around the world.

Power Corrupts

The current Australian Federal Government is a case study in the dangers of unchecked power. The simple fact of making laws does not guarantee justice and equity.
There are two powerful examples currently in the Australian system focusing on workplace and electoral laws. Both radical sets of proposals should be adjudged ethically, if not legally, suspect.
Much has been written on the proposed new labor laws. They are Dickensian, at the very least. They seek to give employers rights which threaten to recreate the appalling work conditions of the industrial revolution.
The electoral law proposals are less prominent, but no less frightening in the way they intend to strip the electorates ‘democratic’ rights.
At a minimum, the new laws will force fewer choices for the voters, and make actually voting increasingly difficult.
The sum benefit of these changes is to the major political parties, the elite club, whose members traditionally share the baton of power in the country.
These kinds of excesses invariably occur when one or other of the major parties hold a majority on both the lower house and the senate. They occur, simply because they can!
The actions of parties with total majorities need not reflect the wishes of the community, merely those of the party in power, and their non elected patrons.
While these type of actions reinforce a negative view of politicians, it is invariably too late for an emasculated citizenry to do more than simply complain.
A strong legislative process, it seems, can only be guaranteed by a divided and relatively unstable house. That might be frustrating for the power club members, but it delivers a measure of safety for an electorate.

Thatcher Rides Again

Maggie Thatcher, well known for her bulldog approach to government affairs, has been caught up in the DeLay imbroglio. A ‘secret’ and highly ‘sensitive’ request to the British authorities, from DeLay’s prosecutors has been leaked to the London press.

"There would be considerable interest in this case if it were to become public knowledge," it noted.
"We have been asked by the US to keep this request `sealed', which we take to mean as confidential as possible. This has been relayed to the Metropolitan Police.
"The Metropolitan Police have been asked to handle these inquiries sensitively given the nature of the individual concerned and the background to the request."

While it might be embarrassing for the ‘Iron Lady’, there is no suggestion of impropriety on her part. Her spokesman suggested that DeLay and his party just dropped in for a friendly cuppa with the former ‘strongwoman’ of the UK.
It’s almost touching that these power suits would care to make time to visit an elderly has been.
The fact that Maggies little boy, Mark Thatcher, was placed under house arrest by South African police for his involvement in a plot to overthrow the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea in a coup d'etat obviously had nothing to do with the visit.
Mark wasn’t even arrested until 2004, when the plot was eventually revealed in all its gory detail. It is difficult to believe that a coup involving oil interests would be something Bush’s crew would get involved in.
This is a timely warning of course. If you have any sensitive documents, you would be best not to entrust them the British authorities. It seems like they might have a leak in their system…

God told me to invade, says Bush

The claim comes from the first meeting between the US leader, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen), and his then foreign minister in June 2003.The ministers say that Mr Bush also revealed to them that he had been told by God to create a Palestinian state, according to a new BBC series.
"God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq . . .' And I did.
"And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'.
"And by God I'm gonna do it."
I am still hoping this is a clever satirical piece, but I rather doubt it. The religiosity which pervades the American culture shows all the hallmarks of the fanatical zealots. Those traits which drive the terrorism the USA claims to be fighting.
The unsettling aspect is the ability of the US to drag other, less fanatical nations with it. Not through truth, through any tangible evidence of a need to act, but through lies and deception underwritten by religious revelation.
Not that I am saying revelation in and of itself in particularly invalid. But who is this GOD George talks with? If this GOD is so compelling, why lace his commands with subterfuge and misdirection?
I know it has been said before of Bush, but it bears repeating: "Those who the gods would destroy, they first make mad." Mad, as insane!