Bush Legacy: Supreme Court Hates Democracy
The latest ruling from the Supreme Court, making corporations more equal than people in regard to campaign finance, ensures our elected officials will act to the benefit of business - big business, at that - rather than those of us who actually vote. I suppose a 5-4 decision offers some hope that we can get a law back in place, maybe even something more far-reaching than we've had before, but with the teabaggers and haters in a position now to stand pat and block anything from happening, it doesn't seem likely. This is the Reagan-Bush-Bush legacy for the country: democracy doesn't live in America anymore.

They Hates Our Freedoms: Boxers vs. Briefs
The Shoe-Bomber. Now the Underpants-Bomber. These guys are scary, sure, but ineffective, inept, except at ensuring that under-trained airport and airline staff are increasingly responsible for making air travel inconvenient and uncomfortable. We shuffle through the security checks in our socks. We're subjected to mandatory pat-downs. Makes me glad I'm not traveling to the States this year. Someday the TSA will work out a way to implement an effective and efficient system of detection and prevention. If the GOP allow a director to be appointed or a bill to get them some money to be passed. But they didn't get that done when they were the majority, either.

The Uses of Power
Of course Sarah Palin abused her power as governor of Alaska, that's what power is for, and that's what she wanted it for. Her entire history is about power and its (ab)uses. She didn't like property taxes, so when she had her chance, she got rid of them in Wasalia. It didn't matter that she replaced a progressive tax with a regressive one. She got what she wanted. And when the GOP power brokers needed someone they could put forward who wasn't implicated in any of their major corruption problems, she was a logical choice, someone who'd do what they wanted, but not so smart as to start running them. Of course, she was also not so smart as not to end up in a scandal of her own, but ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances, as the saying goes. And this is the kind of person John McCain thinks is Presidential material, the legacy he'd leave us with, once his own two terms (assuming he can take a second, let alone the first one, and assuming his health holds out) expire? Sure, why not? George H.W. would have left us with Dan Quayle if he could have, after all. The GOP is beyond cynical. They believe power is a right, their right. And look what they've done with it. Since Nixon, look at what they've done. (Skip Ford, he was pretty much a nonentity.) Reagan's "trickle-down" bankruptcy of D.C., Bush I's . . . o.k., skip him, too; all he left us with was his son. Bush II, who's Reagan lite, if only from a intellectual standpoint, which is saying something in itself, even while he tries to out-Reagan Reagan. And now McCain, the most cynical of them all. And his legacy? Unending war and Sarah Palin appointing Supreme Court Justices. I've never been happier to be an ex-pat. What my first country could come to with this crowd in power for just four more years, let alone eight, or twelve, or sixteen . . . it's beyond belief.

The Election the Democrats Have to Win (But Do They Want to?)
In the run-up to the last Australian Federal election, and, in fact, well before, there was a fair amount of talk from both sides that Labor might be better off losing, so that the Liberals would take the heat on the economy. With stocks collapsing, rates going up, coming back down, and the AU$ in free-fall, we may well be looking at joining the U.S. in a recession, which is bound to hurt Labor at the next election, maybe even cost them their narrow majority.

If the U.S. doesn't pull out of its own tailspin soon, maybe the Democrats would themselves be better off not taking the White House, and it could cost some House seats. The problem with that is, whatever you think of Obama, he's better for the U.S. and the world in the medium- to long-term than McCain, who'll only give us the same as we've been getting from Bush, except worse, because it'll be for that much longer.

Meanwhile, because I moved, and my forwarding notice has long since expired, I've had to cast a write-in ballot. I'm confident I've voted for the right man and in time, but I dislike the uncertainty of this method.

Bush Wins Forever
Every time the House or Senate rolls over for Bush on one of his expansions of executive power, I lose more faith in the idea that a Democratic President will accomplish any meaningful change from what the present administration has done to damage civil liberties and the Constitution itself. Hillary, locked in an increasingly tight run against Obama, didn’t even turn up for the vote, but it’s Harry Reid I blame for this, and I’m sure Pelosi will roll, too, in the end. With the Supreme Court packed for the foreseeable future, the more-co-equal-than-others executive will surely prove just as susceptible to abuses under Clinton/Obama/McCain as it has now under Bush. The U.S. is screwed.

Update: See what I mean? (Maybe I should add a new tag: "Scalia sucks.")

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
One of the categorical assertions you’ll inevitably encounter when objecting to the Iraq war is that “Bush never lied. You can’t prove it, so stop saying it.” While most of the candidates for President in opposition (now or then) to the war will avoid making the bald assertion that they were lied to, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and members of the administration did, in fact, lie, repeatedly, before and after the war, and now you can prove it. There’s even a search page. (Thanks, Metafilter.)

Warming Up
Over in Bali, the latest round of climate-change talks have been getting essentially nowhere. It’s nice we’ve got an agreement to have more talks, in 2009, but really it’s no more than agreements-in-principle. Still, I’m happy enough that Australia has pulled its head out and signed on to reduce its emissions. But the best moment has to have been when the U.S. delegation got called on its continued intransigence: “Lead or get out of the way!” Maybe an email campaign directly to Bush on this and other issues?

Look for Me at the Duty Free
The problem I have with the various no-carry-on rules is that the airlines can now steal from their passengers. Swiss Army knife? Now it’s theirs. Litre of vodka? Well, there’s a way around that, if you don’t mind a little alcohol poisoning.

Yes, he had the liquor with him prior to the security screening, so he was, essentially, forewarned that liquids in excess of a set quantity were prohibited. Still, if they’re not going to make provision to return your personal items to you either at the other end of your flight or when you get back, how is it not stealing to confiscate whatever material they happen to find objectionable? I actually am a little concerned about this, since I fully expect to make use of my duty free allowance to bring in some nice whiskey on my trip to the States, but don’t know if (a) purchases made post-security can be carried on during the second, State-side leg of my trip, or if (b) the duty-free shop will be open at my terminus terminal. If (a) isn’t going to be allowed, how can legally purchased material be confiscated?

Surge Protection
So it seems the troop escalation is starting to have an effect, in Baghdad, at least, although many questions remain, and will do so, for some time to come. What is the true source of the reduction in violence? Is this because the number of troops increased, or is it the result of Iran backing off, perhaps hoping to take some of the international heat off so they can keep working on their uranium enrichment program (which seems to be headed in a new direction as well, with Iran potentially outsourcing the process)? Are the Iraqi troops managing a front line role more now? What about the rest of the country? When the British pulled out of Basra, didn’t the violence there go down, too, in which case, how can troop increases have the same result as decreases? And to say that the number of bombings or the number of other attacks or the number of persons killed is at the lowest level since 2005, 2006, etc., doesn’t itself seem to mean very much if the attacks, bombs, murders continue, does it? I want to believe progress is being made, but it’s hard to know for sure what’s happening, or how long it will last.

On Strike
Garret Keizer suggests a general strike across America on Election Day 2007. Sounds good. In fact, I suggest we do the same thing here, in Australia, until John Howard calls the election. (Found on Metafilter.)

Manufacturing Loyalty
After the Gonzales debacle, and now approaching his final year as President, you might think Bush would use some other method than cronyism or extremist partisanship in selecting a new Attorney General, but there’s no evidence he will. Theodore Olsen doesn’t sound like he should still be admitted to the bar, let alone take on the top spot at the Justice Department. And George Terwilliger? Doesn’t anyone in the White House watch The Simpsons?

Six Years
ObL’s putting out more video than Britney, and the best we’ve got is speculation on what his beard means?

Ghost Town
One good thing about APEC is that so many people have left town, getting a seat on the bus and train isn’t an issue.

I was home with the flu for Bush’s arrival and first press conference, but I shouldn’t have watched. That man’s tone of voice drips with insult. The substance of what he says is more or less reasonable, but he comes off as a bully. Of course, he is a bully, so it’s not really a surprise, but it’s still annoying. That, and he won’t answer the question posed, although most politicians refuse to provide a direct response.

The pictures of the “exclusion zone” are remarkable. The security fencing and the massive police presence are clear evidence of just how far democracy has degenerated. I accord a fair share of blame to those “black hat” protesters who attend these events with the intention of inciting the police (although I also note that the police commonly use provoking tactics, and even agents provocateurs, themselves) and committing acts of violence or property damage; there’s no excuse for them. My main complaint remains, however. We have given in to fear – or our leaders have – to such a degree that significant numbers of Sydney residents have left town for the duration, and great swathes of public land, including major tourist attractions, have been set aside, reserved for APEC delegates, most of whom will spend very little time anywhere near them. Bush’s calvacade was embarrassing. Hundreds of Secret Service agents accompany him and his party. Snipers are deployed on rooftops and in helicopters. Police cruise the foreshore in boats and on jet skis. Does anyone think any of this would be in place if Bush wasn’t attending?

Surveillance cameras and special emergency warning systems have been set up throughout the CBD. Special police powers of arrest have been granted. Along with the CBD fence, how much of this will be reversed, and when? The fence went up quickly, but will it come down as fast? I suppose it will, as businesses are already being seriously damaged throughout both the exclusion zone and the “declared zone” (an area where free passage is allowed, but where the police have more leeway in their actions than otherwise).

APEC is one of those events, like an Olympics, where the benefit to the city hosting it is highly touted by the government, but where that benefit will never accrue, offset as it is by the immediate costs. In this case, in addition, many businesses are actually suffering, due to necessary deliveries not taking place or because access by customers is prevented. Also, many delegates support staff have cancelled, so the “tourist” influx won’t have happened, hotel rooms will be empty that wouldn’t have been otherwise, restaurants won’t get their expected bookings, and so on. There will be no trade agreements signed, and any promised economic cooperation that does eventuate will take decades to show any benefit. It’s a farce, more about selling coal and uranium than anything else.

Resign or Be Prosecuted: How Quaint
Never forget that Alberto Gonzales is the man who drafted the legal opinion that authorized torture. He should never have been allowed to resign. He should have been impeached. I hope, however, that he managed to put some money aside for retirement: anyone who hires him will be revealing their own moral deficiencies in doing so.

Whose Sky Is It?
Sydney residents will be issued black-out glasses during APEC to ensure they cannot watch the fireworks display, exclusive to attending delegates.

A Win
Maybe George Bush should be put in charge of soccer in the U.S. – look what he did for Iraq. Or not.

Weasel
I didn’t expect Bush to pardon Libby; I figured Bush to be too chicken to try it on. And, whaddya know? He found a different expedient: commuting the prison term. Libby’s still a convicted felon and owes a quarter million in fines, but he walks, and Bush gets his cake and eats it, too.

There’s no way Bush thought this up on his own. This is a Rovian move if ever there was one. But, look, in all the years as governor of Texas, with all the death-row appeals that came across his desk, how many commuted sentences did Bush make? How many even just commuted to life without parole? Yeah, Libby didn’t kill anyone, but he committed a serious crime, arguably more serious in his case, as a lawyer, than perjury might otherwise be considered. The sentence was just, and Bush’s weaselling him out of serving time subverts justice.

The Bush Court
We’re really starting to see the effects of GWB’s appointments now, aren’t we? The latest decisions roll back the clock on affirmative action, anti-trust, the separation of church and state, campaign finance, and free speech. It’s almost a surprise that an insanity defense got a death penalty sentence overturned. These decisions, and many more to come, will stand for generations. The consequences of eight years of George W. Bush will not be easily overcome.

Gnashing of Teeth
We hope for Iraq every day, even though we hear, every day, of new violent deaths, of soldiers or civilians or both, and yet we hope. We want their government to work, to find a way to stop the bloodshed. But they cannot even protect themselves, and we are left with unholy visions of unending violence and death and no clear way towards stopping any of what’s happening there, whether the civil war or the inflammatory massacres perpetrated by al Qaeda. There is no reasonable expectation that Iran or Syria or any other of the more militarist Arab nations would or even could stem the violence. There is little enough indication that the U.S., despite the President’s 20,000 troops escalation and 15-month tour extension, can do anything other than watch the whole country go straight to hell-on-earth. We screwed up badly and continue to make the mess worse, having failed to learn or apply, except piecemeal, any lessons from the early days of the invasion and occupation. We stand in the midst of a civil war, where either side is willing to shoot at us, to blame us, and we don’t know who to shoot at, or even which side we’re on, except to say, we’re on everybody’s side, we’re on Iraq’s side, we’re on Democracy’s side. Empty platitudes. There is no side. There’s only being stuck in the middle or getting out. If they won’t, I say we should. But that would require Bush to admit he was wrong, and he’s never done it yet.

Serving Justice
David Hicks has pled guilty to the only remaining charge (revised) against him. He faces a potential term of life imprisonment, but it’s possible he’s entered this plea under some arrangement based on the 5 years he’s already spent in Guantanamo. Arrangements are already in place for him to be returned to Australia to serve out any additional time locally.

I’m pretty much on board with Democrats Senator Bob Brown here: we’ll never know what Hicks did or didn’t do, but we’ll always remember that John Howard let him rot for 5 years, never saying a word, until the political pressure became too much and his government’s hold on power, just a few months out from the next election, started to slip. When Tony Blair got his people out, Howard was happy to let Hicks be labelled and judged and condemned, blaming Hicks himself for the length of his stay, due to the challenges he and other prisoners made against the Bush administration’s illegal detention and illegal military commissions. So, yes, I’m with Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce, too, in that the system itself is guilty, as guilty as John Howard. As for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, his statement, that he was one of those taking the middle view of Hicks’ guilt or innocence, “really,” is not to be believed. He sat idly by, smugly smirking, happy to let Bush do whatever he pleased, however long it took, also frequently blaming Hicks’ appeals for the duration of his illegal incarceration.

I’m glad for David Hicks’ family, that their son will now be allowed to return to Australia, but reserved in my relief for them and for Hicks himself, until it’s known under what conditions his return will take place. Certainly, ASIO will have him declared a “person of interest,” like the last released Australian detainee (again, with no help from this government), Mamdou Habib, and place him under perpetual surveillance. He’ll never have a job, never be free to go where he likes when he likes, without knowing at all times, he’s being watched. Unlike any other properly tried offender, David Hicks will get out of prison, but he’ll never get out of jail.