If there's such a thing as “world opinion”, I got a bellyfull on my recent trip. The overwhelming unanimity of media comment on America's role in the world took me by surprise, coming as I do from a country that has been slow to face up to the bastardry of the Bush era. From Chile to Mexico, from the Caribbean to Cuba (of course!), in Britain, Dubai and Bangkok, the song was the same - the nation of law is a cesspool of lawlessness, exporting murder and mayhem, while blaming the victims. Now back in Australia, I find the electorate is waking up, largely because of the mistreatment of David Hicks. For the first time in his life, Prime Minister Howard is being forced to face the truth about a regime he has championed ad nauseam. As with climate change, the carnage in Iraq and much else besides, Howard's tactic is follow-ship. Never to take the path of enlightenment, until he is dragged kicking and screaming into the future by the power of an educated public. A bushfire focuses the mind. Trees crackle, embers rain. People with a hose in their hands and a home to protect speak plainly. As the flames engulfed our neck of the woods, the fire fighters often said “this bush isn’t behaving normally”. It flares up even after being hosed down. Its path is erratic, unpredictable. It seems to defy the laws of nature. One night I heard a fire fighter scream,“get out, get out!” as she herded her crew back to the trucks while flames leapt across a wide dirt road and embers soared to the sky, masking the stars and igniting the undergrowth. Experts agreed this was a new type of fire front, “one that is unstoppable and wreaks permanent damage”, a bushfire out of control and redolent with menace, just like the Bush in the White House.
The world at large is now well aware that America’s “commander in chief” is deranged and malicious; a Caligula with nuclear weapons. That he has not been dragged from his throne kicking and screaming is a mystery to anyone not drugged by the mystic aura of his office. To the shame of millions of Australians, our own political leaders feast at his table and pledge teary allegiance. If George Bush were to appoint his horse ambassador of Australia, our Prime Minister would welcome the news. Then he would sell the idea to the electorate. Worse, most would buy it. As long as our massive coal exports keep the economy humming and the planet heating, most of us couldn’t care less who runs the show. Tra la la, time to go shopping again.
So often in the last few years I have watched a web-simmering horror story percolate into the mainstream – CIA torture flights, the rape of Fallujah, lies about “rebuilding the infrastructure”, use of illegal weapons, trashing habeas corpus, etc - and thought, oh, now the public will come to its senses, our politicians will apologise and resign. Nope. The killers are still at large, still smiling and pretending aggression is noble. Still kissing babies. What can we do? Shame has become part of our mental landscape.