A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

The counting of the votes in Florida to find out who was President of the United States of America was called off, because it was thought that the continuing coverage of the recount in the media would detriment the image of the man already declared as President of the United States of America.

I have to admit to a little prejudice against George Junior. Within two weeks of coming into office, he took the US out of the Kyoto agreement, the great green hope of the world to date, because, in his justification, it would harm the US economically. That and the agreement that effectively brought an end to the nuclear arms race of the Cold War bit the dust in the first fourteen days of his first term.

This ticked me off a little, and, as little difference as it makes in the international forum, Bush II hasn’t done a lot to recommend himself to me since then.

I am not aware if it has always been this way, as I am, despite my best efforts, still only young. It seems to me that there is a culture in politics of functional disparity. Saying one thing, doing another. Calling something by a name that belies what it means or does.

This week the Queen and Tony Blair will be formally welcoming a man who is pursuing a policy of paying US multinational companies (who employ around one million UK citizens) to up sticks and take their operations back to the states, with compensation packages for any contracts lost in the act of moving. It makes political sense for Mr. Bush - after all, there’s an election coming up.
The move is hoped to benefit the US economically.

It seems that one truth remains in international politics – there are special relationships, and this can take the form of political and military support, but it’s still every country for itself.

With the visit of who can only be called the most powerful man on the planet, the newspapers in the UK are showing their political colours very plainly. The Sun, given an exclusive interview with Bush (Why, thank you for your election donation, Mr. Murdoch) branded Ken Livingstone an idiot for insisting that Bush and his entourage pay the Congestion Charge. Something, I feel, that must have put a smile on the odd Londoner’s face. Looking at what happened in Central London yesterday, Ken probably owes George a few bob. I’ve never seen London look so uncongested. At work we have a report that tells us what the economic disbenefit to the UK would be if the M25 shut down. Central London is another matter entirely.

The whole political system says one thing and does another. America is simultaneously proud of it’s democratic system and it’s presidential dynasties...it’s powerful families. The UK is proud to be the cradle of modern democracy, whilst a group of royally appointed gentry veto and control measures put forward by the peoples’ representatives. Spin into this corporate interests, hidden agendas, popularity and vote-winning, manipulation of the democratic process and pseudo-patriotism, and you have a big mess.
Take a step back and admire the modern world, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s as good as we can make it.
Honest.