Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Second Superpower rears its beautiful head

Rudd got off to a promising start today.

I found it moving. Except for this part "Rudd confirmed that the apology would not entail compensation."

Not that I really believe compensation would 'undo' anything. Also this morning I watched Obama win three electorates and pull ahead of Clinton in delegates for the first time. Furthermore Clinton's delegate lead is based on the pledges of democratic 'super delegates' that may and should jump ship in respect of the popular vote.
I am no expert on what each candidate stands for, but whilst I wouldn't pretend to have 'Obama fever' I do support him. Not for his charismatic speeches or the fact that he is black, but because of how he is a contender.
From day 1 analysts said that Obama's campaign was a question of fundraising, that Hillary could raise the necessary funds 'overnight'.
I was at my most actively unamerican phase while Bill was commander in chief and will probably remain 'un-american' long after the next election.
But I have hope, because Obama is a step closer to a new form of candidate. His funding has been made up from huge public participation, not just lobby groups. I think true to Freakanomics the dollars will start to follow the votes (not the other way round) and greater numbers of first time voters will be motivated to push Obama as far as he can go.
Newsprograms such as 'Your dollars your votes' where one embattled democrat is gunned down by a bunch of republican cronies appear sad rather than threatening now.
I'm not sure what has to fall, but I hope sometime soon the universal benifits of acting ethically will tear down at the very least the conception that the republican conservative style of economic management actually works.
The shame is a looming recession that has been set up by Howard, Blair and Bush's fiscal policies but will probably be attached around the neck of the new generation of world leaders everywhere.
But world leaders truly are everywhere. In my post 'democracy hates democracy' I think I forgot to mention the most compelling evidence for that very arguement, the fact that whilst the US was invading Iraq to fight terrorism, remove a threat to the free world, preemptively prevent the 'smoking gun' bring freedom and democracy to the middle east etc. It criticised Turkey for being 'weak' when the government bowed to the overwhelming will of its public, and refused to lend airforce bases to the US troops.
Such a clear example of the two superpowers is reassuring to all. Perhaps the somewhat dramatic message of 'V for Vendetta' that a government should be afraid of its people is finally coming to pass.
And blogs while not being objective, wikipedia for all its flaws, facebook for its addictive time wasting all contribute to a system much more open and transparent than so called 'democracy' breaking the monopoly on news and rejecting mass media doctrine it may be that the statement 'democracy is the worst form of government bar all the others' is no longer true.
Anyway congratulations and apologies to the indeginous peoples of Australia and all those that have fought for the cause of reconciliation, in solidarity with all people of the world anywhere.

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