NATIONAL

- THE REPUBLIC

Despite the Australian people having clearly indicated that the republic model they prefer is a people elected president, John Howard has manipulated the conference outcome to give the people a November referendum choice between a monarchy or a prime ministerial appointed presidential republic.

Prime minister (and lawyer) John Howard does not care that the referendum will likely fail.  What Spin suspects is that he does not want to be responsible for destroying the power of the Prime Minister.

Look at it logically.  There is no knowing who the people might choose as president.  The American example shows that sometimes the people choose an actor or catholic or jew!!!  Admittedly they sometimes choose a lawyer. (Slick Willie is a lawyer).

Based on precedent the Australian people might choose someone like Olympic hero Dawn Fraser or Independents Ted Mack or Brian Harradine, or perhaps Paul Hogan (before he had the facelift).

- BONDI POLICE SHOOTING

The 1997 shooting murder after a thirty minute standoff of a psychiatrically disturbed knife wielding frenchman by criminal, possibly coke affected policemen on Bondi Beach is again in the news.

One can understand the worries of honest officers of the police force.  If a policeman can be brought before the law in what might have been the normal execution of his duty, then police will be unable to make the proper decisions in life and death emergencies.  A policeman is entitled to rely on the benefit of the doubt, and due process.

On the other hand, police must understand the concerns of the Australian public.  Having disarmed ourselves, we do not want drug crazed policemen running around shooting citizens.  Any instances found must be prosecuted vigorously with the full force of the law, trial by a jury and in the event of a conviction, attract a triple sentence.

Unfortunately, the police have the benefit of legal training, and are aware of all the loopholes built into the criminal justice system by our legislators, and exploited by criminals & lawyers.

The public does have a notoriously short memory, but this incident follows the murder of an accused Bondi policeman while in solitary remand after extradition for drug offenses from New Zealand.   The public can not be blamed for suspecting police integrity, especially in the Bondi precinct.

INTERNATIONAL

- INDONESIA & DEMOCRATIC CHOICE.

Approximately 78% of eligible Timorese voters requested separation from Indonesia. The leader (Gusmao) of the East Timorese people has recognized that Habibe is acting in a civilized manner.  Now that this potential tragedy has been avoided the Indonesian people will be seen by Australians and Timorese as having acted as civilized citizens of the world.

The situation was avoidable.  Equal responsibility must be laid to Australia's department of Foreign affairs and to the military leaders of Indonesia at the time of invasion.

Unfortunately the Australian government has a habit of protecting it's advisers.  SPIN would like to see an airing of Foreign Affairs advice to Cabinet from that time, and prosecution for any negligence.

Fortunately the leadership of the Indonesian military appears to be renovating itself.  SPIN has respect and admiration for the way in which the political structure in Indonesia appears to be undergoing a peaceful mutation.  In comparison the Australian system is immutable.

President Habibe and the Indonesian people have set an example that the world should emulate.  The Indonesian solution could with profit be applied to

• The Kurdish people in Turkey, Iraq & Iran.
• The Serbian & Albanian people in Bosnia and by districts in Kosovo & the FYROM.
• The Tibetan and Formosan people.
• Kashmir.

- YUGOSLAVIA.

The US payment to the Chinese of $1.5 million/fatality does raise the issue of US compensation to other civilian fatalities of US bombing.   Around 600 ethnic Serbian & Albanian civilians were killed by US bombs, and I fail to see why Serbian or Albanian lives are of less value than the $1,500,000 paid to the heirs of each Chinese casualty.

Of course individual US citizens should not be responsible for the payment of this account.  US citizens are no more responsible than Serbian citizens for Slobbo's defiance of the Rambouillet ultimatum.  It is Slick who is responsible.  Unfortunately his pension would not cover the damage.

- US & AIDS.

People incarcerated in jail are ten times more likely to have AIDS than non inmates.   If the likelihood of being jailed is inherited, then jailing will result in the killing off (genocide) of the gene responsible for being jailed.

I hope that there is nothing that the human race wants to preserve tied in with that gene.
 

- US & WACO.

Oops!  Bad luck for someone.  A single piece of evidence was not cleaned up & destroyed.

At some higher level of government the following logic is probably being worked through...

"Never mind, all we have to do is tell R.M.Rogers to say he was acting on his own initiative, contrary to orders, and tell him to resign, we control legal processes, so we promise him that maybe he will get a suspended sentence.  The matter will stop there."

"But what happens if he blames the next one in the line of command?"

"Then we will just escalate the charges, so instead of a behind the scene pension after a public castigation, Rogers will get to be tried for murder."

"Um, maybe he took out insurance?"

"That is always a risk, which is why we make the fall over option so attractive."

Dare I say it?

Perhaps Booth and Oswald and other presidential assassins should be viewed as unrecognized heroes of US Democracy.  The public spin is that those killers executed innocent men, however the recognized potential for such action against an otherwise untouchably powerful tyrannical leader is the ultimate guarantee of democracy.  Otherwise we are doomed to slavery.
 

This page published 5 September 1999.

SPIN ARCHIVES.