*Ø* Blogmanac October | Who we gunna turn to now we're the sheriff, John?

By Margo Kingston
October 16, 2003

"Is Australia your deputy sheriff in the region, Mr President?

"'No. We don't see it as a deputy sheriff. We see it as a sheriff. There's a difference.' He's outsourced policing South East Asia to us. What an honour! Umm, but doesn't that bin our latest insurance premium? Who we gunna turn to, John? Who we gunna turn to?

The occasion of the emperor's announcement of this enormous responsibility? A closed press conference with seven hand-picked journalists from Australia and the Asian region.

Wild. Just wild. John Howard sort-of-called Australia a deputy sheriff to the Yanks in our region in a 1999 Bulletin interview, then ran a mile from it when the shit hit the fan from our Asian neighbours. Not helpful in the region. Not helpful at all, especially now, when we need cooperation from our neighbours to combat terrorism and don't need terrorists in our region targetting us. (For reaction in Asia see Asia unhappy with Bush's sheriff comments and Australia is 'puppet, not 'sheriff')

Howard hadn't told us about our promotion – as usual he left it to the boss.

It puts Howard's decision to expel the public from their own parliament when George addresses our representatives in a new light. I've never heard of that happening before, but we've never been the US President's sheriff in South East Asia before.

The symbolism is obvious. Democracy has no place in the world of Bush, supreme commander and Howard, sheriff. The world as fashioned by Bush - Howard as echo chamber – is too dangerous for democracy. They're creating a world in which they wield absolute power. In America, George's thugs are making sure of that by rigging the voting system with the help of his big corporate mates (All the President's votes? in The Independent) ..."
Source: Sydney Morning Herald