Voters might mention the war

WITHIN the next 12 months or so, voters elect governments in the US, Britain and Australia.

The three incumbent governments are in (Basil) faulty towers and are exhorting people not to mention the war.In the instance of the comic John Cleese creation, Basil Fawlty, the conflict not to mention was the World War of the II persuasion.

For President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prime Minister John Howard it is the Iraqi War MkII.

It seems the world's people are in a mood to change governments at the moment.A few years back, Spain elected a left-wing government because its citizens did not like the consequences of the Iraqi invasion. Just recently, France elected a right-wing President, despite its citizens not liking the consequences of the Iraqi Invasion.

All this must put Bush, Blair and Howard on edge.

Bush should be the calmest because he is going anyway and he can take solace he is not the Republican who will be whipped at the polls. It is the first time, in my memory, that the next US President will be voted in through the Democratic Primaries, because after that it is a formality.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also will not lead his (New Labor) Party at the next polls, but he will likely be upset if the voters mention the war and savage Gordon Brown led Labor. Blair strikes me as someone who wants everyone to like him, a supremely difficult task, if you have had a hand in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Iraqis.

In my country, Australia, the Labor Opposition clearly leads the opinion polls over the Government of John Howard, a few months out from an election. Labor has not mentioned the war much yet and may never mention it very loudly, seeing they brought up little opposition to Australia being part of the coalition of the swilling which invaded Iraq.

The voters, on the other hand, may mention the war. Before the unmentionable, Australians were opposed to an invasion without US sanction, though some swung around when they realised the invasion was inevitable. Some of these people might be angry at being duped.

Spread the Word,
Bernie