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Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.
- poem of Auden
(The sting in the poem is that the subject is not identified, and no tyrant could assert that he was the subject of the poem without admitting the truth the poem seeks to expose)
[The unpopular communist President Gustav Husak used to get frustrated with Jozef Imrich who was like the Vrbovian Dragon with the seven lives. Even Gustav's generals failed to shoot Jozef down. These days popular public servants of Geoffrey stature just want to run him over (smile)]
Julian Burnside

Eye on Politics & Law Lords: The Election Luxuries and The Lowest Blow
Australian Alan Of Sotherly Buster fame points out that 4300 is a lot less than 60 000 [votes]. Until the below-the-line votes are counted in Tasmania and Victoria we don't know what will happen to the sixth Senate seat
One by one, American vote swingers typically settle on a presidential candidate after weighing his, and his rival's, views on the mosaic of issues that each of us finds important.
Some years, though, force vectors we didn't anticipate turn some of our usual priorities—our pet causes, our own economic interest—into narcissistic luxuries.
The NYT has endorsed John Kerry for President
The Chicago Tribune, on the other hand, has endorsed George W. Bush for president
• Election 2004 Reuters/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: Kerry Closes In On Bush Lead; President Loses 2 Points (Bush 46%- Kerry 44%); Race Remains Close, New Reuters/Zogby Poll Reveals Suddenly Politics Is Hot Again. Sometimes, Really Hot [Joi Ito Move On and Kerry Inc ]
• · Czech Parties sharpen rhetoric in campaign marked by bribery scandal, 'red' claims Prime Minister Stanislav Gross faces the first major test of his popularity
• · · The Army's intelligence chief said yesterday that he has great confidence in the ability of Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, the highest-ranking intelligence officer tied to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, to lead Army's intelligence school. ; [A word to the wise: Be careful who you're telling lies. There's an elite group of people who don't need to see Pinocchio's nose grow, but can pick up on subtle signs that they're not hearing the truth Superliars ; A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel Platoon defies orders in Iraq]
• · · · Bologna Archbishop Carlo Caffarra drew attention to the underlying ethos that should inspire a democracy. First is the influence of moral relativism, which denies the existence of objective truths in ethics, justice and politics. Second is the incapacity to coordinate individual liberty with social obligations. What Catholics Should Do About Democracy ; [Much of the information governments use to shape policy is available via non-secret channels Flinging Open the Doors to Intelligence Gathering ]
• · · · · Among the striking cultural differences between France and Britain is the way their intellectuals operate in the public arena Nicely structured and well told account of Silence of the intellectual lambs ; [As societies dumb down and reality shows take over, facile pundits now overrule true intellectuals]
• · · · · · If the boomers were obsessed with off-road cars, Generation Xers seem to have had a special preoccupation with subversive running shoes... The system tells you that you have to swim in a straight line, down some river that The Man has built for you. The rebel can't be tied down like that; he yearns for freedom. He needs to be able to veer off at any time and start following his own river I'm not one of those losers with kids, living in the suburbs. My life is an adventure. It tells them that you're not a square, not a cog in the machine; [Pop culture pyramid And pop! The culture goes political ; Movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn once said: If you want to send a message, call Western Union.
Translation: The job of entertainers is entertainment. Leave politics to the politicians. Controversy just alienates the audience.]
[[So while it's fine to be cool, we should all recognize the wanting to be cool is just another form of social striving, like wanting to join an exclusive golf club, to have the nicest front lawn, or to drive a BMW.]]