What will APEC achieve?

To me it feels a symbolic gesture given the host has gone into it with the agenda of ‘inspirational targets’. It is embarrassing to us as a nation to be represented as thinking that is actually something the world needs and that we think it actually means anything other than being a slogan. What does it mean? Whatever Howard wants it to mean; being Howard defined places it in common with non-core promises (also known as the promise which probably isn’t one).

Protests always follow Bush and they do get your city in the news. Most the world, including Americans these days will think more of us as a nation if we make protesting news. It will not be because of assassination. Why when he is just treading water until he will be unceremoniously voted off the island. Howard has not been assassinated to date, and he makes it reasonably possible every morning in his tracksuit. Again, most people would rather wait the two months rather than be incarcerated for the rest of their life to see him gone. Terrorism usually does not happen at such events because only an idiot would attack when they are expecting it. I believe the Pope has usually been pretty safe. We are actually protesting against its host if we chose to attend.

They don’t want protests. Why do they not want protests?

The police are basically saying stay home or you will be hit. I am intuiting that most people will stay home. They really do seem to mean it this time. The Labor state government has gone to a great effort to make John Howard look good to the world considering their obvious annoyance at having this duty thrust upon them.

I would like to see them purposefully be incompetent and throw it, let chaos reign. Howard will say, vote for me NSW, as those who claim to rule you are incompetent. We will say, we already knew that, and nothing will change in the polls. The fun bit is Howard will be embarrassed in front of Bush and the other 19 party goers as the parents come home early.

Why has Howard become obsessed with having parties at our expense? I do hope they visit a strip joint. It would actually make me feel a little better about the whole affair if there were photos of Howard dancing on the bar in his underpants with dignitaries chanting chug, chug, chug. He could be remembered in history as the man who had the best piss up in Australia, which is possibly kinder than it currently looks to do so, what with that failed pre-emptive war with a despotic country you bribed to take your wheat. It’s often the big things people remember.

Sadly they will not do so. Apparently Howard has trapped them on this as:

• They have the city of Sydney’s PR at stake. You must sell the brand; be taken seriously as a city for all those consumers of cities.
• The out going Ken Moroney exits the battle field of law enforcement a hero.
• The in coming Andrew Scipione wows the world with his feats of competence.
• Iemma apparently likes to be taken seriously on occasion, especially when the world is watching.

Are protestors really that bad for a city’s reputation? What is wrong with letting the world see we are democratic and free? Maybe they are concerned some of the other countries will think we are rubbing their noses in it. Protests have violence, but a prepared police should be able to handle what are usually isolated incidents. This is not only well prepared, it is actively menacing. There is a very very bad driving offence which is driving to menace. This is policing to menace. How will it look to the world? How will it look to us?

The police will be smacking some socialists. I suspect it will be the same pleasant feeling for most that we get when we see Vivien violently attacking Rick, the People’s Poet. This will play out like a professional wrestling bout, where the professional means it is all theatre as opposed amateur which means it is in the Olympics. The Good wrestler Captain Fuzz will be cheered for as he destroys the Evil wrestler El’Socialisto. No body likes Resistance and it is amazing how easily they can be used as a the face of terror? The people will clap and praise the police for ultimately suppressing free speech and Resistance will be heaped with the blame for justifying the police to do so. How dare they take away my democratic right to protest by provoking the police. I kind of feel we would not be allowed to protest even there were no Resistance. The Howards must keep up those appearances.