Bob Carr, former premier of New South Wales, will be one of the speakers for the Affirmative point of view.
Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul McGeough will be another on the Affirmative side of the question and in this morning's edition he outlined his indictment of the Bush Administration saying " . . . Washington is unashamedly contemptuous of the Geneva Conventions, the Convention Against Torture, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."
If American media were to report on debates such as the one to be held tonight, then the American people might have a more difficult time clinging to the long held image of the United States as "the good guys."
Haven't these Aussie blokes seen the John Wayne movies? Are they going to be so limited in their outlook that they will base their arguments on the U. S. foreign policy rather than all those feel good movies that brim over with patriotic pride for such things as the liberation of Paris, and D Day, and raising the flag on Iwo Jima?
A columnist for this web site can alert the U. S. audience to such lapses in judgment and recoil in horror as these folks point their fingers in righteous indignation.
Do American debate police brutality because Ned Kelly was hit with gunfire 27 times while he was resisting arrest? Was that a bit over the line and morally reprehensible? Americans never raise that question. The cops did what they had to do. Kelly was nursed back to health, put on trial and, after being found guilty in a fair trial, sentenced to death.
These critical Aussies who want to castigate George W. Bush for being a tad overenthusiastic about putting an end to terrorism would do well to remember Ned Kelly's last word: "Such is life!" A President does what he has to do to protect his people.
We haven't decided about going to see tonight's event, yet. It certainly sounds like the U. S. is being set up to be found guilty. Isn't that what's called a kangaroo court?
Now, the disk jockey will play "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" and we'll hop out of here. Have a "Good day mate!" type of week.