Musings on APEC

Isn't it interesting?  Once upon a time, when great leaders descended upon our shores, we were encouraged to flock into the streets and cheer them.

I recall seeing H M Queen Elizabeth II, By The Grace Of God, Queen of Australia And Her Other Realms And Territories, drive through Parramatta in 1970.  The crowds were 8 or so deep, and I had to shimmy up a tree to but see her passing by.  (I was a skinny and fit kid then, and downtown Parramatta had trees then.)

Now we are told to bugger off.  Stay away!  is the message.  We're not even allowed to look at the fireworks, in a city with a culture of harbour fireworks.

An article by Andrew Herd in Znet sums up this new and very uncomfortable aspect of Australian democracy:

Sydney is a public space. It is not a space for world’s powerful to use as they wish, when they wish. The arrest of the Chaser group personified the removal of rights that all Australians should have: to walk or drive down the main street of Sydney, or any other city or town.

As for The Chaser people gatecrashing the security system - well, good luck to them, I say.  (The radio shock jocks and the Sydney Daily Telegraph seem to disapprove, so all the more reason to support The Chaser people.)

The only funnier thing than this is the vision of the politicians and senior policemen working themselves up into a lather of Righteous Indignation about the gag.

One of the reasons that dictators like Stalin and Hitler and Kim Il Sung succeed is that no one is allowed to publicly laugh at them.  For this reason alone, The Chaser people perform a valuable community service.  (And indeed, the Chaser people might all be looking at Community Service or worse after their day in court.)

The last word on this subject should go to the listener to radio station 2BL, who suggested an event just after the leaders were presented with their Drizabone jackets (this odd custom where they all pose for a photo op in "national dress").

The suggestion was that following the presentation, they should have the waterproof qualities of these coats tested by having their wearers hosed down with that evil-looking water cannon that the New South Wales Police Force got in for this event.

By the way, in a desparate attempt to prove to you that I'm not a leftie ratbag, I invite you to send a greeting to H M Queen Elizabeth II, By The Grace Of God, Queen of Australia And Her Other Realms And Territories, and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary.  You'll even get your name on a microsite. (This makes me wonder - will the Queen send herself a telegram for this occasion?)