Jim Sorely, a local red ragger, was Lord Mayor of Brisbane for some years and now has a column in the local Sunday Mail. (scroll down) I’m told that senior people at the Mail would rather they didn’t have to carry his byline but have little choice. Sorely prattles on about Philip Roth who has recently published a ‘what if this happened’ novel, making Jim wonder;

… if 50 years down the track some creative author will write a book of speculative fiction about a wise, peace-loving president who is elected to lead the US instead of George W. Bush in 2000.

Who knows, Jim, maybe someone will and if they do the story-line is already available Let’s say John Kerry was elected as President. Surely he would fit your ‘wise, peace loving’ definition, wouldn’t he? I mean he was peace-loving enough to roll over to the communists during the Vietnam War so I guess he’d definitely fit the bill. Well, on hearing Kerry had been elected, El Quaeda and the Taliban would have celebrated a victory and started planning more battles in the fight against the Infidels. The WTC and Bali obscenities would have been repeated in other cities as the US military withdrew under Kerry’s orders to defend Stateside only. (a left wing mantra). The UN, now emboldened, would continue their Iraq embargo with Koffi Annan, his son and a host of minions taking bribes while Saddam would have maintained his WMD programme with money that was supposed to be for health and education. He would have used some of that money to slaughter more of those annoying Kurds and anyone else who even mouthed the word Democracy. In Afghanistan the Taliban, now aware that no-one cared about small people, woman and kids, would be applying Sharia law where woman would be, and had been previously, stoned to death for adultry; where girls are forbidden an education and all education resolves around the time-honoured formula that guarantees society stays in the 12th century. Sounds better all the time, Jim. Recruiting for the El Quaeda would’ve skyrocketed with psycopaths from all over the Middle East queing up to punch Uncle Sam and her allies in the nose. The front would have opened up to include all US bases in the Middle East as the terrorists forced the US back to the mainland. There would be no dream of democracy in Iraq; Syria would not have withdrawn from Lebanon; the Mullahs in Iran would not be worried about the creep of democracy and their people would not be demanding it. The Saudi princes would still be looking forward to a lifetime in power and would not even be considering giving their people the vote. Even with Arafat dead, Palestine extremists would still be blowing up Israeli woman and kids and you, Jim, would be happy with the status quo. Thank God Phillip Roth’s novel was only fiction and you have no power to force your foolish dreams on the populace.

Blair has a reduced majority but a majority of 58 seats is still a majority. Of the 646 seats in the British parliament, 552 have gone to parties who supported the Iraq war and 62 have gone to those who opposed it. Not that the MSM will put it that way. Most are concentrating on his loss of seats. Paul Reynolds at the BBC says;

The clipping of Tony Blair’s wings by a British electorate angry over Iraq probably means that the highly activist and interventionist foreign policy which marked his first two terms will be diminished.

Maybe, but the job in Iraq isn’t finished. Everybody will take a different spin on the results from Blair had his nose bloodied to Historic third term win. Either way he is still in power. The three countries of the Anglosphere that are fighting for a democracy in Iraq have all had their governments returned, much to the chagrin of the Left and the relief of those who know that democracy is worth fighting for.

Blair looks like getting back in according to all the pundits but I note the Left are arguing he is going to looses seats due to his pro-Iraq war stance. Like, ‘He is labour so we have to back him, but there has to be a loss in seats to prove we were right about Iraq and because he isn’t as far left as we would like’. After Howard and Bush being returned with increased majorities the Left do need a bit of a morale booster. You watch, if just one seat changes hands then they will be beside themselves with the ‘evidence’ that the war was wrong. They will be salivating with pleasure if the seat fall to the Lib Dems. If not they can always return to their “the votors are stupid” mantra. The Liberal Democrats seem to be not unlike our Democrats at least with their soft, warm and fuzzy approach to everything, however they are polling at about 22% which, to me, reflects poorly on the future of Britain. Tomorrow will be interesting UPDATE: 10:30 AEST 6 May Obviously to early to pick a trend but figures at BBC reveal;

After nine results out of 646, Labour is down 7.1%, the Conservatives are up 0.7% and the Liberal Democrats are up 4.73%.

He will be remembered by many. Don’t you worry about that.” Noy much to be said about Joh that hasn’t already been said but my take on the whole affair is to remember, with pleasure, Joh sacking the ETU thugs that held the state to ransome over power supply. I also seem to recall his saying that if you don’t let the power back on I’ll release your names, addresses and telephone numbers to the press. Young mothers and businesses going to the wall over union thuggery. Joh read the peoples feelings and reacted. They folded, of course, as they knew Queenslanders were ready to slaughter them for their arrogance. I’m glad they still feel the pain. Maintain the rage, fellows – nobody cares. Have a street march every May – it’ll always bring a smile to my face.