I am not at all happy at the way the US Government thumbs its nose at International Law.
I am also not happy at the way our government has thrown its lot in with the USA.
In future we must not do anything in our region that might expand our interests yet offend the USA.
We have lost our sovereignty.
When we become a republic our president will have to toe the line, or else.

>> I am not at all happy the way the US Government thumbs its nose at international law...We have lost our sovereignty.

Any examples, Raise the Dust? Or are you simply expressing the anti-American bigotry which is a regular feature of OLO?

"Just remember, that many people are glad that the Yanks finally caught up with Osama bin Laden, and they could not give a crap about any international law which protected him from justice. Pakistan is not “a country”, it looks like a collection of warring tribes where the authority of the central government does not exceed the range of the artillery at the local army fort. Complaining that the USA is violating Pakistani sovereignty is a charge more worthy of mirth than serious consideration."
Lego: what parallel universe do you occupy? It is obviously one where the probable death of bin Laden in December 2001 did not occur. It is one where the protection of international law cannot be availed of and the rule instead is one of might is right. It is one where one can dismiss the existence of a major country such as Pakistan in the most ill-informed and bigoted manner, denying that county the right to protest breaches of its territorial integrity. It is obviously one where anybody who protests the lawlessness, hypocrisy and behaviour of the world's greatest terrorist nation is simply labelled "anti-American" and expects that to be a complete answer.
Not a universe that anybody who actually thinks and knows about the planet we inhabit would want to occupy.

Hamish Ford

Finally, on 16 Nov 2011 Australians have been graced by the visit of The President.

It was a victorious affair for him and an assurance for the ones who hold the real power in this country that they can continue to rob and plunder protected by the US military.

Another Statesman of the same order as Obama, Noam Chomsky, was also about spreading his Gospel to a church of adoring literati and telling hell of the President’s intentions.

The two shows were equally staged and ran by worshippers.

To the Australian struggler burdened by an increasing difficulty to maintain a decent living, the price money that these jokers took with them will eventually mean another tightening of belt, however small.

James O'Neill,

Isn't it fascinating that the only countries criticised for allegedly NOT abiding by international law are the Western democracies, including Israel?

When the Left starts to complain about the criminal dictatorships of the Middle East, Africa and south-east Asia, we'll know they are fair dinkum.

Pakistan has been colluding with the Taliban for many years. The Pakistan military were hiding bin Laden. And you think the US should have asked them if the tall man in Abbottabad was bin Laden and, if so, would they hand him over? The only result of that would have been another midnight flit and another decade or so until he was found again. You seem to be ignoring the fact that he publicly took responsibility for 9/ll: that's an admission of guilt for a capital crime in Western law. Why the tears for a self-confessed mass murderer? What warped naivete. No doubt you thought that those who died on 9/ll had it coming to them because they were American and/or associated with Americans, so were a fair target.

So, come on, give us all the benefit of your wonderful grasp of international law, should Pakistan have handed him over to the International Criminal Court for trial in relation to 9/ll? Does their failure to do so illustrate their commitment to international law?

Pakistan's role in the spread of nuclear weapons is well documented. Your thoughts on that?

Ken H. There are so many factual errors and misunderstandings in your latest missive that it would require more space than OLO allows to rebut them all. I therefore suggest that you actually spend some time reading on the topics you so obviously misunderstand before you proffer further opinions. You might start with Fitzgerald & Gould's two recent books on Afghanistan; Peter Dale Scott's American War Machine; William Blum's Rogue State; and David Ray Griffin's The New Pearl Harbor Revisited (Publisher's Weekly's Book of the Month November 2009). There are many more I could nominate but in your case it is probably a waste of time. People as invincible in their ignorance as you appear to be are plainly not interested in information which might disturb your peculiar world view.