thomasfromtacoma,the USA is currently living in the shadow of Bush opression.Much of the US constitution is presently being ignored under the Parriot Act and Bush's presidential orders.

Our media here are not portraying the real tensions existing in the US at the moment.It is on a knife edge.The US $ is on the verge of a sudden collapse,and this could easily see civil unrest.

Kevin Rudd has just tried to steam roller through an ETS tax,without any consultation on the detail.Why the urgency when we are miniscule in affecting the possibilities of so called AGW? Everyone else can wait till next year,but not the puppy dog Kevin,who will roll over on a whim,whenever the UN or Obama scratches his belly.

Kevin Rudd is the most pathetic Prime Minister we have had in decades.He will betray his own country for a UN posting.

Arjay,
Let’s take this point by point.
I believe Barack Obama is the new president in America.
The patriot act was no doubt take down from the Australian police, who reserve the right to imprison without trial, to deprive the right so readily available to Americans of free representation for any allegation.
So the Obama administration whilst understandably under the influence of the effect of Bush international policy is changing things as quickly as it can.
Now back to the original libertarianism discussion.
The bill of rights doesn’t exist in Australia or a signatory the human rights code of international law.
The police state exists in Australia because you don’t have a DA based legal system , but a Public Prosecution Police controlled system that is so full of abuse it’s a wonder anything is achieved, apart from politically motivated arrests.
When you realize that the checks and balances don’t exist in Australia, then you will become aware that any system that has these checks and balances is preferable to one that doesn’t. It is the checks and balance that allow political progress.
Next the political system in the USA works because it represents the people at the grass roots of society, not as in Australia where there is no responsibility till the state government level, obviously far too late to do anything.
The federal political scene is of course far worse with there being 26 prime ministerial elections since federation (1901), whiles the USA has had 44 since initiating the bill of rights.
Pro rata an efficiency of 80% for the USA, even though the requirement of term is 8 years maximum for any president!
It makes the argument of costly re- elections (put forward by the government) to be pathetically immoral, let alone the monarchical type of election whereby Howard and Hawke and Keating have dominated politics for decades.