Dear Knig Hazza,

I agree with your post except for one item. Clinton cannot be re-elected since she does not hold any elective office. She has been appointed to be Secretary of State.

Julian Assange, a true Aussie hero? Apparently not according to the Australian government, who prefer to support their political alliance with the US over one of their own citizens. And, as far as the US is concerned Assange is a troublemaker. Sarah Palin accuses him of "having blood on his hands," while others are screaming for his execution. There's no doubt that Assange's websites's release of 250,000 confidential US government cables is more of an embarrassment to the US than anything else. However, his actions bring into question what does it mean to be an Australian citizen? (Hence the similarity with David Hicks). As one website quoted, "Assange remains an Australian citizen and he is due the protection we offer to all our citizens ..."
This protection cannot be withdrawn simply because their actions have upset somebody in power somewhere. Or can they? We'll have to wait and see what develops. But if history is anything to go by, Assange may well end up like the previous Aussie heroes - being abandoned by those in power.

Perhaps this Brzezinski interview might be of interest to some:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,733079,00.html

Pelican you write
'A flawed response runner if you try to make a comparsion between Assange and Hicks. '

The point I was making was the promptness of those who hate any form of authority to make a hero over a very dubious character. For csteele and poirot to make any comparison with Christ displays total ignorance at best.

This from Australia's top law officer is truly disgusting,

"WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may have broken Australian law and may not be welcomed back to the country if convicted, Attorney-General Robert McClelland says."
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/australia-to-help-us-over-assange-20101205-18l53.html

In view of that should Assange be applying to Britain as a political refugee? Has he been threatened with becoming a stateless person?

Would the French cop such tawdry treatment of a citizen? How many migrants would be reading that and thinking to themselves "I escaped from a totalitarian government like that to come to Australia".

Parliament should be recalled immediately, Robert McClelland should be made to account for himself in Parliament, have his behind solidly kicked and be forced to resign. How dare an Attorney-General make threats against a citizen that he might not be welcomed back into Australia, at the same time indicating the government was more concerned about the interests of the present US administration?

Regrettably Abbott is similarly inclined. So much for the so-called 'Liberal' Party.

Credit where credit is due, the only one who has come out well is Bob Brown. I wonder if the Greens realise what a golden opportunity this is to put blue sky between themselves and the major parties?

runner,

I'm merely comparing a shift in dynamics and a similar response from "authority" to one that occurred with the emergence of Christ.

Authority is often merely a tool to be wielded and manipulated in the service of self-interested power brokers.