Afghanistan snow for Obama?

Whoever wins in November, the US, and Australia will be in Afghanistan for a very long time. Certainly longer than the Soviet Union. The only question seems to be whether Bush or his successor has the first surge. Their optimism about Iraq may prove to be illusionary, either in the short term or the longer haul. Repeat surges there are hardly a political option except perhaps for John McCain.

Let’s hope that Barack Obama isn't being snowed by the military during his overseas tour. If that’s necessary. You have to wonder how many of his enthusiastic supporters in Australia are aware of his plans to increase military spending and the size of the armed forces. He is no dove.

The political and military goals in Afghanistan are even murkier than in Iraq. At least the US will be able judge when the oil is flowing freely and cheaply again. Afghan stability will be a whole new concept.

Because of the attention on Pope Benedict at the World Youth Day in Sydney, coverage of the US presidential election has been thin lately. The speed of the pope-mobile and photo opportunities with babies have been the cliché of the day. It was high theatre with the stations of the cross seeming to take longer than the original story. We can now get back to the important stuff – sport. It was fitting that the mass for the masses was at a racecourse.

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Of Saints and Sinners

This post began as a response to Annabel Crabb's blog entry, St Kevin smites global sinners

My original comment was:

You aren't safe anywhere at present. You can't get way from it even in Melbourne. When returning from the MCG last night after watching the triumphant Saints, I shared a very crowded carriage (the train was late) with 5 schoolgirls from the Oxford Oratory which is a Catholic church/school in England. All dressed in virginal (I mean the blessed one) blue and heading eventually to Sydney for the WYD according to their logos. They must have felt at home. The Sandringham line has such familiar station names as Hampton and Brighton. They were unaware of the origin of the name Balaclava. Perhaps a comment on British History teaching.

If you're not going to Il Pappa's Big Day In, I suggest watching the highlights of Ross Garnaut's Melbourne briefing, A Taste of Garnaut: The Climate Challenge on the web and my blog. Some people might even read the draft report. Remember, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I know I've been watching you and your fellow presenters at Microsoft Politics and Technology Forum, also online.

Upon reading The Age on Saturday morning the reason that St.Kilda were not playing at the Docklands stadium became clear. A Catholic Mass was being held there as a lead up to World Youth Day in Sydney. Hence the presence of the teenagers and the train's delay. For the uninitiated St.Kilda is an Australian Football League team. AFL is the other religion in these parts.

Anyway I got to thinking about the sexual abuse scandal which has rocked Sydney's Cardinal Pell before the Pope's visit and have decided that I want an apology on behalf of myself and thousands of others who suffered physical and psychological abuse in Catholic schools in the 1950's and 1960's. If you're not sure about the kind of things I mean, James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man captured some of the flavour. The modern church may well be a more caring and sensitive place. One can only hope so.

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