John Howard was, for whatever reason, what seemed to be a slavish follower of George Bush.

Read this essay called Bad, Worse, Worst to get one person's view on what is wrong with Bush and the American Presidency.

What is interesting about it is the concept that Bush wants government programs to fail so that they can be privatized. To me that is one of the legacies of the Howard government in Australia. Let's hope that under a new government this will not continue.

Here is a sample of the essay:

  Bush vetoed those bills for one reason and one reason only: They were going to create government programs that worked. The very idea is rank heresy for privatizers like Bush, whose ultimate goal is to privatize everything from Social Security to health care to the pigeons in the park, because that's where the money his friends and constituents have been lusting after can be found.

    A government program that actually and effectively serves the people is an intolerable thing to George, because that is the single best argument against privatization. If we know anything at all after all these gruesome years, it is that Bush simply will not tolerate the existence of any fact or idea that might disrupt the spinning, clanking, gear-grinding clockwork inside that craven pretzel-dented bone-sack that wobbles above his spindled, slumping shoulders. If he doesn't already believe in something, or if something contradicts the popsicle-stick infrastructure of his beliefs, whatever it is can basically go to Hell, because it isn't going anywhere else.

    He vetoed those bills because they were going to work, period, end of file.