wheat

So, there is this group, the Australian Wheat Board, designed to sell wheat to the world on behalf of the growers of Australia. It decides that, rather than follow the rest of the world, and boycott Iraq(leaving aside the horrors caused by the blockade) they decide to sell their wheat to Iraq.

Then to make things more interesting, they indulge in a little Basksheesh, kickbacks and greasing of palms with the one the only, the boogeyman of Baghdad, Mr. Saddam Hussein.

Then, when it comes to light, our Prime Miniature, the right orrible John Winston Howard and his cronies begin the spin. Listen closely, because this is how it works.

1. What are you talking about?

2. It didn't really happen, and it's not that important, and so what if it did?

3. What?

4. It is how you do business in this part of the world.

5. It is un-australian to criticise our wheat board because they were fighting for the rights of the wheat growers.

Of course he is too clever by half to do this himself. Instead we get the slavering pack of tame media hacks, the backbenchers who want promotion and of course the handy retired formers.

At the last moment, when it looks like they can sustain no further damage, he will ride to the rescue aboard his gleaming beige shetland pony.

What I never understand is how it is that this pattern of denial, obfuscation, deceit and arrogance is played out over and again without the great unwashed tumbling.