The Bush administration is the most duplicitous and hypocritical for many decades.

GWB has taken advantage of and abused this double standard throughout his life.

I am British, and if anything could be described as pro-American, I am just very sad that the US has degenerated to such low standards of leadership overthe past four years. In Britain we do indeed have our faults, but at least our leader has intellectual credibility, and the courage to accept responsibiility in the face of damning evidence. Even with the flaws in our own system, the flagrant abuse of privilege in our country would not be tolerated without someone standing up to counter it.

As for the National Guard, it was seen bt GWB as a soft option and means of avoiding a draft to Vietnam; an ordinary citizen without the same contacts would not have been allocated the position that Bush was in the National Guard. The 12-18 months is not clear because the Secret service found it necessary to pay a visit to the unit GWB was attached to and cleanse his records, thus leaving large gaps and questions about his movements and actual service. Bush's association with the Nationakl Guard has served only to blacken its good name. If anyone has to apologise to the Nationmal Guard and the American people it should be Bush for his lack of commitment and interest in serving them. Now that the Jenkins case has come to light it should be appropriate that Bush is taken to task for his absence, because after all, he is making decisions that send people to war to risk their lives. Has he not heard of the saying 'I would not ask others to do what I would not have done?'

If the Americans have a fair democratic system for selecting officials, I would ask: how did Bush get into office? Not only because of the farce in Florida, but his own record of integrity. Bush's record as a businessman, serviceman, student and normal citizen in the community is not very good reading especially for someone who expects the highest standards of those who hold political office. While in office, the continuous abuse of executive privilege is unsurpassed by any previous president, and when it comes to accountability one finds young female private soldiers 'carrying the can' for the Abu Ghraib scandal despite clearly being incited by the likes of Bush and Rumsfeld. What are we looking at here?

The fact of the matter is that the reputation of the US lies in tatters in the gutter, and it is hardly surprising when you look at the leadership, and no amount of cowboy films and Fox TV will cover those facts.

William Kelly, Advocate for Justice, Bangkok

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