Dick Cheney: more important than any Australian

Dick Cheney's visit proves that Australia is merely a province of the American imperium. Conventional wisdom would have it that the most important people in Australia would be, say, John Howard (head of government, most politically powerful), the Queen (when she's here, the head of state – clearly more important than the Governor General), James Packer (or, when he's here, Rupert Murdoch – the richest man, most economically powerful) or Russell Crowe (most famous). Which of these men has either of these: green light motorcades on any trips they take, and three streets closed around their residence. That's right: none of them. Cheney's treatment shows that he is more important than any Australian in Australia. In having his own personal armed bodyguard from the US Secret Service accompanying him while in Australia, Cheney simply sidesteps Australian sovereignty, although of course the Australian state is willing to serve him to any degree possible. Of course, the security level also tells us something else: that Australia is a dangerous place for Cheney, and that people who live here hate this doubly-unelected (neither by America, nor by the world he rules de facto) potentate.