The speech I would have made to the R.N.C.....but they didn't invite me.

My fellow humans. No, I’m not an American, but I thought you should know that your coming election impacts on everyone on this planet that we share. I know that through your industry you have created the most powerful nation on Earth. Your contribution to human progress in commerce, agriculture, technological research, science, literature and the arts is undeniable, so you indeed have much of which to be proud.

That said, I would remind you that the rest of the world also contributes to human progress, and that the fine principles on which your country was founded have their roots in liberal thinkers from Europe. Yes, liberals, the very people your conservatives so love to denigrate today.

But I have to wonder if your country is now as true to those liberal ideals as when it was founded. Are the rights of all being upheld when you deny homosexual people the opportunity to marry; when you deny education in the use of contraception; when you deny a woman the right to make the awful choice as to whether to abort a foetus; when you tolerate a health system that results in no health care to millions of your citizens; when the threat of bankruptcy hovers over even those who do have health insurance; and when you discourage workers from forming unions so that they can bargain for fair working conditions? Is this the freedom you like to proclaim at every opportunity? The one you seek to impose on others? Really?

You say to me what business is that of yours, you don’t live in this country. Which is true. But I do live on this planet. And when I see you take to yourself the right to invade third world countries, cynically proclaiming your right to do so under the banner of “freedom”, then it is you who make it my business. We have a stake in this planet too, and when we see you behaving as the world’s bully, then we reserve the right to say to you that you are wrong! That the killing and maiming of hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children in order to bring them "freedom" is a denial of their very basic right to live. What sort of freedom is that? I don’t recall your asking them if they wanted to make this sacrifice. Forgive me, I do tend to get a little emotional when addressing hypocrites who speak of their supposed reverence for the life of unborn babies, and yet have the blood of millions on their hands.

And when your economy goes pear shaped, then that impacts upon me too. Because the effects of that imploding economy ripple right around the world.  But also, I have many friends in your country, so I know I speak for them too. I speak to them on a daily basis and I know they think you stink. They are not among your rich and powerful friends, so know that your concern for them is only apparent when you seek their votes. Like now. They are affronted by your cynical use of the media and religion in your attempt to convince them that the interests of the rich and powerful are their interests. They are appalled that your present conservative administration stands condemned as one of the worst in U.S. history; and that you cynically seek to hoodwink them by proclaiming that you are about change. Well, I suppose there is some truth in that. You have brought about change in the last eight years. Unemployment now stands at over 6%. That’s change. Your budget surplus that you inherited from liberal President Clinton has plunged to a massive deficit because of the cost of your ill considered invasion of Iraq. That’s change. And the sub-prime mortgage crisis has resulted in millions of hard working Americans losing their homes and being bankrupted. That’s change too. Is this the sort of change you promise to continue?  Well, is it?

But there is another reason why I speak to you today. I alluded to it at the start of my speech. We are not Americans, Australians, Europeans, Canadians or any other nationality any more. We’re human beings. And we are confronted with a threat to our humanity that we haven’t had to deal with before. That threat is global warming, and it is no respecter of nationality, race, creed or political affiliation. It will kill us all indiscriminately unless we unite in combating it. I hear your Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates paying lip service to fighting it, and then immediately committing to drilling for more oil, to the accompaniment of the mindless chants of “drill, drill, drill" from those who stand to profit. George Orwell would have smiled at the similarity to “kill, kill, kill’, which is probably more appropriate anyway.

Well sorry, but its time you came to the realisation that your short term profit will lead to long term annihilation, yours as well as mine, and our kids and grandkids.And if you are too stupid to understand that, then we’re all going to perish. Sorry to be so blunt, but someone has to tell it like it is in this place. The rest of the world has ratified the Kyoto protocol as a sign of good faith that they are prepared to co-operate in the actions we need to take to ensure our survival. Yet I hear no mention of the Kyoto protocol in your public debate. Instead I hear accolades being showered on a woman who is still in denial on global warming. Do you realise just how demoralising this is to the rest of the world looking on? As well as just plain stupid?

The time has come for us to look at the world around us through new eyes, where compassion is not considered a sign of weakness, but replaces our guns as our weapon for survival; where we take the advice of Albert Einstein and “widen our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” Yes, I know your Vice Presidential candidate makes a virtue of her hunting skills, and I know your Presidential candidate wants to push his warrior credentials in order to get elected, but we’re fighting a different war now where the generals must be silent, and the hunters stripped of their weapons. We’re fighting for the survival of our planet. The scientists are our new generals. We ignore them at our peril.

So I can tell you that when the people come to elect a new President, they’ll be looking for someone with different values to those you hold dear. They’ll be looking for someone who is committed to acting on climate change; who looks to the interests of the little guys who just want a liveable wage, adequate and affordable health care, and an affordable home, where he/she can raise their kids in the full knowledge that the President they elected identifies with their interests. They want to share in the American Dream too, instead of the nightmare that you have delivered.

But you probably don’t know about that do you. Because your Presidential candidate comes from a privileged  background as does your incumbent President; he doesn’t know how many houses he owns; he promises change from what he has supported for eight long years; he pays lip service to acting on climate change; and he denigrates his opponent’s attempts to better the life of disadvantaged Americans through his community involvement.

The candidate he so denigrates promises real change; comes from a disadvantaged background from which he has emerged because of sheer hard work and determination; has put the interests of others before his own interests with his community involvement; is sincere in his commitment to address climate change and environmental issues; and is not the lapdog of big business.

So, Americans, the choice is yours. We in the rest of the world place our trust in you to make that choice the right one. Not to be too dramatic, but the lives of us all really are in your hands.

May the force be with you.