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2009/02: Should former Prime Minister John Howard have received the Medal of Freedom?<BR>

2009/02: Should former Prime Minister John Howard have received the Medal of Freedom?

What they said...

'He never wavered in his support for liberty, and free institutions, and the rule of law as the true and hopeful alternatives to ideologies of violence and repression. He's a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can defend it, and he stands his ground'
Part of the speech made by President George W Bush on awarding former Prime Minister John Howard the Medal of Freedom

'I find it ironic that a prime minister who has locked children up in detention [and]who has refused to apologise to the stolen generations... is given a medal for human rights and freedom'
Greens  Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

The issue at a glance
On January 14, 2009, former Australian prime minister John Howard was presented with the Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award, in a ceremony in the United States capitol.
Mr Howard, Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe, and former British prime minister, Tony Blair, were each given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President, George W Bush, as three foreign leaders who have been among his most loyal partners on the world stage.
The awards were made one week before President Bush left office.
Mr Howard's receipt of the award was criticised by a number of commentators in Australia as inappropriate and partisan.  The Greens, in particular, argued that aspects of the policies pursued by the Howard Government represented an attack on civil liberties and so made Mr Howard an unsuitable recipient of the award. Others defended Mr Howard's suitability for the award.  President Bush stipulated the basis for the award being given Mr Howard during the ceremony within which he conferred it.
Mr Howard's award attracted peripheral controversy in the United States as Mr Howard and his wife were accommodated in Washington DC at Blair House, the residence traditionally made available to the president elect.  The Howards' occupancy meant the Obamas were not able to use the residence at the time they requested.

Background
The Presidential Medal of Freedom
(The following information is taken from the Medal of Freedom Internet site.  The full text can be found at http://www.medaloffreedom.com/)
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, recognizes exceptional meritorious service. The medal was established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize notable service in the war. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy reintroduced it as an honor for distinguished civilian service in peacetime.
President John F. Kennedy authorized the practice of awarding Presidential Medals of Freedom to persons "for especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors" (Executive Order 11085 dated Feb. 22, 1963).
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, medal awarded annually by the President of the United States to individuals selected by him or recommended to him by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board. Recipients of the medal are those who have made outstanding contributions to the security or national interest of the United States or to world peace, or those who have made a significant public or private accomplishment. In 1963 President John F. Kennedy ordered the former Medal of Freedom renamed and the recommending board altered by adding five members from outside the executive branch of the government to the five members from within it. Recipients have included educators, diplomats, authors, scientists, and business executives.

The insignia
(The following information has been taken from the Wikipedia entry of Medal of Freedom.  The full text of this entry can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom)
The badge of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is in the form of a golden star with white enamel, with a red enamel pentagon behind it; the central disc bears thirteen gold stars on a blue enamel background (taken from the Great Seal of the United States) within a golden ring. Golden American Eagles with spread wings stand between the points of the star. It is worn around the neck on a blue ribbon with white edge stripes.
A special grade of the medal, known as the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, has the above mentioned medal worn as a star on the left chest; in addition, the above-mentioned ribbon is worn as a sash on the right shoulder, with its rosette (blue with white edge, bearing the central disc of the medal at its center) resting on the left hip.
The medal may also be worn on the above-mentioned ribbon on the left chest, with a silver American eagle with spread wings on the ribbon (or a golden eagle if a medal "With Distinction").

Internet information
Please note: the Obama administration has re-organised the White House internet site.  The text of President Bush's speech awarding the Medal of Freedom to President Uribe, Prime Minister Howard, and Prime Minister Blair appears to no longer be accessible.  Google's cache facility still makes President Bush's speech available at the time of Echo publishing this issue outline.  Readers are advised that they will need to scroll well down the screen before finding President Bush's words.
The address of the cached copy is http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:IWWrNdjP9oMJ:www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/20090113-7.html+%22Medal+of+Freedom%22+Howard+White+house&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=au

On January 13, 2009, the BBC's Australian correspondent, Nick Bryant, wrote an article giving an overview of Australian attitudes toward John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom.  The article is titled, 'Howard's freedom medal'.  This article is followed by eighteen reader comments on John Howard's award.  The full text of Bryant's article and the reader responses to it can be found at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/nickbryant/2009/01/howards_freedom_medal.html#commentsanchor

On January 14, 2009, The Washington Post published a report on John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom. The article includes comment on John Howard's occupancy of Blair House at a time when it was being sought by the family of president-elect Barack Obama.  The full text of the article can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011301710.html

On January 7, 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald published an analysis of John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom written by  Anne Davies, their correspondent in Washington.  The article is titled, 'Bush says thanks with medal for Howard'  The full text can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bush-says-thanks-with-medal-for-howard/2009/01/06/1231004019270.html

On January 15. 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald published a longer account of the ceremony at which John Howard was awarded the Medal of Freedom.  The report is written by  Anne Davies, the paper's Washington correspondent, and is titled, 'Last man standing honours his pals'.  It includes comments on the Bush administration.  The full text of the article can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/14/1231608794986.html?feed=fairfaxdigitalxml

On January 6, 2009, the ABC released a report from its Washington correspondent, Michael Rowland, titled 'Howard to get US Medal of Freedom' . The report attracted a wide range of reader comment.  Ninety-eight readers' responses follow the report.  The report also includes a audio link to an interview with John Howard, in which he gives his views on the significance of his having been awarded the medal. The full text of the report and the audio link, together with reader comments, can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/06/2459675.htm

On January 6, 2009, Radio 3AW announced that John Howard was to receive the Medal of Freedom.  Eight listeners emailed their comments.  The report and listener comment can be found at http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-generic-blog/howard-gonged-by-bush/20090106-7anz.html

On January 6, 2009, Greens spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young issued a media release on behalf of the party titled, 'Howard no Mandela despite Bush's Medal of Freedom'.  The media release details the Greens' objections to John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom.  The full text of the media release can be found at http://sarah-hanson-young.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/howard-no-mandela-despite-bush%E2%80%99s-medal-freedom
Similar material can also be found at http://greens.org.au/node/4554

On January 6, 2009, The Independent Weekly published an article dealing with the Green's critical response to John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom.  The full text of the article, titled 'Greens say Howard medal just a pat on the back', can be found at http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/greens-say-howard-medal-just-a-pat-on-the-back/1400756.aspx

On January 8, 2009, Dallas Fraser had a letter published in The Border Mail, which criticised John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom.  The full text of the letter can be found at http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/opinion/letters/general/bushs-medal-of-no-value/1402202.aspx

On January 14, 2009, ABC News released a report detailing Stephen Kenny's criticism of John Howard being awarded the Medal of Freedom.  Stephen Kenny is the former lawyer of convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks.  The full text of the report can be found at  http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/14/2466221.htm

On January 14, 2008, The Independent Weekly published a fuller account of Stephen Kenny's objections to John Howard receiving the Medal of Freedom.  The article is titled, 'Kenny says medal for Howard regrettable'.  The full text of the article can  be read at http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/kenny-says-medal-for-howard-regrettable/1407329.aspx

On January 14, 2009, The Sunshine Coast Daily Online published an opinion piece from commentator Bill Hoffman unfavourably comparing john Howard with Nancy Wake (another Australian recipient of the Medal of Freedom).  The full text of the comment, titled 'Medal of Freedom loses some of its shine', can be found at http://www.thedaily.com.au/blogs/bill-hoffman/2009/jan/14/medal-of-freedom/

Arguments against former Prime Minister John Howard having received the Medal of Freedom
1.  John Howard's term of office was marked by reductions in freedom within Australia and a limited recognition of human rights
Critics of John Howard's receipt of the award have argued that the Howard Government developed and implemented policies which undermined the freedom of many Australians.
The Australian Greens  Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has stated, 'I find it ironic that a prime minister who has locked children up in detention [and]who has refused to apologise to the stolen generations... is given a medal for human rights and freedom.'
On another occasion Senator Hanson-Young explained further, '"John Howard's record on human rights is blemished, to say the least ...
We're talking about the Australian prime minister who oversaw the locking up of children behind razorwire... who demonstrated an appalling lack of compassion during the Tampa incident, and who disgracefully refused to apologise to the Stolen Generations.'
Mr Howard and his government have also been criticised for putting in place anti-terrorist laws that have significantly reduced the freedom of Australian citizens.   On 16 January, 2009, Binoy Kampmark, a commentator for the New Zealand online newspaper, Scoop, stated, 'Both former leaders [[John Howard and Tony Blair] have ... been responsible in their respective countries for the passage of draconian laws that have torn holes in the fabric of basic liberties. None are natural lawyers, believing that if a law is on the books, it must be legal.'
It has also been suggested that Mr Howard's support of Guantanamo Bay has put the rights of Australian soldiers at risk. Stephen Kenny, the former lawyer of convicted terrorism supporter, David Hicks, has stated, 'The existence of Guantanamo Bay is a serious stain on the credibility of America and it significantly undermines the Geneva Convention relating to the treatment of prisoners of war...
[Howard's] role in manipulating the imprisonment of two Australians, [Hicks and Mamdouh Habib], at Guantanamo Bay and his failure to insist that they receive a fair trial and the protection of the Geneva Convention puts at risk all Australian servicemen and women who may be captured in future conflicts.'

2. The United Stated policies John Howard supported involved attacks on the freedom of others
There are those who have argued that John Howard was not an appropriate recipient of  the award because of his support for Guantanamo Bay and the incarceration of suspected terrorists without trial. Stephen Kenny, the former lawyer of convicted terrorism supporter, David Hicks, has criticised the awarding of the United States's highest civilian honour to former Australian prime minister John Howard.
Mr Kenny has claimed that Mr Howard was the only world leader outside the US who supported the imprisonment of people at Guantanamo Bay and also failed to ensure Mr Hicks received a fair trial. Mr Kenny has stated, 'I think in view of what's happened at Guantanamo Bay and John Howard's involvement in it, I think that it is extremely regrettable and clearly devalues the Medal of Freedom.'
It has also been claimed that the war on Iraq, which John Howard supported, was an unjustified   and unprovoked attack on the lives and freedom of Iraqis.  There are even those who consider the actions of Mr Bush, Mr Blair and Mr Howard a war crime. A pressure group International Criminal Court action is attempting to have Mr Howard charged with war crimes for his involvement in the war on Iraq.  The group's Internet site states, 'In international law, it is a war crime intentionally launching an attack 'in the knowledge' that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment -'which would be clearly excessive' in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated. War crimes are defined under the International Criminal Court Rome Statute Part II Jurisdiction, Admissibility and Applicable Law Article 8, 2, (b), (iv).
Accordingly ... John Winston Howard violated this statute by intentionally launching an attack 'in the knowledge' that such attack would cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment -'which would be clearly excessive' in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated'. The violation at law occurs if the person 'with the authority', takes the decision, 'knowing the impacts' and 'knowing the impacts will be excessive'.
Those who hold such views of John Howard's support of the Iraq war clearly do not believe he should be awarded a Medal of Freedom.

3. John Howard's actions and beliefs no longer represent those of a majority of Australians
It has been argued that John Howard and the views he represents have been repudiated by a majority of the Australian people at the last federal election.  
Mr Howard has claimed that his Medal of Freedom is an award for Australia and all Australians. Asked how he felt after receiving the award Mr Howard stated, 'I certainly appreciated it, and I felt honoured and I felt touched.
There were some very kind things said about me. But I do, nonetheless, put it in the broader context of it being a compliment to my country.'  Mr Howard's detractors reject this point of view.
A blog correspondent replying to a report in the Brisbane Courier Mail of the award ceremony said of Mr Howard's remarks, 'No, really, we insist. Don't ascribe it to us - we don't want it, the man who's giving it, or the man who's receiving it. Thanks, but no thanks.'
On January 14, 2009, Mr Iane Holmes, responded to the BBC's Sydney correspondent Nick Bryant's comments on John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom with the following observation.'I worked hard to get rid of Howard and his disgusting cabinet and I considered it was one of the best days work I put in. Now I want him to disappear off my TV screen as I am an Australian and despised his unAustralian attitude to anything that was not Anglo-Saxon.'
A commentator on the independent media site, Worst Episode Ever, stated, 'Can't someone quietly tap them on the shoulder and say, "Hey fellas, it's all over, you can leave now"? It is astonishing that they keep pretending that the disastrous war that they sent our countries into was not one of the most appalling foreign policy disasters for a generation.'
It would appear that a majority of Australians do not support Mr Howard receiving the Medal of Freedom.  On January 6, 2009, The Age newspaper conducted a reader poll on the question of whether Mr Howard should have received the award. Of the 11, 360 people who responded 82% considered the former Prime Minister did not deserve the honour.
A commentator on the independent media site, Worst Episode Ever, stated in relation to American support for President Bush's policies that it was similarly low.  The implication appears to be that Mr Bush is a rejected president rewarding colleagues for pursuing policies that have also been rejected.  'We do not look forward to watching another orgy of ineptitude when these three unimaginative leaders get together to celebrate their contribution to freedom in the world. What all of this demonstrates is just how out of touch George Bush is. Some 80% of the US population wants him to just go away.'

4. John Howard's award appears partisan and short-sighted
Critics of the Medal of Freedom being awarded to John Howard have claimed that it was a partisan award in which Bush rewarded another leader primarily because Mr Howard supported his policies and was a close personal friend.
The obvious friendship that Bush has for the three former world leaders upon whom he recently bestowed the Medal of Freedom (especially his friendship for John Howard) has been noted frequently during the course of the president's term.
Toward the end of the recent award ceremony, President Bush told the three leaders they would always be welcome in the United States and invited them to visit him on his Texas ranch after he moves out of the White House on January 20.
The president added, 'The opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great satisfactions of my time as president. I respect them and I admire them.'
When John Howard lost the 2007 election President Bush was reported to have responded in this manner. 'The president told Prime Minister Howard he appreciates his friendship and his strong leadership over the past seven years they have worked together, which has resulted in a stronger U.S.-Australia alliance.'

5. John Howard does not have the stature of many other recipients of the award
It has been claimed that Mr Howard's contribution to freedom has been small compared to other recipients of the honour.  Others who have received the award include former South African president and apartheid fighter, Nelson Mandela; former Czechoslovak and Czech Republic president Vaclav Havel, who led the "velvet revolution"; and former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who oversaw the reunification of Germany.The only other Australians to receive the medal were Nancy Wake, the spy known as the White Mouse, who served behind enemy lines in World War II and Australian Army Lieutenant General, Sir Frank Berryman.
The Australian Greens have stated overtly that compared to such people Mr Howard is an unworthy person to receive the medal. The Australian Greens  Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has stated Mr Howard is 'no Nelson Mandela'.
The same view has been put by Stephen Kenny, the former lawyer of convicted terrorism supporter, David Hicks.  Commenting on John Howard's receipt of the award, Mr Kenny stated, 'I think that it is extremely regrettable and clearly devalues the Medal of Freedom.'

Arguments in favour of former Prime Minister John Howard having received the Medal of Freedom
1.  The award is made to individuals, not nations, and is not a representative honour
The Medal of Freedom is not a national award.  Its recipients are given the award as a mark of their individual achievement, not as representatives of their nations.  
The Medal of Freedom Internet site states, 'The Presidential Medal of Freedom, medal awarded annually by the President of the United States to individuals...
Recipients of the medal are those who have made outstanding contributions to the security or national interest of the United States or to world peace, or those who have made a significant public or private accomplishment...Recipients have included educators, diplomats, authors, scientists, and business executives.'
A number of United States presidents have been awarded the medal.  These have included Lyndon Baines Johnson, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.  However, this was to honour their individual achievements as leaders, not the United States, the nation they led. The numerous other politicians who have received the award have also done so for their individual achievements.  They have not received the award as a recognition of the countries they represent.
Therefore, it can be claimed, it is not relevant that John Howard is no longer Australia's Prime Minister and that many people within the country approve neither of his actions, nor of his receipt of the Medal of Freedom.

2.  The award is given primarily at the discretion of the United States president
Defenders of John Howard's receipt of the Medal of Freedom note that it is inappropriate to complain that the United States President determines who will receive the honour.  Since its inception, the medal has been awarded largely at the discretion of the President.  Though there is a recommending board, the primary responsibility for determining who will receive the award rests with the President.
The Medal of Freedom's Internet site states, 'The Presidential Medal of Freedom [is] awarded annually by the President of the United States to individuals selected by him or recommended to him by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board.'  
Before the ceremony at which John Howard received his award, President Bush had already awarded 78 such medals during his term as president.  President Bush has noted, 'In these eight years I have presented the Medal of Freedom to some of our most eminent citizens. On occasion, I've also had the honor of presenting it to citizens of other lands, who inspired particular admiration in the United States and provided courageous leadership to our world. Among these recipients have been Vaclav Havel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nelson Mandela, and the late Pope John Paul II.
In 2007, George Bush honoured Cuban anti-abortion and pro-democracy activist Oscar Elias Biscet, "To Kill A Mockingbird" novelist Harper Lee, the 1992 Nobel economics prize winner Gary Becker; Human Genome Project leader Francis Collins; US civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks; former House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Henry Hyde; and groundbreaking television executive Brian Lamb.
In 2006, George Bush had honoured Ruth Johnson Colvin a literacy educator; Norman C. Francis has served as President of Xavier University of Louisiana for nearly 40 years; Paul Johnson an historian and journalist; Riley "B.B." King a blues singers and guitarist; Joshua Lederberg who had also received a Nobel Prize for his work in bacterial genetics; David McCullough an historian; Norman Y. Mineta a mayor, congressman, and Cabinet Secretary; John "Buck" O'Neil a talented player and manager in the Negro Baseball Leagues; William Safire a writer and commentators; Natan Sharansky who was imprisoned in the gulag by the Soviet regime for his work to advance religious liberty and human rights.
The variety of recipients President Bush has recognised via the Medal of Freedom suggests the extent of his discretion in the award of the medal.  

3.  John Howard has been a consistent supporter of United States policies and is seen by the Bush administration as a defender of national and international security
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is designed to recognise individuals who have made 'an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.'
In awarding John Howard the Medal of Freedom, President Bush explained why the former Prime Minister of Australia met the criteria for being awarded the medal.  Mr Bush stated, 'John Howard...was a faithful steward of Australia's alliances, and a sturdy friend in a time of need.
At an event here in Washington, he reflected on the many tests that our two countries faced together in the 20th century. He spoke with feeling about our shared values -- as well as our obligation to defend them, and "if necessary fight for them, and be ready to repel those who would seek to take [our] freedoms away."
As it happens, John Howard spoke those words on Monday, September the 10th, 2001 -- and in all that followed, he proved true to his convictions. He always has been brave in the defense of freedom. In these seven years, both our countries have lost innocent civilians and suffered casualties on the field of battle. But this man, who saw the burning Pentagon on September the 11th, and who ... comforted the survivors of Bali, never wavered in his commitment to overcoming this great danger to civilization. He never wavered in his support for liberty, and free institutions, and the rule of law as the true and hopeful alternatives to ideologies of violence and repression. He's a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can defend it, and he stands his ground. That's why I called him a Man of Steel.
In the character of John Winston Howard we see that fine Australian spirit of "standing by your mates."'

4.  John Howard has received a range of other awards
In response to those who consider John Howard unworthy of the Medal of Freedom it has been noted that the former Prime Minister has received a variety of other awards.
The Medal Freedom is the most recent of a long list of distinguished awards for Mr Howard since he lost power in the 2007 general election. In 20088 Mr Howard was recognised in the Queen's Birthday honours list as a Companion of the Order of Australia.
The conservative group American Enterprise Institute presented him with the Irving Krystol Award for exceptional intellectual or practical contributions to improved government policy, social welfare, or political understanding.
In December, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded Mr Howard an honorary doctorate for outstanding statesmanship for his leading role in promoting democracy and combating international terrorism.
During his prime ministership, Mr Howard also received an award from the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, an honour usually reserved for Americans.
Mr Howard was also recognised for restoring law and order in the Solomon Islands.
Defenders of Mr Howard's receipt of the award have noted that the range of other awards that Mr Howard has received demonstrate that the former Prime Minister is a remarkable man who is  worthy of his most recent honour.

5.  A wide variety of people have received the award since 1945
A list of the previous recipients of the Medal of Freedom indicates that they have been awarded to a very diverse assortment of people.  Among the actors who have received the award are Lucille Ball, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, Danny Kaye and Olivia De Havilland. The award has also been received by television personalities Bill Cosby, Carol Burnett and Johnny Carson. Among the sports people who have received the award are Joe DiMaggio, Jack Nicklaus and Roberto Clemente.
Defenders of Howard's award have noted that Mr Howard was at least as worthy of the distinction as the many actors, television personalities and sportsmen who have received the medal.
Taking a more negative view of this diversity of recipient is Binoy Kampmark a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. Binoy Kampmark has asked 'what does a freedom medal actually entail? Robert McNamara, technocrat extraordinaire and architect of the failed war in Vietnam received it for being a 'brilliant analyst'. And presumably one can engender freedom and combat tyranny through superlative baseball (Joe DiMaggio is there), something which might baffle most world citizens.'
The implication of Ms Kampmark's remarks is that the award has been so widely distributed that it is not reasonable to deny the award to Australia's former Prime Minister the medal.
Kampmark concluded by observing, 'In the final analysis, it is perhaps fitting that Howard and Blair, who, along with Bush, assaulted the English language in a most brutal way while in office, substituting accepted terms for their opposites, should receive such an award.'
Ms Kampmark's support for Howard's receipt of the award is in part ironic. Others have presented similar arguments in support of Mr Howard's honour but without Kampmark's apparent reservations.
The Right Pulse presents itself as 'A blog for the Australian conservative'.  On January 14, 2009, the Right Pulse stated, 'The media's childish coverage of Howard's Medal of Freedom award continues. To re-cap, first the Australian found an obscure son of a dead medal recipient to say some unkind things about Howard, then we had a pathetic article from the SMH about how a Qantas aircraft carrying Howard to the USA to be awarded the medal was delayed 55 minutes, and this once again some how made Howard undeserving of the medal'  This site suggests that Mr Howard is a reasonable recipient of the award and that those who dispute this are likely to be prejudiced against the former Prime Minister.

Further implications
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is intended to recognise individuals who have made 'an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.'  As such a  very wide range of people could be potential recipients of the award.  
Given that the award is either made directly by the president or is given to nominees approved by the president after initial recommendations from the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board, it seems likely that some, if not all, the recipients will reflect the ideological biases of the particular president and his administration.
Those who have condemned the Howard Government for restrictions on the civil liberties of Australian citizens or for taking actions that they believe have restricted the liberty of other nationals need to recall that the Bush Government has pursued very similar policies and instituted similar legislation.
It is only to be expected that a particular United States president will commend the leaders of other governments who have followed policies similar to his own.  In the case of the Howard Government, not only has it pursued policies similar to those of the Bush administration, it has committed troops to military engagements initiated by the United States.
Critics of the policies of the Bush administration and the Howard Government will, of course, be sceptical about Mr Howard's receipt of a Medal of Freedom, however, this merely reflects that we live in more ideologically divided times than when, for example, awards were made to those who had supported the United States during World War II.
It is probable that the Obama administration will make awards to individuals who would have been unlikely to have been commended by the Bush administration.  This is only to be expected.
One point, however, which is notable about President George W Bush and the Medal of Freedom is that President Bush gave an unusually large number of these awards.  Since the medal's inception in 1945, some 400 have been awarded; of these George W Bush gave more than eighty.  What this does mean is that the outgoing President gave his critics a great deal of scope to call his judgement in this area into question.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Australian: January 16, page 11, letters, incl, `John Howard bemedalled for meddling with Iraq'.
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/letters/index.php/theaustralian/comments/john_howard_bemedalled_for_meddling_with_iraq

The Australian: January 15, page 2, news item  by Geoff Elliott, `Howard in middle of medal action'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24914473-2702,00.html?from=public_rss

The Age: January 15, page 2, news item by Anne Davies, `Star role for the Bushman of steel'.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/star-role-for-the-bushman-of-steel-20090114-7h0n.html

The Age: January 13, page 8, cartoon.

The Age: January 12, page 8, editorial, `Man of Steel shows his mettle in Washington'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/editorial/man-of-steel-shows-his-mettle-in-washington-20090111-7ecp.html

NOTE: most of the news media items used in this issue outline consist of items and letters in the "Web links and Documents" section of this issue outline. Most of this material was published after September 1, 2008 and thus is within guidelines.