Boztopia.com

No, seriously:

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be formally charged with sodomy tomorrow, police said, almost a decade after a similar accusation sent him to prison for six years. Anwar, 60, whose earlier conviction was quashed in 2004, today denied the latest charge and said he’ll fight the accusation as he bids to return as a lawmaker and replace the ruling coalition.

It’s worth noting that male-on-male intercourse is a crime in Malaysia, adding a much more serious bent to the proceedings beyond the crassness of using something like this to smear your opponent. It’s a sad reminder that for all of the problems LGBT folks face in America, there are countries that make our attitudes toward non-hetero relationships look positively progressive. In America, you can solicit teh ghey sehcks in public restrooms and still be a member of Congress. Isn’t that right, Larry?

Anwar, for his part, claims the charges are trumped-up in order to derail his attempt to overthrow the current government majority in September. The Malaysian blogosphere, which as I noted the other day was instrumental in breaking the Barisan National Coalition’s control of the government, is firmly in support of Anwar. And they’re not the only ones–Al Gore himself has taken time out from fighting global heating to address the issue:

The real tragedy is that the government of Malaysia engages in character assassination to silence an effective leader of the political opposition. Twice, now, the government has used the same tactic in an effort to politically destroy Anwar Ibrahim. In the process, however, it is damaging its own credibility at home and abroad. The means exist for the government to allow this situation to be quickly resolved, simultaneously restoring dignity to Anwar Ibrahim and to itself. I hope greater wisdom will prevail.

Gore knows a little bit about character assassination as a means of distraction, and Anwar seems to agree:

I hold the Prime Minister personally responsible for the damage that is about to be done to the nation and to the integrity and dignity of the Malays. Our international standing, recently lambasted by prominent leaders from around the world, will plummet even further. Overseas investors are already deeply skeptical about Malaysia on account of its reputation for deeply engrained corruption and economic inefficiency. They will certainly be further dissuaded from any further activity in Malaysia. The continued decline in the economy will lead to greater unemployment and rampant stagflation.

Sound at all familiar to you? It should. The kind of conditions that create someone like George Bush don’t exist in a vacuum, after all. They are, sadly, in evidence all around the globe, though their actual execution (so to speak) may vary from country to country.