Politics is Wickeder.

Canada's dangerous alliance

2010-06-17T11:40:00.002-04:00

As seen in The Brock Press

Understanding the conflict between Israel and Palestine is likely as easy as grasping string theory.

Few issues are more polarizing, and even fewer create more heated debates.

When a team of Israeli commandos boarded an aid flotilla headed towards impoverished Gaza - the Palestinian region controlled by Hamas - killing nine activists, and wounding several others, international attention was once again focused on the infamous region.

Much of the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, condemned the actions of Israel. Although their statement was mostly watered down due to American influence, it denounced the killing of innocent civilians, and called for an investigation into the incident.

Critics claimed that Israel was in violation of international law, and slammed the Israeli government for its strong-armed stance on a ship filled with thousands of pounds of humanitarian aid.

In the days and weeks following the raid, many nations have called for strong action against Israel, including Turkey, who supported the convoy of aid headed to Gaza.

Those who support Israel, including Canada, have avoided any condemnation, and have simply stated that they will seek out more information about the attack.

Despite strong opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza - including a blockade that prevents any aid from getting to the 1.5 million people there without being filtered through Israel - the Canadian government continues to not only support, but maintains a close partnership with the rouge state.

On a recent trip to Toronto, which was cut short due to safety concerns related to the number of anti-Israeli protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Israel's relationship with Canada the strongest it has ever been.

Not only has the Harper government strengthened relations with Israel in recent years, it has built a partnership that inherently goes against Canadian ideals. Canada consistently supports Israeli positions at the UN, and recently cut funding to UN programs that provide life saving assistance to Palestinian refugees.

In 2006, then Foreign Minister Peter McKay claimed that supporting Israel was an easy choice, calling Hamas "terrorists and a group of cold-blooded killers". The Harper government maintained its alliance, even after seven Canadian civilians were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Within Canada, critics have claimed that Harper's strong support of Israel is part of a calculated effort to gain Jewish support in metropolitan areas like Toronto and Montreal - areas where the Conservative Party have traditionally not faired well.

In two other instances, Canadian funding has been cut to groups that openly criticize Israel and in the case of one of the groups, support Hamas. Opponents have used this as evidence of Harper's attempts to sway Jewish voters.

Regardless of whether this is in fact the case, the continued support of Israel shows a digression away from the traditional Canadian role in international politics. Initiatives like peacekeeping - something that Canada first championed - have been replaced by support for one of the most polarizing states in the global community.

Whether Harper's stance on Israel stems simply from common conservative ideals, or if the government is making an effort to win over a significant constituency, the strengthening of the partnership between Harper and Netanyahu represents a precarious shift in Canadian foreign policy.

Accused of being a terrorist by some, and a war criminal by others, Netanyahu may be Canada's most dangerous ally.

- er

John, Paul, George and Stephen?

2009-10-14T21:54:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I put myself in the running for a student representative position in the Political Science department. From all accounts, no more than a dozen people voted. Three of those people were the three candidates running.

My first thought? Not that it was a shame that I didn't win. Instead, a sense of total discouragement. If students in political science couldn't be persuaded to stroll into their department, sign their name and put a checkmark in a box, what are the chances they will get on a bus or drive to a voting station should the Governor General call an election?

Even more, what are the chances they know who the Governor General is?

By no means am I comparing a student rep election to a federal one, in terms of the impact it will have on their lives, but the principle is the same. I think the level of voter apathy among youth is disturbing. I also think that little is being done, or can be done, to change that.

But a few days later, I came across a link to a video that caught my attention.

"Harper sings Beatles song with Yo Yo Ma."

If at this point, you're saying 'I haven't seen that because I've been living under a rock for the last three weeks'. After being terrified, nervous and completely amused, I was impressed. As far as I'm concerned, this took a lot of political balls.

Sure, he didn't sing the falsetto parts, but no one who watches that can honestly tell me it didn't make them love Canada a little bit more. Will it help Harper in the next election? Not likely. Unfortunately, I would guess this is the most young people have paid attention to the Prime Minister in their life.

The point however remains. In order for most young people to pay attention to Canadian politics, the Prime Minister has to get up on stage and cover a Beatles song.

It's easy for many people to argue that young people don't vote because they don't care. We couldn't care less who our elected government was, as long as there is one. The fact that so many young people have said in polls that they don't feel their vote means anything, is blamed on ignorance and a lack of caring.

The truth is, youth voter apathy is a direct result of the system we have in place. Young people feel that their votes don't count, because they often don't. In the last election, the Green Party won about seven per cent of the vote nationwide, yet walked away with no seats in Parliament. A party that gains a significant amount of its support from young voters has no representation in our current government.

The NDP, another party that relies heavily on young voter support, received close to 18 per cent of the vote, and won 37 seats. In contrast, the Bloc Quebecois, which exists to push for the separation of Quebec from the rest of Canada, received just 10 per cent of the vote (all in Quebec), and won 49 seats.

Does this not explain why young people might feel as if their vote doesn't count for much? As a Brock student living in St. Catharines, I vote in a riding that is overwhelmingly Conservative. Since my vote was cast for a losing candidate, it is fair to say that I lack representation in the government that makes decisions for me.

Knowing I am in a mostly Conservative area, could I be blamed for not bothering to vote?

It's a shame that young people in Canada are faced with this system. It's no wonder that the closest we feel to our government is when it's "[getting] high with a little help from [his] friends".

- er

stephen, john, paul, george, ringo, yo yo ma

2009-10-04T12:28:00.001-04:00

the real question is: more, or less respect for the prime minister?

i love canada.

byn

FWD:

2009-06-21T00:31:00.002-04:00

every once in awhile i get a fwd in my inbox that's actually worth reading. this was one of them:

"Letter to the Prime Minister"

Dear Mr. Harper,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing Canada's economy. Instead of
giving billions of dollars to banks and car companies, who will squander
the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan:

There are about 20 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1
million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Twenty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new Canadian car. Twenty million cars ordered - Auto
Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis
fixed.

4) They must send their kids to school / college /university - Crime rate
fixed.

5) Buy $50 of alcohol / tobacco / petrol a week... there's your money back
in duty / tax etc.

It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members of parliament pay back their
falsely claimed expenses and second home allowances.

think about it! (also, thank you to the anonymous author)

byn

kim jong-ILL

2009-05-26T19:25:00.007-04:00

alright, first of all.. yeah i know its been forever. sorry, we're busy people. but thanks for sticking around.

now, to the point.

as per usual, refer to iht.com if you haven't heard about this. yesterday, north korea tested its first nuclear weapon "as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent for self-defence in every way as requested by its scientists and technicians".

north korea. wtf? come on guys, what is it that you're actually trying to prove? guiness world record for the country that got wiped off the map the fastest maybe? trying to catch up to iran?

okay, too many questions. i understand stubbornness, trust me. you'd have a hard time convincing me that i'm wrong most of the time. i even argue with alex trebec sometimes on the pop-culture answers. but really, on the global stage, being stubborn when the US is telling you to stop what you're doing is pretty dumb. actually, it's not dumb. it's crazy. but i guess that's basically what we've come to expect from president kim jong-il. i also understand that i'm talking about a government that is more likely to spend its money on building a completely disproportionate military, rather than feed its people. regardless, claiming that you're developing and testing nuclear weapons for 'self defense' is fundamentally backwards. am i the only one seeing a theme here?

it doesnt take a whole lot of research to figure out that north korea is a total disaster. a military dictatorship in which people starve to death every day, all while tanks roll down the city streets, and the government brainwashes everyone into believing that they are a democratic, free people.

what makes me cynical? knowing that the international system that we have is totally incapable of simply doing what needs to be done to stop all of this from happening. too much red tape, too much bureaucracy. as it turns out, george bush had the right idea when he ignored the UN, took down the hussein regime, let the dictator be executed, and established a US occupation in iraq. he just picked the wrong country.

er

don't panic!

2009-05-02T15:55:00.003-04:00

this article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/weekinreview/03rosenthal.html?_r=1&ref=global-home) offers some much needed perspective on the "imminent swine flu pandemic" that we can't seem to get enough of in the media. read it, then wash your hands. and then... go to mexico or something.

byn

headliners

2009-04-14T10:14:00.004-04:00

i am partial to reading the BBC, as you may have discovered, while erik is partial to IHT. truthfully, both of us should be reading something like the globe and mail for a canadian approach, but whatever. IHT now requires a login to read it, which i think is dumb, so i've been reading even more BBC articles as of late. i currently have ten tabs of articles open in my browser and i may just write on a few of them. the only thing about the BBC is that it is decidedly biased towards british news (duh!), so a headline like "alcoholics could see benefits cut" really only applies to somewhere in europe. not only that, but the headlining story for the past week, save for a few instances of the anti-government protests in thailand or the italian earthquake, has been about the "e-mail smears" scandal that has hit the british parliament. really? oh well. here are some of the more interesting headlines today:

"girl chooses japan over parents" - the immigration laws in japan are so restrictive that noriko calderon had to make the decision of whether to accompany her parents back to the philippines, since they entered into japan in the early 1990's with fake passports and are being deported, or whether to stay in japan, her homeland where she was born. given the headline, i'm sure you can guess her decision.

"dead mayor re-elected by US town" - a small town in missouri has re-elected a favourite mayor nearly a month after he died of a heart attack. i guess the ballots had already been printed and the absentee voting was well underway in this 723-population town. the deceased mayor won by a landslide 90% of the vote! i'd hate to be the runners-up... what do you say to that? "yeah, i lost to a dead guy... but hey, i think i'm a pretty good 2nd choice!"

"mexico says US fuels gun crime" - president barack obama is due to visit mexico this week. ahead of his visit, mexico's ambassador to the US has called for an end to the flow of weapons across the mexican border, highlighting the fact that over 6000 people died in mexico last year of drug-related violence, and he believes that 90% of the weapons used came from the US. "US gun lobby groups dispute the figure." well no kidding! what are they going to say, "oh yes, yes, guns are bad. we should stop their production and proliferation immediately"?? as if!

there are many more, but if the posts get too long people don't read them, so i've been told.

byn

this just in...

2009-04-06T05:16:00.006-04:00

wow. lots of big news in the past few days. let's recap:

north korea launched a satellite, ostensibly to put into peaceful orbit. they claim it was successful and their happy little satellite was already singing transmitted songs of praise of kim jong-il and kim il-song. the rest of the world, however, suspects that the real purpose in the launch was to test ballistic missile capabilities that could reach as far as parts of the united states. not only this but japan says the launch wasn't even successful, and that both parts fell into the pacific ocean before making it into orbit. figures. japan called an emergency UN security council meeting to discuss the issue, but so far no accord has been reached.

closer to home, over 53 people have been killed in the past month from mass shootings in the US. i needn't go into detail, it's just so sad...

this morning a fairly strong earthquake (6.3 magnitude) hit central italy, killing at least 90 people and reducing some medieval buildings to rubble.

also, a large ice-bridge in antarctica has splintered, an event that has scientists worried about how much ice could be spilled into the ocean much sooner than they anticipated. environmental issues, guaranteed, are going to be top agenda items in the near future (once we figure out our 'money situation').

and that's it for your morning news update. you're welcome for waking up so early to deliver it. but really i haven't slept and i'm still working on an assignment that's due at 10am or else i get zero. eep!

byn

haha

2009-04-05T10:52:00.003-04:00

so, i've ceased to have time to come up with anything of my own to say... but i can say with some confidence that this is how i would feel too. it made me lol.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/magazine/05wwln-medium-t.html?em

oh, and by the way... WTF n. korea?!

er

10^12

2009-04-03T00:10:00.002-04:00

also known as, 1 trillion dollars, or $1,000,000,000,000 (and this time we're talking US dollars baby). an easy way to conceptualize this gargantuan number is to multiply the billion dollars in your own bank account by one thousand. and that is the amount the G20 has agreed to put forth, conjunctively, to tackle this thing everyone keeps talking about... i think it's called "the global economic crisis." it's actually 1.1 trillion, but who's counting? the best way to get rid of debt, is, of course, with more debt (and make sure you get it from china!), so naturally, one TRILLion dollars (think: a more current-event-knowledgeable dr. evil?) is a pretty solid amount. it would pay off my student loans, anyway.

there are some commendable pledges, outlined in the bbc article:

- $500bn for the IMF to lend to struggling economies

- $250bn to boost world trade

- $250bn for a new IMF "overdraft facility" countries can draw on

- $100bn that international development banks can lend to poorest countries

- IMF will raise $6bn from selling gold reserves to increase lending for the poorest countries

there are a few "duh"'s in there also, including better bank and hedge fund regulation and more stringent controls on bankers' pay and bonuses, along with $100bn in extra aid to the world's poorest countries. finally.

as much as this crisis is really horrible for a lot of people, and effects everyone regardless of any criteria, i think most of us did need a bit of a wake-up call. you know, like, "ding ding ding! this is just a friendly reminder that a few of us have most of everything, a whole bunch of us have way more than we need, and the vast majority of the world does not have enough to survive!" and if i swayed any more in this direction you'd start accusing me of being a marxist.... but before you do that or any other really horrible deed, take a minute to think about how much you do have, even now. then compare it to one trillion dollars and realize that none of it matters in the end anyway!

byn

everything's amazing, nobody's happy

2009-03-15T22:26:00.002-04:00

watch this and stop complaining about your life.
hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

er

how much is YOUR life worth?

2009-03-15T15:57:00.002-04:00

or, more importantly, how much is your look worth? here's a video which is pretty interesting, and also makes me feel like i must not be that special if i don't need to wear one of them. or, or maybe i'm just really, wonderfully, un-important...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7942906.stm

byn

insulting philosopher quote of the day

2009-03-10T12:10:00.001-04:00

"There be beasts that at a year old observe more, and pursue that which is for their good more prudently, than a child can do at ten." - Hobbes

byn

more on my favourite country

2009-03-07T00:24:00.001-05:00

too bad for you if you think i should read a more varied newspaper. i know i talk about zimbabwe often, but the situation there is just so outrageous! here's the latest:

so, morgan tsvangirai (former leader of the opposition party for democratic change and current prime minister of zimbabwe in a power-sharing deal with president robert mugabe), his wife, and his political envoy were driving to his hometown for a rally when a truck collided head-on with his convoy vehicle. tsvangirai survived with a few injuries, but his wife, very sadly, did not survive. the truck driver apparently 'fell asleep' at the wheel, and tsvangirai's driver was unable to swerve out of the way. when one of tsvangirai's political aids heard about the accident, he immediately called a contact in the nearby countryside to go and investigate before the police arrived (the police - who are no doubt on mugabe's payroll). the contact was in the process of videotaping the scene when the police arrested him and confiscated the camera. suspicious much?

reports are rife of yet another assassination attempt on tsvangirai, but his party is so far being careful not to make accusations until a proper investigation has been completed. and it should be noted that they said they will not settle for a police investigation (would you??).

(read the article here: http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/06/africa/zim.php)

in related news, mugabe turned 80 recently, and the word is that his bash cost nearly half a million dollars. probably a good way to spend the money i think, i mean, no big deal that thousands of people in his country are either starving or dying of cholera, provided he hasn't already sent his men after them for not supporting him.

seriously, messed up.

byn

a little grammar lesson

2009-03-02T16:11:00.003-05:00

sic |sik| :
used in brackets after copied or quoted words that appear odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original (oxford english dictionary).

example from the journal article about US-Taiwan-China relations i am currently reading:
"Perhaps most significant, however, Bush appeared to provide Taiwan
with an iron-clad security guarantee when he declared in 2001 that the US would do
'whatever it took to help Taiwan defend theirself (sic).' This statement prompted
PRC authorities to angrily remind the president that 'Taiwan is a part of China. It is
not a protectorate of any foreign country.'"

"theirself"?? i didn't need my spell-checker to underline that for me, but it definitely did...

byn

front page news

2009-02-12T23:41:00.002-05:00

i have nothing insightful or erudite to report on tonight, but the international herald tribune has most interestingly posted this article on their front page, and i felt compelled to make sure you were all aware. i think - and don't hold me to this - but i think mexico has actually spared us countless years of wasted effort trying to find the solution to the canadian political problem of achingly boring election campaigns, relative to our southern neighbours, by discovering the solution themselves first. now all we have to do is mirror their policy moves and 2008's election will forever be overshadowed. it is time to usher in a new era of rapt attention to our domestic politics my friends...

byn

you got served!

2009-01-30T01:19:00.004-05:00

in skimming todays headlines, i came across this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7859621.stm

check it out. there's even a video for lazy readers.

basically, barack obama sat down in front of lots of cameras, and commented on how wall street execs went home at the end of last year with bonuses totaling around $18 billion. crazy right? well apparently the new prez thought so too. calling it "shameful", obama has basically politely vocalized the extreme frustration that i'm sure millions of people around the world felt when they heard that news. it's amazing to finally realize that someone in a position of power is actually aware enough of the kind of disgusting greed and selfishness that goes on every day to denounce it, and, not to mention, not somehow be involved in it.

obviously, this is a good step. it doesn't change the fact that these people pocketed that money, but at least now the whole world knows that they're total assholes (if they didn't already). ahh... don't you just love a good bitch slap?

anyone still not on the obama bandwagon?

er

the global crisis solved

2009-01-26T14:51:00.005-05:00

problems with easy solutions, cont'd.

#4. the global financial crisis
solution: follow in zimbabwe's lead and issue a $100trillion dollar bank note (equalling approximately $33).

then, sell the note on the black market to get cash flowing. this will subsequently ease cash shortages and slow inflation (even though deflation is already reported in places like canada), curtail the cholera outbreak in your country, if there is one, and eventually it will smooth out all the problems wholly created by corrupt government and greedy leaders.

ahh the answer has been found! it's true, i swear! go here and read the article for yourself! i do criticize zimbabwe a lot, but, what i'm really trying to do is criticize their government! the citizens are in dire straits and the humanitarian crisis they live each day through is heartbreaking. if only it were as simple as a $100,000,000,000,000 bank note... hang on, i've got like, six of those in my bank account already! and robyn saves the world again....

byn

obligatory post-inauguration... post

2009-01-21T22:25:00.014-05:00

yes, obama's speech was epic. watching him walk up the steps to the white house, knowing that those steps were laid by slaves, ironic. the whole day, pretty historically significant. however, in reality, the party is over. both figuratively and literally. i don't know how many times i heard a news correspondent refer to 'obama's balls' in the last 24 hours... an unnecessary visual nonetheless.

although his campaign actually inspired me a little, and i've found myself several times getting caught up in all the hype surrounding his upcoming presidency, it's actually here now. my best friend, who has been openly skeptical and critical of obama over the entire campaign and since, really brought me back to reality yesterday, when in the midst of everything going on, he (in a way, said) 'welcomes a new era of vague, directionless rhetoric'. though i disagree with him to an extent, i am anxious to see what obama can actually get done now that he in fact has the power. i ask myself: how long will the honeymoon last?

personally, i am extremely optimistic going into this presidency. will barack obama single-handedly solve all of america's problems? no. not a chance. he won't even solve all of their political problems. but you have to start somewhere, right?

er

sweet relief

2009-01-21T22:13:00.001-05:00

was it just me, or did anyone else feel as though breathing came easier reading the news front page today?

byn

gaza, or, "can't we all just get along?"

2009-01-14T13:09:00.008-05:00

i promised some commentary on the conflict in gaza so here it is.

i'm going to assume that if you're reading this blog, you are not cut off from the rest of civilization in some underground shelter far away from the boundaries of newspapers and other media sources, and have therefore heard at least something about the ongoing conflict on the gaza strip. it's also quite possible that if you're reading this political blog you care a little bit about what's going on there. good. now let me set out a disclaimer that i have a very limited knowledge and understanding of the situation, and you should really learn about it on your own. the media is always going to be biased one way or another, so your best bet is to check out a bunch of different sources and hear all sides of the reporting. a good place to start would be to go to http://www.thepaperboy.com and find some non-western newspapers and see what they're saying. whatever you do, don't only watch cnn or fox news, please.

the gist of the situation, at least without going too far into the past and the history of the palestinian/israeli conflict, is that hamas, the islamist group in control of gaza and which does not recognize israel's right to exist, has been sending thousands of bombs across the border into israel for quite some time (nearly three years). they did relatively minimal damage to israeli civilians and infrastructure, but that's not the point. israelis lived in constant fear of the bombs, and as any good polisci student will tell you, terrorizing people is not about killing them, it's about making them afraid to do normal everyday things; dismantling the state from within. so israel has said it will not take it anymore, and it is going to bomb hamas off the map to reestablish israel's defensive position in the mideast. its hope is that the palestinians in gaza (and it should be noted that they do not have their own state and are therefore being denied their human right of self-determination) will lose their support for hamas, and hamas will no longer be legitimate. thus far it appears as though israel is at least well on its way to blowing hamas to smithereens.

it would be only too easy to say that this is hamas' fault, israel is justified, and it's just too bad that thousands of civilians have died - a third being children. there are three sort of standard criteria in the just-war doctrine which are, loosely, that: 1) war must be used as a last resort with all other non-violent means exhausted first, 2) the violence used must be proportionate to losses/injuries sustained, and 3) there should be a reasonable chance of success along with an exit strategy. the question everyone is now asking is: can israel continue to justify this offensive attack in light of the suffering it has inflicted upon gaza? were any of these criteria met before it launched its attack on december 27th? and as for an exit strategy, how is gaza expected to recover after being virtually flattened?

i'm not going to argue to this point. rather, i'm going to say that just-war doctrine is absolutely ludicrous. does israel honestly think war will solve anything? that peace can be established by violent means? what are we, machiavellians? how can you justify the slaughter of thousands of innocents in the name of political gain? in the name of anything at all?? it doesn't matter which side is in the wrong or who says what. take all the surface garbage away and let's look at this, for real. israel will never silence hamas entirely. all they are doing is putting off the conflict for the next generation or the next, and burgeoning bitterness and hatred in the meantime. isn't there a proverb that those who sow bitterness and hatred will reap a like harvest? i'm not saying israel shouldn't have done anything about hamas. i don't pretend to know what the answer is. maybe you have an idea, and i'd like to hear it if you do.

perhaps the israeli leaders should take a look at this blog: http://a-mother-from-gaza.blogspot.com/ (thanks to brent for directing me to it), and reconsider whether the ends really justify the means. i certainly don't think they do.

byn

oh the irony!

2009-01-12T11:28:00.002-05:00

perhaps you recall a former post of mine (and a rather clever one, if i do say so myself) regarding the pirating situation in somalia. well this is ironic. so the sirius star, the ginormous oil tanker that was seized by somali pirates back in november with its crew held (in relative comfort) for ransom, was finally released just last week. this occurred only when the condition of payment to the pirates was met, a reported $3million. the pirates, always true to their word, released the ship (what's oil to them, anyhow? i don't know about you but if i were the pirates i'd steal the oil and sell it on the black market. although, i suppose that would have been much more profitable four or five months ago...) and took off in their little boats with their respective shares of the ransom money - only to be hit by some stormy weather on the way and have their boat capsize! 'aha!' you say, 'that is what you get for blackmailing the oil gods! death by the only force greater than oil: water!' and if they start to hold fresh water for ransom, i suppose the only way forward will be to join the gods.

as far as one of the deceased pirates (r.i.p.), whose body washed up on shore with $153000 in his pocket, goes, his family recovered the money and is hitherto drying it out - to spend on what, we may never know. probably to put gas in their car....

byn

p.s. stay tuned for commentary on the gaza conflict. first i have to figure out what on earth is going on there...

justice...

2008-12-18T11:06:00.004-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7789039.stm

could it be? has the international criminal tribunal for rwanda (ictr) now set a precedent of utility, against all criticism, for future tribunals and future would-be perpetrators of the gravest of crimes? i so very much hope so.

byn

warning: the post you are about to enjoy is hot!

2008-12-12T23:29:00.009-05:00

so, i know what you're thinking: "it is about time we got an update into the mindset of these political masterminds, i've been checking daily!" well, before you renew your newspaper subscription, let me just say that yes, we have been lacking in our posts, but we promise to neglect you no longer.

that being said, let us address what seems to be the most pressing issue of the day/week. having left the tv on cbc news all day, and it being a kind of 'soundtrack' for my day, i'm almost certain that tonight, i will have nightmares of being eaten by an auto bailout.

today, i watched a press conference by the president of the canadian auto workers union, where he stated that the government had to step up and do something for the 'big 3,' otherwise the companies would be forced into bankruptcy, with hundreds of thousands of layoffs to follow, and millions of lives destroyed.

first of all, i have a hard time believing that after decades and decades of profits, these car companies are now inches from bankruptcy after a couple months of low sales. even if they are, isn't it their own fault? if these idiots had been plunking some of their profits into research and development for fuel-friendly technology, instead of upgrading their jets, they wouldn't be sitting on thousands of SUVs, and having to close down plants whose employees have nothing to build. the japanese auto companies are doing just fine, i wonder why.

i say let them go bankrupt. frankly, i'd rather see a million people go on unemployment for a year (maybe they can get some perspective, and live on the kind of money my mother raised 2 kids with) than let billions of tax dollars go to keeping them afloat for a few months, just so they can throw it away and be asking for another handout in march. then there is the CAW, a massive workforce of mostly limited education, making largely disproportionate wages. in today's press conference, the president dodged questions regarding whether workers would consider a pay cut to go back to work, claiming that they are not to blame, and restating that a stimulus package is the solution. they claim wages account for about 10% of the price of a car, but conveniently leave out how much their pensions and benefits tack on (in canada, $16 per hour, per worker, while in japan, it's $3).

the auto manufacturers have the government in a stranglehold. either they get their bailout package, or a million canadians become unemployed. in any other circumstance, i believe that is considered blackmail. let them fail, force them to start over. we need a fresh start. sure, people who have gotten used to being rich are going to cry about having to downgrade from a 3 to a 2 car garage, but who ever said it was going to be easy?

er

#3

2008-12-12T20:08:00.004-05:00

problems with easy solutions, cont'd:

#3. zimbabwe (too many problems to list)
solution: get that [insert choice expletive] power-hungry maniac mugabe OUT of there! for goodness sake!!

i could rant about zimbabwe for quite some time, but i'll let you burgeon your own fury by directing you to the latest on the cholera epidemic and mugabe's ludicrous allegations (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7779142.stm). i also know that the solution is very far from being as simple as the removal of mugabe as leader, however, i do think it is an important first step.

sigh.

in happier news: ignatieff?? boo ya! who else is excited to see canada finally get back on the right track when we (hopefully) elect this guy in? man, january is going to be an interesting month...

byn

holy coalition government batman!

2008-12-02T21:52:00.015-05:00

hi canada.

if you've been watching the news lately, you've probably heard that stephan dion and jack layton are forming a power alliance in order to finally kill batman, and take over gotham city... okay, as attractive as a batman analogy is, i just can not bring myself to equate stephen harper to the dark knight himself.

regardless of what your friendly conservative neighbour might have told you, don't be afraid. the liberal-NDP coalition pact with the support of the bloc quebecois is not a 'coup,' it is not 'undemocratic' (as desribed by the harper government), and you are not actually living in zimbabwe. no, the third one wasn't random... they just happen to have a lot of elections, unstable governments, yadda yadda... anyway, despite what stephen harper says, there will be no undemocratic seizure of power. in fact, the ability to form such a coalition is a part of democracy. if you don't believe me, ask michaelle jean.

first of all, let's clear up the facts.
1. this is a formal alliance between the liberals and NDP. the bloc will support this coalition in parliamentary votes.
2. the agreement between the three parties means they would hold a majority of the seats in parliament (162).
3. this would outnumber the number of seats held by the conservatives (144).

now, before you get out your pitchforks and tiki (riot) torches, remember that the governor general still has to make the final decision. assuming that a non-confidence vote goes through next week, the GG will either dissolve government and call an election, hand power over to the coalition, or suspend parliament until january to cool things down. but you knew all that.

what people seem to be upset about is the possibility that the coalition will take power without having earned it in an election. which is true. but let's look at this from a representative point of view. as it stands now, the conservatives (for efficiency, let's call them 'the c-words') have 46ish % of the seats in parliament, after getting 38% of the vote. now the liberals, NDP, and bloc individually won 28, 18, and 10% of the votes. together they represent 56% of the votes. to me, it makes sense for this coalition to make up the government. sure, a coalition means they will have to compromise, and work together to create policy that suits their collective electorates, but since when did that stop being what we wanted? this means 56% of the people who voted (60% of the people eligible) will have policy catered toward their interests, rather than 38% with the c-words.

as for dion being prime minister, i say 'meh'. he's really just setting the stage for michael ignatieff (fingers crossed) to come in and finally get shit done. also, gilles duceppe is in a power position, yes. but he has already stated that he does not plan to pursue separatist policy, and that he feels this is the right move to get help to quebecers, who are struggling financially. as for jack, well i actually wouldn't mind seeing him gain a little more power (the NDP proposal for tuition debt forgiveness for those who go to school to be doctors or nurses - great idea that hasn't gotten enough press). in reality, more people are going to be upset by the coalition, if it does take power, than not. people don't like change, especially when they are told it's unnatural. but this kind of thing is a possibility within our democratic system that just hadn't occurred yet. people will say it's risky, and the c-words will try to have you believe it's 'undemocratic,' but ultimately, it might be what canada actually needs.

er

days

2008-11-29T23:16:00.005-05:00

i know, i know. it's been days since you've had your fix of erik and robyn's hilarious and informative political ranting. well, we've been busy. in case you aren't aware, we're both political science students at brock university, though erik is in 3rd year and i am only in 2nd. erik wrote five essays in the past two weeks. that's a lot. i only wrote three, but let's not pretend like i had nothing else to do. next up: exams. they begin wednesday. on the positive side, though, it appears as though more blogging gets done when more procrastination needs to happen, so you could be in luck. in fact, i should be studying right now.

just as a side note, we love when you comment ("back-talk") on our posts, partly because then we know people actually are reading them, but mostly because the whole point is to get some discussion going. you can also opt to "follow" our blog and join the ranks of the lovely people already displaying their fan-ship on the left-hand panel of the page. our email address is listed as well, if you have something to say that you'd rather not put in a public comment (bashing, hate-mail, putting down our writing style and lack of capitalization, etc.)

on that note, allow me to extrapolate on an interesting news item or two.

as we all know, "black friday," the day after u.s. thanksgiving, is the official start of the holiday shopping season in the states (read: obsessive consumerism, the epitome of capitalism, and the commencement of i-want-to-kill-myself radio christmas music). surely by now we are aware of how big businesses try to get us in "spending mode," what with decorations that go up the day after hallowe'en, advertisements of huge sales and discounts, midnight madness shopping hours, and promises of "don't pay interest until 2009" on our credit card statements. which, shockingly, will still have to be paid off - with interest - in 2009. training their influx of holiday staff to have an uncanny ability to tell us just the right useless item we simply must purchase at the checkout is merely a bonus. so, in a year such as this - credit crunch, financial crisis, recession, worst economic slowdown of modern time, the end of the world - call it what you will, you could still make an educated prediction that even at christmas, consumers would be subdued. paying in cash was forecast by one poll to be popular this year, as people decide to spend what they have, rather than what they will have to pay back. why, then, did a wal-mart employee die in a stampede of shoppers as he opened the doors at dawn on black friday? how is this explainable? the globe and mail reports that sales on black friday are actually up from last year, from 10.3 billion to 10.6 billion. a conundrum, no?

interestingly enough, in other news, opec (the organization of petroleum exporting countries) decided not to cut production of oil even as demand continues to decrease and prices/barrel are falling through the floor (i know it's a bad sign, but come on, $0.72/litre at the pumps this week? who can complain?!) i don't know much about oil prices and the economy (for example, someone please tell me where the u.s. found another 800 billion dollars to throw into the system? even my i.r. prof couldn't tell me), but it does seem odd to me that just as consumers are becoming more wary of shelling out cash the big guys decide to keep oil prices low. was it pinocchio who was a puppet, or did he become a real boy?

i'll be spending less this christmas (i thought about doing a "buy nothing for christmas" christmas, but mostly it would be to benefit me and i don't think that's the point...), but i will be celebrating christmas nonetheless. i might even drive more places because i can sort of afford it. but then, isn't that what they want me to do anyhow? i just can't help thinking how sad it is that after all we've been through these last few months, and with all the doomsday predictions ahead, consumerism can still run rampant without even a glance to those who live on less than a dollar a day. and, it should be noted that even two dollars a day is not enough.

byn

poor dubya.

2008-11-23T02:39:00.005-05:00

this is amusing. i'm guessing he was too busy thinking: "okay okay, you can do this. you've done this before. left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot... atta boy dubya."

er

ten things you can do with $500,000

2008-11-21T20:29:00.003-05:00

1. sponsor a child living in poverty through your sponsorship program of choice for an unlimited amount of time (typically $1/day does it).
2. sponsor a family the same way, also for a nearly unlimited amount of time ($35/month provides rice, beans, oil, salt, and instant noodles for a family of six for one month; $124/month provides sustainable agriculture training, equipment, and seeds for 10 families).
3. build 2000 biogas systems around the world, helping families and whole villages care for the earth, support themselves and sustain the earth for future generations.
4. build 166 water tanks in africa (or elsewhere) to provide clean drinking water at a manageable distance for thousands of people who would otherwise be walking for miles, or drinking unsafe water.
5. donate it to your local community care to help families in your community who are without heat and electricity this christmas.
6. purchase the materials for 50,000 temporary shelters for people who have lost their homes from devastating natural disasters, or for refugees who have been forced to flee their homes for fear of their lives.
7. purchase the books for 10,000 students to study peace and reconciliation in columbia or sudan.
8. send a child in vietnam to school. wait, make that 10,000 children to school. my bad.
9. donate it to amnesty international to help bring awareness to human rights violations occurring around the world in the hope of stopping them altogether.
10. pay miquel barcelo a portion of the cost to paint the ceiling in the human rights and alliance of civilizations room at the UN offices in geneva (see article from previous post, thanks to austin for bringing it to my attention, and yes i know the funds in the article are quoted in euros. don't expect me to do that math).

don't get me wrong, i'm an art appreciator. i'm artistic in my own way and i understand the feelings, the emotions, and the inspiration that art invokes. it is a pretty wicked ceiling. but, don't you think that money could have gone elsewhere?

byn

read this

2008-11-20T20:52:00.002-05:00

read this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7736959.stm) and stay tuned for some ranting about it.

byn

avast ye maties!

2008-11-19T13:14:00.012-05:00

text message convo in light of news that the indian navy sunk a somalian pirate mother ship.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/19/asia/20pirate.php

erik: this just in, indian navy sunk a somalian pirate ship in the indian ocean!
robyn: woah! fighting back!
erik: apparently they sunk the pirate mother ship after they threatened them with rocket propelled grenade launchers.
robyn: yikes, i usually save my rocket propelled grenade launchers for more serious matters but... now they've pissed off the pirates...
erik: well it was the pirates who had the grenade launchers, so i guess they were justified.
robyn: still, history shows that the pirates don't follow through on those threats. maybe they'll start now.
erik: i thought history simply showed that pirates love booty.
robyn: well, that too.

er

hoops!

2008-11-18T02:56:00.013-05:00

in the 2004 summer olympics, the US mens basketball team was embarrassed, finishing with an unthinkable bronze medal. no one had ever envisioned a day when the the world's greatest democracy would lose at b-ball. well, they made up for it in 2008 in beijing, when the "redeem-team" captured the gold. without actually going through the trouble of formulating an analogy that equates george w. bush to the '04 team, essentially flushing american credibility down the proverbial toilet, let's just say, a new redeem team is being assembled. and the captain of the team, barack obama, he's got game.

serious game folks.

to blatantly quote his acceptance speech, (if you haven't watched it yet... what the hell is wrong with you? http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Jll5baCAaQU) change has come to america. we may not see it yet, and they may not even know it yet. but things are going to change. in an interview with cbs on sunday night, obama said one of his first orders of business would be to immediately shut down guantanamo bay. sure, he's just following through on what he said in his campaign, but come on, i can't be the only one getting seriously excited. okay, robyn is excited too. regardless, it is seriously refreshing to think that in a matter of weeks, i won't be checking the news, expecting to read a new US government move that is so ridiculous (yet seemingly welcomed by the public), my cat could tell you it's shitty public policy.

obviously there will be plenty of attention dedicated to this subject in the near future, and until then, i'm keeping track of mr. president-elect's avg ppg: 22.6

er

yarrrr!

2008-11-18T01:17:00.009-05:00

problems with easy solutions cont'd:

#2. piracy in somalia
solution: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

okay i know it's a serious problem, and probably really scary, but you have to admit it's kind of hilarious. i mean, these guys, they have no political power, they live in a freaking failed state.... the government is corrupt, and like, i don't know let's say ten guys who run the show go out in their little speed boats and manage to outsmart everyone else who travels the gulf of aden or thereabouts. i guess with a big gun it wouldn't be hard, these ocean liners hardly need crew with all the electronic equipment. according to the bbc, there have been 78 attacks off the coast of yemen and somalia alone! (time-line not identified). and not only that, but "special restaurants have even been set up [in somalia] to prepare food for the crews of the hijacked ships"! so, these pirates (i keep picturing a swaggering johnny depp with eyeliner) they don't even kill people, they just steal stuff from the rich guys (notably an oil-tanker), feed the hostages while they wait for ransom, then let them go. then, let the festivities begin! according to iht.com, a girl in somalia was gushing over being the girlfriend of a pirate. can you imagine?? wonder if he's ever seen the black pearl...

byn

fears pt. 2

2008-11-17T18:06:00.006-05:00

i heard through the grapevine (unnecessary niagara region reference) that news of this blog is spreading like wildfire (inappropriate california reference). i guess this means that it is time to beef up the political savvy.

problems with easy solutions (this list will be ongoing):

#1. lack of a real charismatic leader in canadian politics.
solution: give this kid citizenship. http://www.wimp.com/powerfulkid/

er

fears

2008-11-17T16:08:00.006-05:00

it ain't official 'til you read it on the bbc.... japan is in a recession. and save from admitting it outright, so is the US. tell us something we didn't know... i mean, really. in ten years we're going to say something like, "oh you know the old cliche: 'markets down over fear of recession.'" for goodness sake, we know already! christmas is just not going to be the same this year! maybe we can finally look beyond this obsessive consumerism and actually get together for the sake of getting together and telling the people we care about that we actually do care about them. it's times like these that bring people together (a one president-elect obama doesn't hurt either).

in other news... wouldn't you like to look as bad-ass as this guy??

byn

philosophical at two a.m.

2008-11-17T02:20:00.000-05:00

machiavelli wrote, "those bound by love flee when times get tough"
what a prick!

er

testing, testing

2008-11-17T02:13:00.001-05:00

oh-ho! get ready...

byn