Blog about politics (mideast and pro-Israel, Canadian and local Montreal), world events, and random thoughts.

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The World I Know is updated on a semi-regular basis by segacs.

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6:06 PM
Ukraine: Democracy on trial?

The Ukranian Parliament has declared the election invalid. The Ukrainian people are protesting by the millions. Much of the Western World is crying foul, while Vladimir Putin tries to enhance his power through corruption.

If millions of people protesting peacefully will result in an overturning of the result and a new, fair election, then that's democracy in action and a shining example of democratic power. Right?

But Ukraine raises more questions than it answers. For one thing, what's to say that protests against *fair* election wouldn't ensue? If two million Kerry supporters had taken to the streets after Bush was re-elected this month, would that have resulted in new elections in the United States? Certainly, those people would have had plenty of support among the EU and a good part of the world. But does that give them the right to throw out those results? Of course we're comparing a fair election and a fraudulant one... but who decides these things anyway?

It also raises questions about double-standards. Canada is mulling breaking political ties with the Ukraine if the fraudulant results stand. That's an admirable stand for democracy... but what about Canada's continuing ties with all sorts of dictatorships and despot-controlled countries? Why is a fraudulant election unacceptable to Canada, but a country with no election at all just fine with us?

None of this to suggest that what's happening in Ukraine is any way okay. The will of the people should determine the leader of the country. And the massive wave of protests is bringing the West's attention to Russia's political manoeverings of late - long ignored at our peril, perhaps.

But that's the thing about democracy. It's imperfect by nature and needs to be continually challenged and fought for in order to flourish. The drive of the Ukrainian people to see their votes counted ought to mean something to the far too many of us who sometimes take ours for granted.

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11:01 PM
Not payback? Yeah right.

The latest Montreal megacity budget has tax decreases for most of the central and eastern portions of the islands... and tax increases for most of the West Island, including 14 of the 15 municipalities who voted to demerge.

Mayor Tremblay says it's "not payback" for their votes to demerge... but the map rather belies that statement:

Mayor Gérald Tremblay said that the increases were not meant to punish the demerged boroughs, but were the result of the harmonization of municipal tax rates and the increase in the value of their properties.

What exactly is their justification for raising taxes across the West Island?

Executive Committee Chairman Frank Zampino said that part of the increase in costs is associated with new labour agreements and new responsibilities that have been transferred to the megacity.

You mean, the new labour agreements that were negotiated by unions made more powerful by the forced mergers, who held the city hostage? The same unions that actively campaigned against demergers? Nah, couldn't be.

If the cities who voted to demerge weren't sure they made the right decision, this ought to clinch it. The "not punishment" tax increases will last a year, and then the cities who voted to demerge can escape the iron grip of the megacity once and for all.

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11:06 AM
I'm on a short blogging break due to craziness at work. Posting to resume shortly.

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11:41 PM
Good news of the day

Chocolate may cure coughing:

A chemical compound, theobromine, which is found in cocoa, has proved more effective at stopping persistent coughing than codeine.

SWEET!!!

Those of you who know me and my chocolate addiction will understand.

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6:12 PM
According to this political quiz, I'm a "centrist". Hell, I didn't need a quiz to tell me that.

(Via Peaktalk).

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6:12 PM
"Silent majority" speak out

Muslims marched against terrorism in Cologne, Germany today, in a heartening display of the so-called silent majority's opposition to Islamist extremism:

About 20,000 people marched through the western German city of Cologne Sunday in a demonstration against Islamic terrorism that was organized by a Muslim group.

Carrying placards proclaiming that "religion doesn't produce terror" and that "terror is a crime against humanity," two groups estimated by police at about 10,000 each converged for a rally in a downtown square.

Germany's Muslim community is largely Turkish in origin, and its institutions are perhaps less hijacked by extremist groups than other Muslim communities in Europe - for example, France.

I can't find any reports on whether this march also denounced terrorism against Israel. I somehow doubt it. But even despite this, it is encouraging to see people speaking out against terrorism, because the battle between the moderates and the extremists for the hearts and minds of Muslims in the West is still raging.

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