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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6:53 PM
Another nail in the NHL's coffin

The NHL has cancelled next year's draft since there's still no agreement reached between the players and owners.

Oh well, there goes next season. I can't even work up anger anymore. Just a kind of frustrated resignation.

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6:13 PM
Army deserter denied refugee status

In a refreshingly sensible ruling, a Canadian immigration board denied the refugee claim of Jeremy Hinzman, an American who joined the army cause he figured it would be a cheap way to pay for university, and then fled to Canada when he discovered that - doh - he might actually have to fight a war:

An immigration board ruled that Jeremy Hinzman had not convinced its members he would face persecution or cruel and unusual punishment if returned to the United States.

Seven other American military personnel have applied for refugee status, and Hinzman's lawyer estimated dozens of others are in hiding in Canada waiting to see how the government ruled.

I can understand fleeing a draft when you don't support a war. But if you volunteer for the army, then that's a whole different ball game.

I don't bear Hinzman any ill will. If he goes to Iraq, I hope no harm befalls him or any other American soldier. If he chooses to object, he can serve his sentence for desertion. But the US army isn't just an education finance program, and Hinzman should have understood that and known the risks when he signed up. And it's refreshing to see Canada recognize this instead of revert to our typical "Bush is wrong and America sucks" attitude.

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7:42 PM
Quebec student strikes

It's lunacy on parade all over again, as Quebec student agitators take to the streets to protest the cardinal Quebec government sin of replacing bursaries with loans (i.e. making people actually pay back their handouts... gasp!). And in the usual fashion, the protestors are acting with reckless disregard for personal safety, property, or even the interests of the students they're supposedly defending, as they wreak havoc all over town:

A five-hour blockade at the Port of Montreal ended yesterday in a standoff with riot police and the arrest of six students protesting against cuts to financial aid.

The typical accusations of "police provocation" on the part of the student shit-disturbers followed, of course.

It goes beyond mere rock throwing and idiocy, though. Votes to strike at several university campuses are threatening the semesters of students who actually want to attend class. Most of my friends are absolutely livid that their semesters may be delayed or even cancelled. To quote one friend at UQAM:

Now the students are saying they don't give a d*mn if our term is cancelled. I am really pissed at them, and considering suing my student association. If it is cancelled, I want my $1000 back. It is not by throwing that much money out the window that we are "helping future generations"... And then these idiots throw rocks at policemen and block streets.

But the union leaders and protest agitators don't actually give a crap about the students they're supposed to represent. None of them care about losing out on class time, since few if any actually ever set foot in a classroom. None of them care about graduating since they don't actually intend to ever graduate. None of them care about the effect of a delayed semester on summer or other job prospects, because none of them actually ever intend to get a job. Never mind that Quebec university tuition is so cheap, they could pay it off easily if they actually got a job instead of spending their days throwing rocks at police. Where's the fun in that?

It's all well and good to try to protect students against spiraling or unreasonable tuition hikes. But things have gotten way out of control. The tuition freeze is crippling Quebec education, but no government can lift it without paying a severe political price. This has disastrous long-term effects on the health of Quebec's economy and society in general. Accessible education is one thing; accessible quality education is another altogether. If the student agitators get their way, Quebec will have free education that's completely, utterly useless, creating an entire generation of people who intend on living off the backs of the state.

Unfortunately, the students who understand this basic fact are disorganized and lack a powerful political voice. So as the strikes and protests continue, who is going to stand up for the rights of students who actually want an education?

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8:40 PM
To clarify

Despite what I wrote below, I did, in fact, thoroughly enjoy my trip to Costa Rica... all but the last 12 hours or so. Everything else was wonderful. From the beautiful beaches on the Carribean and Pacific coasts to the fascinating rainforests to the volcanos to the whitewater rafting to the zipline canopy tours, I had a great time. Costa Rica is an incredibly beautiful and exciting country. We had good weather, got to see tons of cool birds and animals (howler monkeys are loud!), and met some great people. Despite the lousy way the trip ended, I'm extremely glad I went.

P.S. No, I am not receiving any money from any Costa Rican tourism agency for the above message.

P.P.S. If, on the other hand, you read this and work for a Costa Rican tourism agency and would like to send me money, I won't object. After all, I have some stolen stuff to replace.

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5:41 PM
Precious Illusions

The thing about the illusion of safety is, well, that's just it: it's an illusion.

Saturday night, walking back to our hotel in San Jose after a couple of hours of souvenir shopping, my friend and I were grabbed by three guys who pulled a knife on me, a gun on her, and stole our bags. It was the sort of random, petty crime that happens to people every day, and can happen anywhere and at any time.

Somehow, though, I never really thought it could happen to me.

Oh, sure, I knew it could happen to me. I spend time running through safety precautions every time I travel, but I tell myself that it's not good to be too paranoid either because these kinds of things are random and you could just as easily get hit by a bus or something. (In Costa Rica, that's a very real possibility). So I took the sensible precautions. Passport in hotel safe. Wallet attached to bag with a chain. Money belt locked in the safe, or worn under the clothes. Don't walk alone after dark. Be aware of surroundings and belongings. All the things you're supposed to do.

None of it mattered. We were targets for being tourists, standing out without even trying because, well, it's kind of hard to blend in. We were mugged in broad daylight, half a block from our hotel. They got away with our bags, cash, cards, cameras, souvenirs... the works. A wallet chain or a money belt wouldn't have mattered, as the muggers patted us down and stole whatever we had. Somehow, having a knife pointed at you makes you forget all resistance and just hand things over as quickly as you can.

At least we had the presence of mind not to try anything stupid, I tell myself. At least nobody was hurt. At least it was just stuff. It could've been much worse, and we know that all too well. People who deal with real traumas and tragedies get through. Even while we were in Costa Rica, a hostage cris at a bank in Monteverde devolved into a shootout that claimed nine lives, shocking the country. Next to that, what happened to us was an inconvenience, a minor scare - nothing really. The "take-a-number" attitude of the police who took our report underscored that nicely. These things happen. Deal with it. File your insurance claim and thank your lucky stars you didn't lose your passport - or your life. Shrug it off.

But as minor as this was in the grand scheme of things, trying to shrug it off is proving harder than expected.

They say to be strong. Be independent. Be courageous. Never give in. If you get off the horse, climb right back on. (Actually, the falling off the horse thing happened to one of the members of our tour group several days earlier - and she did get right back on. A bit bruised but otherwise unfazed. An example to live by, to be sure.)

So why am I looking over my shoulder everywhere I go? Why am I unable to sleep at night? Why am I scared to resume my normal daily routine? Why am I questioning habits I previously took for granted, wondering if I was simply being naive? And where is that fine line between sensible additional precautions and over-reaction? Is changing anything akin to letting them win? Is failing to change anything potentially dangerous?

And now that the illusion of safety is gone, how long will it take before I can summon the courage to get back out there and move on?

I know it's only been a couple of days and it may take time. But the truth is, I don't know when things will feel normal again. And that's probably what's scaring me most.

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10:22 AM
Pura Vida

Yep, I'm back. It's official. Costa Rica was wonderful. I managed to acquire a sunburn, some mosquito bites, a few souvenirs, and lots of good memories. (I also managed to lose my wallet and camera to a few not-so-nice muggers in San Jose, but that's a whole other story.) I've got loads to catch up on, and a bunch of pieces of ID to replace, so blogging will likely resume in a few days.

Good to be home.

Update: My travelogue is now online.

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