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Blog about politics (mideast and pro-Israel, Canadian and local Montreal), world events, and random thoughts.
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8.7.05
Well that made sense... In the wake of yesterday's bombings in London, one of the first announcements made from the G8 summit was a pledge of 3 billion in aid to the Palestinians. Sure, because everyone knows the first thing we should do after being hit with a terrorist attack is give money to terrorists... | Ahenakew found guilty Native leader and vicious antisemite David Ahenakew, who praised Hitler for killing 6 million Jews, has been found guilty of promoting hatred under Canada's hate crimes legislation: Former aboriginal leader David Ahenakew, who called Jews "a disease" and justified the Holocaust, has been found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred.The process has also been started to strip Ahenakew of his Order of Canada award. Despite my mixed feelings on the hate trial in the first place, I'd said that once it was started, this was the only acceptable way for it to end. So I'm greeting this verdict with some relief. As for the Order of Canada, it should have been stripped long ago. I can't believe he's kept it all this time. | 7.7.05
What it all means While reading online reactions, listening to the radio and hearing people speak today, something kept nagging at me. And that was this: We can all (well, those of us who aren't of the terrorist persuasion anyway) agree to be shocked, horrified and sympathetic when something like this happens. As far as that goes, we're all united for about 10 seconds. But then the next question is "what now?" And that's where the divisions start, because that's where everyone starts telling people that today's attacks "mean" that... (insert their political viewpoint here). Some examples:
The only thing that today's bombings in London "mean" is that dozens of people are dead and hundreds more are injured in a cowardly attack. All the rest is just politics. | Bombers hunted Britain has launched an intensive hunt for the terrorists responsible for today's attacks to "bring them to justice". What would justice be for them, I wonder? A trial and sentencing to imprisonment or death? Torture? Mass murder? No, I think justice - true justice - for them would be having to observe freedom persevere and win the fight. These terrorists aren't afraid of death and aren't terribly bothered by imprisonment. Torture to them would be a propaganda tool. But what they truly fear - what they truly can't stand - is freedom. Justice would not be revenge, it would be victory. | Balaam's ass London Mayor Ken Livingstone, in a statement this afternoon: Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life. I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous.To be fair, the rest of Livingstone's speech was forceful and defiant in the face of terror. But I can't help but wonder if he meant to stroke Al Quaeda's egos with that statement, or if it was just an accident. In the meantime, here's CNSnews on why Livingstone is no Guiliani (via Israpundit): London Mayor Ken Livingstone's previous support of a Muslim cleric who advocates suicide bombings may cause him some embarrassment as he now must speak for the city in the wake of Thursday's terrorist bombings.Attacking Livingstone now may appear to be in bad taste. But in the coming days, as more people crawl out of the woodwork with their conspiracy theories, it's useful to remember that appeasing terrorism can only ever lead to disaster. | Flag? A lot of bloggers are posting British flags on their blogs today, as a symbol of solidarity with the British people. In the wake of 9/11, millions of US flags appeared everywhere in a massive, resolute display of nationalistic pride and unity. It seems like posting a British flag is the thing to do. But I've decided not to, and here's why: I don't view today's terorrist attacks in London as just an attack on Great Britain, just as I don't view 9/11 as an attack only on the United States. On the contrary, those viewpoints are very risky because they allow others - including us Canadians - to divorce ourselves from the fight and think of ourselves as outside sympathizers instead of as members of what was attacked. Make no mistake: we were attacked too today. All of us. Every time there's a bus blast in Tel Aviv, it's an attack on you and I. 9/11 was an attack on us personally, as was the Madrid train bombing, the blasts in Bali, and dozens of other terror attacks. They weren't attacks on specific nations; they were attacks on general freedom. If there were some sort of unifying symbol out there to represent our collective freedom that was attacked, I'd post it. But there aren't any that I know of. So to the people of London, of England and of the UK: my thoughts and prayers are with you, but I won't post your flag, because you're not alone. An attack on freedom is an attack on each and every one of us. | Oh really? Amidst world leaders expressing their sympathy and condemning the terror attacks in London, we see this quote from a leader of Hamas: The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, responsible for many suicide attacks on Israelis, condemned the London bombings.Is that so? So all those bus bombings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and Haifa and Beersheva were what if not attacks on "civilians in their transport means and lives"? Excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick. | Anne McLellan: Canada outraged, safe Canadian Public Security Minister Anne McLellan's news conference is on the radio right now. The bottom line from her remarks: Canada sends condolances to Britain, but don't worry, nobody will attacks us cause we're Canada and we don't take stands on anything and therefore everyone loves us. Okay, she didn't say it exactly like that. But that's essentially what the meaning was. Us Canadians have been pretty smug this whole time, pointing fingers at our American neighbours as they try to fight a force that has yet to attack us on our soil. But if we think we're exempt, then we need a serious reality check. I only hope people realize that before it's too late. In the meantime I had to shut off my radio in disgust, because the callers claiming that the terrorism would continue "until the US and Britain change their foreign policies" was making me angry and I was liable to punch something. | The casualty figures continue to mount. The latest numbers have 33 dead and over 300 injured. This does not include the people who were on the double-decker bus that was torn apart near Tavistock Square. The claim of responsibility from an Al Quaeda group also contains threats against Italy and Denmark: "We still warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all the crusader governments that they will receive the same punishment if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan," it said. "We gave the warning, so we should not be blamed."Right... And, of course, the statement said that this was an attack on the "Zionist British government". I wonder if their version of the "Zionist British government" includes the likes of George Galloway or Jenny Tonge? Update: Speaking of George Galloway, I didn't have to wait long to find out what his reaction would be: Respect MP George Galloway says: "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the Government ignoring such warnings."In other words, blaming Blair for the attacks. Pretty much what we'd expect from the likes of Galloway. (Via Democracy Guy and Instapundit). | Shock, anger and sadness Scenes like this are sadly and unacceptably almost commonplace in some parts of the world. We're nearly numb to the news of terrorist attacks in Iraq these days. The scene is horrifyingly familiar to Israelis. But in London, despite the history of IRA attacks, this is not commonplace and it still has the power to shock the world.  A casualty is taken away on a stretcher at London's King Cross station in London (source: Reuters) The phases will be familiar to people who have gone through it all before. Shock and horror at the news. Frantic checking on everyone we know who may have been in the area to make sure they're okay. A wave of sadness and sympathy for the victims and their families. And then, incredible anger at the terrorists and anger at the fact that their brand of terror is being allowed to succeed - at changing the G8 agenda, at getting people to point fingers the wrong way, maybe even at scaring other European countries into surrendering. What they don't realize is that surrender isn't an option; sooner or later there is a line that no country can cross, and by the time they reach it, it might be too late. If the only defense against terrorism is its 100% failure rate, than what does it mean that it has been so incredibly successful as of late? What of the Gaza disengagement - agree or disagree, it is being interpreted by the Palestinian terror groups as a victory. What of Spain's election of a leftist government that capitulated to the terrorist demands to withdraw troops from Iraq after the Madrid train bombings? What of small victory after small victory that has enabled the terrorists to isolate the US and Israel from the world, get other European countries to back down, and cause fear among millions of people? Terrorism will contine as long as it keeps attaining victories. Tony Blair is vowing to stay resolute. But what will happen is anyone's guess. | It didn't take long Tony Blair is claiming that the world stands behind him in standing firm against terror. And for a few hours, at least, there will be a wave of sympathy. But Tommy Schnurmacher predicted that this wave wouldn't last long. He noted the wave of anti-Americanism among the understanably terrified British population, and predicted that very quickly the tide would turn and people would start blaming Bush and Blair. He didn't have to wait long. Only thirty seconds later, Egbert Gay - who can always be counted on to disagree with Tommy on pretty much everything - started insisting that we view the attacks in a "global context". Well, I don't have to tell anyone what that means. In the meantime, we can always count on the idiots at Indymedia for conspiracy theories; within minutes of the news, there were comments over on their site blaming the CIA, MI5, and the Israeli Mossad for the attacks. Blair says the terrorists won't succeed. I sadly suspect they may have succeeded already. | Terrorist attacks in London Londoners barely had time to celebrate being awarded the 2012 Olympics before terror struck this morning: Two people have been killed and scores have been injured after three blasts on the Underground network and another on a double-decker bus in London. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" there had been a series of terrorist attacks.There's chaos right now and details are sketchy. There seems to be at least six separate attacks within minutes of each other, all in Central London on major buses or tube stations. It's looking like the numbers of those dead or injured from the attacks is going to rise quickly as details emerge. This is truly horrifying. Sadly it's not nearly as shocking anymore as 9/11 was four years ago. The first priority will have to be treating the victims and assessing the damage. But Tony Blair is not likely to back down in the face of terror. It's too easy and hyperbolic to call this England's 9/11, though I'm sure we'll be hearing some of that shortly as well. Update: CNN is now reporting at least 40 people dead and hundreds injured. These numbers are sadly sure to climb in the course of the day. This will be the story everywhere today, without a doubt. | 6.7.05
Bob Geldof nominated for Nobel Peace Prize I wonder if the Norwegian MP who nominated Geldof realizes that the Nobel Prize is supposed to be awarded to someone who actually accomplishes something. And, despite what Geldof may think, getting a bunch of rock stars to play music on the same day and getting his name in the paper an awful lot don't count. | Tremblay opens his pocketbook Mayor Gerard Tremblay is promising $10 billion to fix the infrastructure and drainage systems in Montreal, after yesterday's flooding: Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay called the sudden downpour of rain an "act of God." But he spoke Wednesday about the need for the city to take steps to ensure such acts don't end up causing headaches for residents every time they occur.Let's put aside the issue of whether newer is better, in light of the fact that one of the worst spots is the brand-new L'Acadie interchange, just completed this year after millions of dollars of taxpayer money were spent. Our system isn't bad because it's old; it's bad because it's bad. Montreal has lousy roads, legendary potholes, poorly-maintained pipes and water mains that have a habit of bursting in the wintertime. This isn't new and it's not going away anytime soon. These are empty promises for Tremblay to make. Today, he's placating angry people who have water damage in their basements or who got stuck on flooding highways yesterday. And by the time he actually has to spend a dime, someone else will be in office - both his office and Charest's. They'll have other spending priorities, like referendums or language police. And we'll all forget about it... until the next flood. | I guess they're not friends anymore Bono called Paul Martin "infuriating" for his refusal to make large commitments of increased foreign aid in the wake of Live 8: "He's very difficult to deal with because he won't agree to things that he doesn't believe he can deliver, although that is very frustrating and annoying and infuriating," Bono told reporters while standing next to Martin.Bono, I love your music and the video for Where The Streets Have No Name kicks ass. So I mean this with all due respect: shut up! Martin may be a weak political leader who waffles more than an Eggo, but at least he's a political leader. Who elected Bono leader of anything? This is just part of a larger rant that I have about celebrities and politics. We used to have economists talking about the economy, international relations experts discussing international relations, political analysts talking politics... Agree or disagree, the people leading the discourse usually actually knew something about their topic and had solid credentials in their field. Since when did "#1 on the Billboard rock charts" become a credential for discussing world trade or poverty? This is not a new phenomenon. It's been going on for years, and has been encouraged by the fact that stars get publicity for their political action, and are under a large amount of pressure to pretend to care about causes bigger than themselves. Some actually do care. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is this notion that we're supposed to listen to them because they're celebrities. In a debate about world trade, if you put a Ph.D. in global economics at a table with Jeanine Garofalo, why should we assume that they're on equal footing to discuss the issues? I won't give much weight to Paul Martin's opinion on rock music, so why should I care so much what Bono thinks about politics? In last year's American election, in which we had Springsteen singing for Kerry and Britney Spears cheering for Bush, I couldn't help but wonder whether anyone was actually basing their vote on what celebrities were saying. And if so, what does that say about the electorate? That's my issue with Live 8 in general. International aid and third-world poverty are serious issues, and nobody elected Roger Waters or Dave Matthews to decide how best to spend our tax dollars to deal with them. Celebrities are human beings - often with good hearts and fat bank accounts. If they want to do charity work or get involved in worthy causes, more power to them. But when they use their charity work as a publicity stunt, it cheapens them and their cause. It also creates issues among fans who respect celebrities for their art but dislike their politics. Should I refuse to watch Sean Penn's movies because I don't like his soapbox political views? No, that's mixing issues, isn't it? But by suggesting that his celebrity status lends credence to his politics, the celebrities themselves have mixed those issues, leaving someone like me to either have to avoid art because of politics, or wonder if I'm implicitly supporting politics because of art. When I go to an Our Lady Peace concert and, in the midst of screaming and cheering, Raine Maida shouts that we should "send a message to Bush to stay out of Iraq", it puts a sour taste in my mouth. Regardless of his message (I'd feel the same way if Raine said the opposite), suddenly I'm no longer at a rock concert, but at a political rally. It didn't say that on my ticket. I didn't pay for that. All it did was to make me feel manipulated and used. The most reasonable point I've ever heard from a celebrity on the issue of celebs in politics comes from Alice Cooper: "To me, that's treason. I call it treason against rock-and-roll, because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics. If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."Cooper's comments were made in the context of last year's US election campaign, but they're equally valid for issues like foreign aid and world trade. So let Bono think that Paul Martin is "infuriating". That's fine. I don't really care. I may disagree with Martin an awful lot, but here he is being eminently reasonable, refusing to make lavish promises he can't keep and instead sticking to more immediate, gradual commitments. Foreign aid in itself won't solve African poverty overnight. And, despite what he may think, Bob Geldof is not uniquely qualified to tell us how to think. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe - just maybe - if Bono were Canadian and had actually voted for Martin, then his criticism might be a bit more valid. In the meantime, please stick to rock music and let the politicians stick to politics. | Blogosphere roundup I haven't done one of these in a while. And some bloggers have been writing very, very good posts. So it's high time, I guess. Here's Lynn on so-called "messianic Judaism": We Jews have been fighting this battle for nigh on two thousand years. Christians have been trying to explain to us where and how we went wrong since the dawn of Christianity. Whether it's the threat of eternal damnation or death by the sword, the noose, the bullet or the gas chamber, whether it's physical violence or gentle persuasion, we've been there and done that. We have all the tee shirts. Those of us with any historical education at all are way too familiar with these ploys to fall for them. Unfortunately, we live in an age when too many of us lack that education. Jews today are generally smarter about everything else and (except, perhaps, in Israel) stupider about Judaism than they've ever been. So we're ripe for the picking. And, with a little help from their friends, the missionaries are eagerly anticipating the harvest.Lisa eloquently sums up - as only she knows how - the overwhelming sentiment in Israel these days about disengagement: The situation is heating up here; it's not pleasant; it's very complex; as usual, the people with the least power are paying the highest price; and I really wish this painful enterprise had been planned and executed in a more organized, sensitive fashion.And closer to home, Debbye has some of the most reasonable commentary on the gay marriage issue I've seen so far from the right: To reiterate: the one prospect I find insupportable is that of allowing gays to marry yet a future Conservative Party government suddenly declaring those marriages null and void. Try to put yourselves in the position of marrying, making plans for a future together and even making joint financial investments and then imagine being told your marriage is no longer legitimate.Hmmmm, all women today. Well, I guess that's fair, seeing as how the guys usually get all the linky love. Once I'm highlighting women bloggers, I should direct everyone to Meryl, Imshin and Allison while I'm at it, not for any particular post but more for all of them in general. The sun's come out and dried up all the rain. It's gonna be a nice day. | London 2012 London has won the bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, beating out co-finalist Paris and an all-star competition that included New York, Moscow and Madrid. Regardless of how they feel about the Olympics, there's sure to be a lot of smug satisfaction in England today about having one more thing to stick in the collective ear of the French. | 5.7.05
It's July '87 all over again It's been almost 15 years since the big flood of '87, and it seems today we're getting an anniversary reminder. The massive amount of rain that is pouring at the moment has turned streets into rivers, underpasses into giant lakes, and forced closures of major arteries causing traffic nightmares all over the city. The Decarie Expressway is closed in both directions, as is the 40 at L'Acadie and the 13 at the Dorval tunnel. Dozens of smaller roads and underpasses are blocked off or impassable. Sirens can be heard everywhere as frantic motorists try to avoid getting stuck underwater. I skipped my evening plans when I realized I'd never get there, and instead simply drove home - which proved not to be so simple. But now I'm watching the rain from my window. Visuals to come as soon as they're available. In the meantime, if you need to be out in this, be careful. Update: Here are some images from Cyberpresse:  Decarie Expressway  Another of Decarie Expressway  More cars stuck on the Expressway  People had to abandon their cars as the Decarie flooded Update #2: La Presse has some eyewitness accounts from people who were stuck on the Decarie River - er - Expressway this afternoon. About 15 people had to crawl out of their cars from the windows or the sunroofs. One woman lost her shoes and had to walk barefoot in several feet of water. Another man, with water up to his arms, had to push his car out of the water. People who had to escape their cars were given blankets and coffee in a nearby church. Canoe also reported numerous basement floods in about 150 homes. | 4.7.05
Seen on MSN as a nickname Dear Karla Homolka: Please die. Signed: everyone. (Source: you know who you are). | Source of funds? Elections Canada published campaign financing statistics showing the Liberals took in less than half the money of the Tories last year: Figures released by Elections Canada show the Liberals took in $5.2-million in the election year of 2004, while the newly merged Conservatives raked in $10.9-million.So the big question is, what was the source of most of this funding? Because, judging by the tune that the Conservative Party has been singing all year, I'm willing to bet that a good part of that $10.9 million was chanelled from groups lobbying against same-sex marriage. | Colour wars We in Quebec are no strangers to colour wars in politics. Just three days after the sea of red at Canada Day, and ten days after the similar sea of blue at the St-Jean Baptiste Day celebrations, it's hard to deny that complicated political and identity politics are too often reduced to a colour of the rainbow. Witness what's been going on in Israel, where a colour war of their own is raging over the disengagement issue. And it seems like it's all anyone there can talk about these days. Here are thoughts from Allison, Imshin, Imshin again, and Brian, just to name a few. And here's a Ynet analysis of the colour war. The thing is, there's nothing simple or trivial about the current situation in Israel, that seems to be leading the country to the brink of civil war. Protests are turning violent and there are even worries of potential assassination attempts on Sharon or other key members of government. To Israelis who feel that this is the only way to break the stalemate and ensure Israel's security, the protestors are divisive extremists creating disunity at a critical time. To Israelis being asked to leave their homes, uproot their communities, and - in their view - reward terrorists for years of attacks and bloodshed, this is nothing less than a catastrophe. Are there any issues more serious than one's home, one's safety and security, and one's identity? Maybe the colour war has emerged precisely because the issues are so serious. Discussing orange or blue takes the focus off the agonizing choices and potential consequences, and places them on the often absurd things emerging from the whole issue. Humour as a defense mechanism is not exactly new for Israelis as a way of coping. Or maybe it's just politics. A colour is an easy symbol to represent a political view, and makes a powerful visual statement in a crowd. Perhaps this is just simply smart marketing on the part of the disengagement protestors. One thing is for sure: this colour war is nothing like the kind we used to have in summer camp. And it's going to get worse before it gets better. With many Israelis supporting the plan, many more vehemently opposed, and a whole host of people caught in the middle and unsure of what to think, it's making for a long, hot summer. (Hmmm, now that I'm ready to publish this, I notice that the button on Blogger to "save as draft" is blue and the one to "publish post" is orange. Will you take my word for it that I'm not making a poitical statement by choosing to publish the post?) | And for our neighbours south of the border Happy July 4th to all Americans reading this. Hope you're enjoying your Independence Day. | 3.7.05
Live 8, the G8, and other stuff The G8 summit in Edinburgh is this week, and it's getting attention like never before. Yesterday, for anyone who's been living under a rock lately, was Live 8. In nine cities around the world including Barrie, Ontario, acts such as U2, Coldplay, Pink Floyd, Elton John, the Who, Green Day, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Our Lady Peace, the Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Jet, Great Big Sea, and many more took to the stage in a massive free concert with the lofty goal of ending world poverty. But with such a stellar lineup of mega acts, the show basically overshadowed the message. Millions of people watched the concerts, but I'd venture a guess that most were tuned in for the music and not for the politics. In the meantime, will governments really drastically increase foreign aid just because a bunch of rock stars sang their hits? Despite Bob Geldof's insistence that it will, I have my doubts. According to a poll, 60% of Canadians believe the concerts can help alleviate global poverty, but an equal percentage believe that instead of spending an additional $12 billion on foreign aid, the Canadian government should spend it on domestic priorities like healthcare or social programs. WIth the debate raging on whether foreign aid is even the answer to help poverty, it's worth noting that simply throwing money at a problem is not a good way to make it disappear. Prominent voices in Africa have been calling for reform over funds for a long time. Isn't it about time we started listening? Meanwhile in Edinburgh, a friend who is currently travelling there had this to comment about the protests in advance of the G8 summit (no link because she wrote the comments on a personal travel blog and probably doesn't want a bunch of strangers showing up): I don't know if you are all aware of this, but there is a G8 summit going on in Edinburgh in about 2 days. The 'festivities' started today with the 'Make Povery History' protest. There were well over 100,000 people marching through Edinburgh. [ . . . ]I can't say I'm surprised - these summit protests frequently attract a wide variety of people, most of them well-meaning and many of them not so well-intentioned. I just hope that things don't devolve into the type of violence that we've seen at these things in the past. | |
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