Governor General Problems

In a week during which Martin's party took a pounding at the polls due to the Gomery Report, he did not need this.

Governor General Michaelle Jean is being criticized by her sister Nadeje for "crossing the line separating humour and sarcasm" with jokes she recently cracked about Parti Quebacois leadership candidate Andre Boisclair's past cocaine use.

Martin came under fire for his choice of Governor General when Jean was first mentioned. There were concerns about her once sovereigntist leanings. It seems her sister retains those leanings. When your own sister criticises you, in public, that means the sister's sovereigntist feelings are very strong and passionate - raising the question as to how strong Jean's own feelings were, before she was offered the post. Maybe the allure of the post, with all its perks, was too strong?

Tags: Governor General Canada Michaelle Jean

Paris Riots lessons For Quebec

Indeed in the burning suburbs of Paris where the rioters clash with the police, are lessons for Quebec to heed. For generations, the so-called 'pure' French have ignored or brushed aside the concerns and welfare of the 'newly' French, or the North African, Muslim, immigrants. France had lots of colonies, and like many former colonial powers, Britain included, many former residents of the colonies have migrated. Rather than trying to integrate them into the mainstream society, the French pretend they do not exist. Consider:

- 9.2% unemployment rate for people of French origin
- 14% unemployment for people of foreign origin (adjusted for education)
- 5% overall unemployment for university graduates
- 26.5% unemployment for "North African" university graduates

Just like the blacks in America of the 60s, the North African French have a French passport, and nothing else. The BBC has done a fantastic and exhaustive expose and analysis of the riots. Rather than reporting provocatively, they have investigated the issues.

- French Muslims face job discrimination
- France's disaffected Muslim businessmen
- Anger grips Paris riot suburb
- Headscarf defeat riles French Muslims
- French press searches for solutions

Why do I say it has ramifications for Quebec, the only French dominated province of Canada?

Consider the language used by the separatists this week as they celebrate their near win in the referendum ten years ago.

"Gathered in Quebec's nerve centre to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their near-win, separatists are drafting the rules of their Utopian society where money is no object and no one is left behind as long as they're ready to be assimilated into French culture."

It sounds a lot like the nonsense sprouted by France.

Ten years after then-premier Jacques Parizeau of the Parti Quebecois blamed "money and the ethnic vote" for his narrow referendum defeat, the image remains that sovereigntists are an exclusive movement made up of old-stock Quebeckers.

That is the real danger of a French society. A society which is by its very definition exclusive for a language will NOT be able to absorb minorities (this explains why English countries are better able to assimilate minorities, as English is a very fluid language and everyone's second language). The BQ and the sovereigntists are a xenophobic bunch, and should they try to around French nationalistic passions there will be trouble in Quebec.

The aboriginal population of Quebec is approximately 62,000. There are lot of English and Arabs in Quebec who do not regard French as their native tongue. The Anglos in Quebec, as the English are known, face a lot of discrimination daily. The Language Laws in Quebec for one.

Indeed from Paris, there's a lot to learn for Quebec.

Tags: Paris Riots Quebec

Democratically Elected Madmen

The pictures coming out of Iran are very festive. Lots of guys and kids. Some with toy guns. All of them burning Israeli flags. All of them smiling. I have one question.

Where the heck do you get so many Israeli flags in Iran?

I mean, when I went to the middle east last winter, I was warned by the consulate that if I had any Israeli stamp on the Canadian passport, I would be refused entry. So who imports Israeli flags? I mean, is there some import/export office in Tehran that deals with this?

Bush, for some reasons, did not say much on this. His deputy at the UN, Bolton, expressed dismay. Coming from the man's usual rhetoric, this was most uncharacteristic. Bush's other deputy ally, Blair, minced no words.

"I have never come across a situation in which the President of a country has said they want to wipe out another country. That is unacceptable."

Ofcourse, what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should have done is be diplomatic, like Blair's buddy GW Bush, and say, "I don't want to destroy Israel. Having said that, all options are on the table." You know, discuss war like civilized people. If you have to threaten a fellow UN member, do it the proper way. Drop hints of military action. Say you are getting tired of them flouting UN regulations.

Just don't threaten to wipe them off the map outright. Stupid.

After all, it's not like anyone is going to war against some country that did nothing to you.

The Times of UK has a great piece on how similar the career paths of the US and Iranian presidents have been.

The early conclusions are startling. Although there could scarcely be two more different political capitals than Washington and Tehran, regional experts have found remarkable parallels in the careers of the Iranian and American presidents. Were it not for their different languages and family backgrounds, Bush and Ahmadinejad might be political "“soulmates"”, according to Juan Cole, a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan.

The article continues the detailing. Their appeal to religious fundamentalists, their war cry, their running as outsiders, and so on. What is more chilling is the conclusion.

The similarities may also extend to an unswerving belief in their nations' rectitude and a refusal to admit to mistakes. In the case of Iran's nuclear ambitions, the two men are set on a collision course that neither seems interested in avoiding.

Wow. Two nutcases. Both democratically elected. And we innocent normal people are caught in the middle.

This World Is Getting Crazy.

Tags: Iran Israel

Wrong to Aid, Says Right

Seems Bush's big speech last night to help Katrina survivors and rebuild New Orleans has many from the right seeing red. According the Guardian many are angry about the expansion of the role of the federal government. Given that the government did practically nothing in the first days, any expansion should be welcome. Not so, says these fellows.

"This is a shocking expansion of the federal role in disaster relief," said Stephen Slivinski, director of budget studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian thinktank. "The fear is these programmes that are supposed to be temporary will find a permanent home in the budget."

...

Some Republicans are voicing their unease. Senator Tom Coburn declared: "I don't believe that everything that should happen in Louisiana should be paid for by the rest of the country."

In Canada the common grouse of many Albertans is that they have to pay for what they see as those lazy Maritimers. What they don't realize is that much of Alberta's wealth comes from oil, and not due to 'hardworking' cow herders. Federalism means the rich help the poor, which is why Ontario, Quebec and Alberta continue to provide help for Nova Scotia, New Foundland and Nunavut.

Given that an American senator openly questioned the wisdom of helping fellow Americans, questioning "that should happen in Louisiana should be paid for by the rest of the country" is right or wrong, it would be curious to see how soon before Albertans (the most American of Canadians) start thinking along the same lines.

Sharon threatens to disrupt Palestinian vote

The Age (of Australia) is reporting (reg. required) that Israel could hinder voting in the occupied West Bank during a Palestinian legislative election in January if Hamas candidates take part, according to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"We will make every effort not to help (the Palestinians). I don't think they can have elections without our help," Sharon was quoted by The New York Times as telling journalists at a meeting in New York. Sharon said Israel might not remove roadblocks in the West Bank, making it difficult for Palestinians there to vote.

Hamas is widely expected to do well at the ballot box at the expense of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' mainstream Fatah faction. Abbas hopes to move Hamas into the political mainstream and away from confrontation with Israel. Sharon's threats have caused deep concern within the Palestinian Authority, which is eager to demonstrate that it was committed to democracy on the road to statehood.

Israel is often touted as the only democracy in the Middle East, where everyone is equal. Such claims often ignore the fact that Israel's Arab citizens are discriminated against (one example is that if an Israeli Arab citizen marries a non-Arab Israeli citizen, the spouse will not get Israeli residency papers). This is restricted to Arabs only, whereas Jews all over the world are encouraged to migrate to Israel. For a so-called-democracy, this is religious apartheid.

Now Sharon's attempts to control elections is meddling in Palestinians' affairs.

You can have democracy and elections, as long as you vote properly, he seems to be saying.

US, Canada and China

Like the 'other woman', China has unexpectedly become the US's no. 1 trading partner, temporarily usurping Canada's supposed birthright. It is only temporary, with a current lull in trading, but the contest is set to begin in earnest in the next few years. With the NAFTA ruling and rule-flouting by the US still ringing in Canada's ears, and a federal election looming, it will be interesting to see what trade policies Canada adopt in the following month.

New Zealand Elections and Canada

Read an article on BBC about New Zealand's upcoming elections. It's interesting how their situation is very similar to Canada's.

"... Labour, which is hoping to win a third three-year term in office. Labour's leader, former academic Helen Clark, is an experienced politician and her government has presided over a sustained period of economic growth. But Labour is facing a strong challenge from National on the two big issues of race and tax, and opinion polls put the two parties level ...National has taken a popular stand against what Mr Brash calls race-based funding, through which Maori receive targeted government funding for health, education and development. Also under fire are new laws allowing same-sex civil unions, a ban on smoking in public places, and a proposed ban on smacking.

While race relations may have soured, the economy has boomed. Unemployment is currently at 3.7%, the lowest in the OECD, and annual growth has been running at more than 4% over the last five years - higher than Australia and the United States - although it has slowed significantly in the past year. As a result, the Labour government is now sitting on a budget surplus of around NZ$7bn ($4.9bn)."

Well, in Canada, the Liberals will soon be seeking an extension to their fifth continuous mandate, having steered Canada very well economically, and sitting on a huge surplus. Many of their laws, such as same-sex marriage and decriminalizing marijuana, has been met with strict opposition by the Conservative Party.

Another similarity can be found on the following paragraph.

"If there is a change of government, the biggest shake-up is likely to be in foreign affairs.

"If National wins, you'll see an opening of dialogue with the United States," said John Armstrong, political commentator at the New Zealand Herald. "They'll want a closer defence relationship in the hope of getting better trade relations."

New Zealand is seeking to follow Australia's lead in winning a free trade agreement with Washington, but a major stumbling block has been Wellington's liberal internationalist stance."

Here the substitution is even easier. There is no doubt a Bush government would welcome a Stephen Harper victory, as Harper has promised actions more in line with Bush's foreign policy than Martin.

However one strict difference between the Canadian political scenario and New Zealand's remains. In New Zealand, voters are equally split between the two camps. In Canada, Harper is languishing at the bottom of the popularity contest.

Jewish Holidays At York University

History professor David Noble wants York University to remain open on Jewish holidays.

According to the Toronto Star (subscription required),

A York University professor is calling on Queen's Park to stop the school's tradition of cancelling three days of classes in October to honour Jewish holidays.

While York is believed to have more Jewish students than any university in Canada — at nearly 5,000, they represent almost 10 per cent of the student body — history professor David Noble says no public, secular university should cancel classes for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah or any other religious holiday, especially in a province that plans to outlaw religious arbitration.

Noble, who is Jewish, plans to hold classes in open defiance of the cancellations, which he says violate the York University Act of 1965 forbidding the university to impose religious observances on any of its members. "We have a secular government and a secular university that makes it illegal to impose religious observances on students and professors who otherwise would not honour them," he said. Noble doesn't plan to defy cancelling classes on religious holidays like Good Friday because they're statutory.

The Cynical Beaver salutes this brave professor. In a multi-cultural society no one culture should be allowed to dominate, else there will be problems. Given that students can already ask for extensions, or waivers, for exams and assignments due to religious reasons, there are no reasons to specially mark Jewish holidays at York. This is promoting a certain culture and idealogy.

I am back

Back from a loooong vacation. Updated the blog with a new layout. Will start regular blogging from tomorrow.