There is no respite. In Gaza, in Israel, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Sri Lanka, in Pakistan and in Zimbabwe, in the Congo and eleswhere death walks the trortured land and strike down the innocent. The focus however is on the bloodbath in the Gaza.

     Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel has the might to do this, but overwhelming force and mass destruction and killings will not win peace for Israel. David ben Gurion had warned that Israel will take " fifty eyes for every eye", but Mahatma Gandhi warned that " an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind "and that blindness, is everywhere. Golda Meir begged the Palestinians " do not let us kill your children " and yet the warning was not heeded and the children continue to die. Yitzak Rabin, talked about " an iron fist in a velvet glove" policy, but Begin, Shamir, Sharon and now the disgraced Olmert have used the iron fist without restraint.It failed before and will fail again.

      You cannot win a war with jets raining bombs from the safety of the skies, but you can cause mass carnage. You cannot break a people's will by killing their children and by starving them with border closings. You cannot set up barriers that add frustrations to an already dreary existence, and expect a people to be docile. These measures have not worked and will not work. You can send in your tanks and soldiers, but there will be a heavy price to pay. There are 20,000 well trained Hamas fighters waiting and many more will die on both sides and what will have been accomplioshed? Nothing, except more of the same. The policy-makers in Israel, need to learn from their own recent history and nothing is more revealing than the defeat at the hands of Hizballah, just a couple years ago. The military wants to send a message, that this time, they will not be thwarted and that they will use all the force necessary, but overkill will not work. The politicians are waging a war to show that they will do anything and everything to ensure the security of Israel, so they can win an election in seven weeks, but this too will not work.

      Olmert's excuse for launching this attack, will not wash. Yes, there have been rockets fired at Israelis, but it came after six months of truce that was holding, until the border closings and the embargo on food, became too much to bear. This is a failed, ruined and disgraced politician, vainly trying to win some approval. Like Bush and the non-existant weapons of mass destruction's lie, Olmert has invented a lie to justify his decision. One Israeli has died because of the fired rockets. So far 300 Palestinians have died, and for what?

      The madness must stop and people of goodwill on both sides and around the world must speak up and condemn the perpetrators of evil on both sides, whoever they are, or evil will triumph. Shalom/ Salaam.     

 

      Xmas came three days early to 18 party hacks, party bagmen and women, toadies, kowtowers, cronies and the tie/ food-stained Duffy. Harper is constitutionally within his power to make these appointments but he could not resist poking Canadians in the eyes with these “has-beens and never-weres". He has, if nothing else, shown that Senate appointments are a travesty and that it is time to get rid of this “patronage plum".

      The Senate is and has been obsolete for a long time, a remnant of British colonialism and practices. As presently constituted, it has no place in a democracy. It is an old folk’s home for retired, spent and defeated politicians, a luxurious pasture for rewarding party hacks, bagmen and cronies. It does little, meeting about one-third of the time as the Commons, with most members not even bothering to show up (members must attend at least one day per session to qualify for their pay), and when they do, they spend most of their time sitting in the comfortable chairs in the ante-room. It does little legislative work, being merely a rubber stamp (there may be times, like 1988, when they were used by the Liberals to thwart Mulroney's Free Trade bill, forcing an election or as in the case of the G.S.T. causing Mulroney to use for the first time, the power to add senators).

      When it was created in 1867, it was meant to represent the provinces (this is now being done by cabinet ministers from the provinces), to help with Private bills and to be “the chamber of sober second thoughts ", to hold in check any radical changes by the Commons. Other than private bills and some investigative work, it does little (the Liberals can use their majority to stop any legislation, but this is another reason why it has to go).

      Senate reform is long overdue. There are many models (the U.S.A., France, Germany etc.) that can offer ideas, but we need "a made in Canada" answer. In 1978, Trudeau tried to create a House of the Provinces, but it was opposed by the provinces (especially Quebec), and the Supreme Court ruled against it. There cannot be unilateral change, without the provinces and this will be difficult to get. Harper's" go it alone" will not work, but that does not mean that no changes should be attempted. What it means is that negotiations with the other political parties and the provinces must take place but this not the time, as there are too many distractions, the tanking economy and a minority government in survival mode.     

      Happy Holidays and I hope you get as lucrative a Gift.

               .          

      Sugar does not make children hyper-active; poinsettias are not poisonous; mid-night snacking won't make you fat; you do not lose more body heat through your head; suicides do not increase over the holidays and you cannot cure a hangover.

      In at least a dozen double-blind control trials at Indiana University School of Medicine, researchers could not detect any difference in behavior between children who had sugar and those who did not.

      In an analysis of 849,575 plant exposures reported to the American Association of Poison Control, none of the 22,793 cases involving poinsettias involved resulted in deaths or anyone becoming seriously ill. In the case of 92 children who ingested substantial amounts of leaves, none required medical treatment.

      Indiana U. Aaron Carroll noted that a Swedish study in 2002 reported that obese women ate more meals at night than non-obese women. Obese women ate more overall over the course of the entire day... Subsequent studies involving over 2500 patients, found no link between eating at night and weight gain. However, eating more than three times a day can lead to overweight.

     An old U.S. Army study had linked body heat loss through the head, but in that study, people were put in extreme cold, in Arctic survival suits but no hats. It was the only part of the body exposed to the cold, thus “they lost most of the heat through their head ", said Carroll.”There is nothing special about the head, other than it's a large surface area ". You should wear a hat as well as mittens and coat. Cover all body parts.

      No good scientific data exist to suggest that suicides increase during the holidays. There is data however, that shows that suicides peak during warmer months and are actually lowest in winter, say the IndianaU. researchers.

     The hair of the dog does not cure hangovers, not even non-steroid anti-inflamatories, artichokes, prickly pears, and a pint of ice-cream or green papayas. Pace your drinking, eat, and drink in moderation.

      Now go and have a very happy holidays. Eat, drink and be merry (Tomorrow is promised to no one. So live like there is no tomorrow and dance like no one is watching ), and usher in the New Year with someone near and dear AND MAY IT BE BETTER THAN THE BEST OF YESTERYEAR!!!!!     


      

      No surprise, no strong statement, no initiative, same old, same old. Yes, there are 13 women in the cabinet, but the only one  more anglo to go with Charest's "Potemkin village", James. He left the only credible person with the northern aboriginals/ natives, Kelly, and instead chose someone with ties to the mining industry. Charest's relationship with them is already tense, and this will not improve it.

      Charest is droll and his cabinet choices fully demonstrate this. He has shafted the anglo/ ethnic communities again, and they fully deserve it, for meekly going along and voting for the liberal party, again and again. This time he has included a single Italian, one of the most loyal community to the Liberals.

      The " dog and pony " show that Bush undertook, in order to gain some good feeling in the dying days of his of his failed administration, will always be remembered for the scornful "shoe and dog "  statement by Iraqi journalist,Muntather al-Zeidi, " this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog", he shouted as he launched the first shoe, which Bush alertly ducked. He then tossed a second shoe, before he was subdued and dragged away. 

      In 2003, when the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled, the ordinary Iraqi people, showed their scorn and hatred, by taking their shoes and beating it. Shoes are seen as dirty and hitting someone with it and calling them dog is a great insult. The illegal war that has been waged in Iraq has taken a tremendous toll on all involved. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, the government is barely functioning, the death rate continues to rise, the economy is in the pits, there is a lack of electricity, clean water, health care and security, over 4,000 Americans have been killed, over 40,000 have suffered debilitating injuries, over $600 billion have been wasted, and yet there is no end in sight. This is Bush's legacy to both the American people and the Iraqis. The hurled shoe is a fitting metaphor.

      Bush became president at a time when the U.S.A. was blooming from 8 years of economic growth and no war. He is leaving with the country greatly weakened, politically,economically and militarily. There are two unwinnable wars, an economy in shambles, and a tired, scared and scorned country. There are attempts by his loyal lackeys to brighten his remaining days, but this too will fail. It will focus attention however, on all the wrongs, that he has wrought on the nation. There is no victory here, only a sad litany of all that has gone wrong.

      There are three ( among the many ), lasting images that will define his administration....... Bush in that classroom, looking lost and confused at the news of 9/11,  a strutting Bush, with the banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished", and now, Bush ducking the Shoe.

      I do hope, he has few nightmares, for there are no halcyon days.       

       

                                        A History of T.R.C.

In Argentina, Chile and Peru, after the “ dirty wars “, in East Timor after Indonesian genocide and in South Africa after apartheid, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions were established, because of the fears that criminal prosecutions/retributions/revenges against the perpetrators would wreck the fragile political consensus that was used to establish peace and democracy.

     It allowed these countries to move toward accountability in a peaceful and democratic way. In some case, a bargain was struck, under which pardons were given in exchange for truthful confessions about past misconduct. This is based on the idea that establishing an historical record was more important to the development of democracy, than punishing individuals for the crimes that they committed.

     In Argentina, Chile, Peru and South Africa, accounts of victims were carefully recorded in public. This educating of the public about the homicidal practices and abuses of the previous regime was necessary to build a public consensus, for the rehabilitation of the victims and the punishment of the perpetrators.

     “I am sorry “, is the three hardest words for many to say. Failure to admit past wrongs have been the cause of much blood-shed, many blood- feud, and continued ethnic cleansing, whether it be in Rwanda, former Yugoslavia or the Caucasus. Argentina, Chile, East Timor, Peru, South Africa and more recently Rwanda must be commended. They have established a pattern of politics that the rest of the world can do well to emulate.

                                    Aboriginal abuses in Canada.

     The decision to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is long overdue and even now is suffering from growing pains with the resignation of its head. However the appointment of retired Supreme Court justice, Frank Iacobucci is a good step forward. It should begin its long-awaited hearings early in the New Year.

     The abuses suffered by the Aboriginal peoples ( North American Indians, Inuit and Métis ), at the hands of the Canadian state ( forced settlements, unproductive reservations, the Indian Act and the bureaucrats, who had to approve all band decisions ), discrimination by the police ( Helen Betty Osborne, J.J.Harper, Dudley George etc.), the courts ( Donald Marshall ) and other aspects of the justice system …jails ( they are about 4.5% of the Canadian population but are 15%- 20% of prison inmates, ( having lost their land, original livelihood ( hunting and fishing ), their culture and, living in dreary reserves, with high unemployment and little to do, relying on welfare and a dependency on drugs and alcohol, leading to family and other violence and trouble with the law, unable to pay fines and ending up in jail ). Alienated, depressed, abused, subject to misunderstandings, prejudices, harassment and brutality, the soul is sundered.

     Their children were taken ( until the 70s ) from them, adopted by non-native family, forced to go to residential schools, where they were forbidden to speak their language or practice their culture, abused physically and sexually. They did not even have the right to vote until 1960 and until 1951, the Indian Act made it an offence to hire a lawyer to bring a claim against Canada, without government consent. Canada has much to answer for and its hypocrisy is palpably evident when they chastise other nations about their abuses of their people. We have to get our own house in order.

     The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is a good first step. How do you repair the soul of a people so long abused and alienated? How do you make up for the devastations that have been wreaked on them?  Why have we allowed this evil to perpetuate itself? Are we capable of stop being judgmental and accept what we have wrought? Are we willing to overcome our ignorance and open up our minds and accept that we have done wrong and are willing to make amends?

     The answers hopefully will come with the hearings. It must be public. It must be open. It must be penetrating. It must be fully broadcasted and it must say “We are sorry “and “we acknowledge and admit our errors”, and “we apologize fully ” and “we beg your forgiveness”,

     If we can do this, it would be a far, far better thing that we have done, than we have done before.     

      The Liberals have finally gotten their house in order with the elevation of Michael Grant Ignatieff as interim leader. A distinguished academic, descended from Russian royalty and Canadian White Anglo-Saxon Anglican ( W.A.S.A.). His paternal grand-father was Education Minister to Tsar Nicholas 11, and his maternal great grand-father was Principal of Queens University. His father was a Canadian diplomat and his mother was the sister of the late, great, Canadian philosopher and author ( Lament for a Nation, Technology and Empire  etc. ), George Grant .

     After stints as a professor at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, he returned to Canada in 2005, taught at University of Toronto and entered politics with the Liberal party. He ran and lost the leadership for the Liberal party to Stephane Dion, but twice was elected to parliament. He is better prepared now for politics, having put some distance  from academia. He has gained experience from the " to and fro " of parliament, and  is fluent in English and French. He is a strong supporter of the idea of Quebec being the " centre of Canada ", and this will win him great support in Quebec, especially after Harper's harsh condemnation of the Bloc's involvement in the joint effort with the Liberals and the N.D.P. to bring a vote of non-confidence against the Harper gov't. 

      His Russian background will serve him well amongst the ethnic communities, especially those from Europe. He is only the second non- British ( English, Scottish, Irish ), non -French leader of a major party and may become the first since Diefenbaker to be Prime Minister. Given the fact that the Liberals have always had a strong connection to the ethnic communities...Jewish, Italians, Greeks, Indians, but which has been eroding, the selection of Ignatieff may be the key to bringing them back and even extending to the Reform/Conservative, support amongst the Ukrainians, Serbs, Germans, Scandinavians etc , especially in the West .

      Ignatieff has already breathed life in a somwewhat moribund and divisive party. He needs to establish his control over the party, bring back the discipline that was lacking under Martin and Dion, and clearly articulate his vision for the future. He must keep the pressure on Harper and must do so with  clarity and verve.

      Iggy is the leader who will strike fear in the shallow Ref/ Cons.He is informed, articulate and tough. He will excel in the rough and tumble of parlia  

 

      The deed is done, and fully 76% of the eligible voters ( 46% who did not show up and 33% who voted for the other parties ), rejected Charest and the Liberals. He called an election under false pretenses for Dec.8, when the weather would be a factor, because the media and the polls were trumpeting, that he will easily win a large majority, what, with the PQ with a new and untried leader with personality problems and the A.D.Q. slipping into oblivion. The result was that only 57%, voted. This is the lowest turnout since 1927( since then, turnout has been around 70% and in 2007 it was 71% ).This means that Charest got about 24% of the registered vote ( 42% ). This is not a mandate for change.

      His coterie is celebrating what they call his third straight victory, not done since Duplessis in 1952 ( he won four ),but they fail to note that Charest is the first premier not to win two consecutive majority since 1970 or that he is the first premier since 1878 to form a miniority gov't in 2007. What would make this historic, is if he has the " cojones " to acknowledge his debt to the Anglophone community, by including more than a token in his Cabinet, if he includes more women  and finally give representation to " les autres ", and open up the public service.

     His last majority ( 2003 ), was marked by his arrogance, being out of touch, selling off parts of Mt. Orford and too involved with " re-engineering ". He said that he has learnt from the past. How many of his myriad of promises will be shunted off, under the guise of the economic crisis? He said that he has changed. He has many former Robert Bourassa's advisers around him, so perhaps he will do things differently. Let's wait and see.

      The result had some good news. His majority will be thin. The Official Opposition will be able to hold him accountable. Mario, the sorcerer's apprentice, has been severely chastised and the Quebec Solidaire has had a breakthrough, electing their first member. This bodes well for the future.         

 

 

      100 young lives wasted and for what. This is the price of ignorance and arrogance, of good intentions gone wrong. Having to make a decision to support an illegal war in Iraq and /or a questionable one in Afghanistan, the Chretien Gov't chose the latter, where they had the cover of NATO and the limited legitimacy it offered. Martin and later Harper continued the mission, even though it was evident that they were supporting a Karzai ( Pashtun ) government that lacked legitimacy even with the Pashtuns in the south, as well as the Hazaras, the Uzbeks and the Tadjiks elsewhere. Failure to understand the cleavages in a country is a recipe for disaster. Failure to learn from history dooms you to repeat the tragedy of history and failure to understand the terrain of a country lead to military defeat. Canada and NATO are guilty on each count and thus the inability to make headway and the resulting quagmire.

      Arrogance contribute to the fiasco. Having superior military fire-power does not mean that victory is assured. No miltary can defeat the will, and the determination of a people nourished with religious fanaticism. You cannot win victory from the air. The Soviets learnt this too late in their invasion of Afghanistan, and the Americans failed to learn from their Vietnam nightmare and are paying a heavy price on the ground in Iraq. The British who had tried to subjugate the Afghanis in the 1840s, used to say that you cannot buy an Afghani, you can only rent one ( one lesson taught to them by the Afghanis, which they seem to have forgotten, was the slaughtering 0f 9,999 of a contingent of 10,000 in 1840 between Kandahar and Jallalabad, leaving one alive to take back the message....Stay Away. Even Alexander was defeated at the Battle of Multan. Ethnocentrism/ Euro-centrism/ racism blind those who use it. None of the massive military machines..planes, tanks , humvees , armored carriers etc., have worked. The miltary option has failed. It is time to accept this. Negotiations with the diverse ethnic elements is the solution ( Isolate al Queeda and the foreign jihadists... the Afghanis would love to fight them ).

      Good intentions, if not carefully thought out can be disastrous, as is the case here. Building schools ,roads, hospitals and ensuring that girls are treated with respect and are educated , are all noble goals, but when you alienate a nation, by trampling on their values, you are doomed to fail and if anything, make the situation worse. Let's start over, but this time let us do it properly. Let us educate ourselves about Afghanistan. Learn their history, appreciate their values and beliefs, study the cleavages and know the country. Co-opt leaders who are willing to work with you. Use the Jirga Loya to create a collegial council to govern the people.Kazai has to go. He is tainted and not trusted

      Walk respectfully amongst them, and perhaps, these young lives woukld not have been lost in vain. 

 

      G.G. Michaelle Jean made the wrong decision. She should have sent Harper back to face parliament, not for the vote of non-confidence but to try and work something out with the opposition and then to come back with his request to prorogue. Instead , she has allowed him to wriggle out of the predicament of his own making. She has rewarded him for his divisive, manipulative and ruthless behaviour. She should have taken more time to study the situation and not be rushed to give an immediate answer. She has many good qualities, and has served Canada well, since taking office, but she has little constitutional knowledge and even though she could have  asked for advice from experts, she chose not to and gave in . She could have served the country better, if she had let Harper stew for a while, just to teach him a lesson, that he cannot always get his way. 

      Canada is a complicated country to govern with regional, linguistic, religious, ethnic and cultural cleavages. The politics of compromise and consensus must be practiced. Harper is an idealogue steeped in fundamentalist religious values. This is what defines him and what makes it impossible to govern successfully. All successful Canadian Prime Ministers knew this...Macdonald, Laurier. McKenzie King ( the Great Compromiser famously noted that " while some countries have too much history, Canada has too much geography "), Pearson and even Trudeau, Chretien and Mulrooney. Those who chose to govern by playing one part of the cleavage against the other Borden, Diefenbaker and now Harper ( playing the West against Central Canada or the English against the French, Canadians against immigrants, are doomed to fail.

      Harper is ill-suited to be Prime Minister. There are others in his party eg. Jim Prentice who are better equipped to do so. He has done great harm in his extreme lamguage, his demonising of the Bloc, his contempt for parliament and his distortions. Truth is elastic in politics, but extremism in any fiorm is destructive. 

      He has been given more time to scheme, and  to plot the demise of the other parties ( tax subsidy having failed ). He will be more wary and wily, but Harper is Harper, he will not change ( the sweater was a sham ). Come Jan. 26, he will get his come-uppance, but only if the Liberals get their act and their loyalty together. This may prove to be too difficult for some of them and their ambitions. In the meantime, the fiasco in Ottawa has given a boost to Jean Charest and in all likelihood has propelled him to a majority in next Monday's, Dec.8, election in Quebec. He was made to look quite erudite and responsible.