Shall we try for June?

April has passed and Ratko Mladic remains free. No mention yet of an extension, and it may be that the Europeans will actually stick to the deadline this time and freeze talks with Serbia over membership. We'll see.

"Scream for Darfur"

This afternoon I attended the rally for Darfur today in Queen's Park. I must say that I was of mixed feelings about attending. As important as it is that events such as this be held to draw the media's attention to the attrocities (and for that I applaud the young people who organized the event), the fact is that rallies tend to attract large numbers of the well intentioned but uninformed and hippy dippy types for whom a protest in the park is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. That is not to suggest, of course, that there were not also people in attendance for whom bringing attention to the genocide is profoundly important.


After having attended the event, I remain of mixed feelings. The band that performed as things were getting started were certainly of the uninformed variety. We started with a song for the environment (which, if I do say so myself, does not compare with the song I later composed: "Hug a Tree for Darfur"). "I hope everyone's feeling great here today!". We're here to draw attention to a genocide, just peachy thanks. But they were young and inexperienced, so at least they had an excuse.

The same cannot be said for Olivia Chow, who seemed to use the event as an opportunity to talk up the NDP. Apparently they have cared about the attrocities in Darfur for a long time. This must be part of their very own hidden agenda, because until very recently I don't remember them talking about it at all.

Luckily things began to improve as people who have actually shown a long time commitment to the cause spoke. Representatives of the Darfur Association of Canada, Canadians Against Torture and Slavery in Sudan (CASTS) and the Sudanese Canadian Human Rights Coalition, along with current and former MPs David Kilgour, Irwin Cotler and Maurice Vellacott gave impassioned pleas for action in Darfur.

Acol Dror, co-founder of CASTS, originally from southern Sudan, told her own story of her father's murder by the Sudanese government . Her speech reminded us that Darfur is not the first time that the government in Khartoum has committed attrocities on Sudanese civilians. If the world does not act, it will likely not be the last. Norman Epstein, also of CASTS, spoke about the need to act outside the United Nations if necessary, citing Kosovo as precendent for action against genocide without the Security Council's approval.

Many of the speakers mentioned the sanctions against four Sudanese individuals, pointing out that these actions were grossly insufficient to end the attrocities. Along with providing increased aid, and support on the ground, demands were made to create a no-fly zone over Darfur to protect the citizens against government-sponsored attacks. It was suggested that China should also be brought to task for their support of the Sudanese government, not only working to protect them in the Security Council, but also supplying them with arms. Although it was somewhat gratifying to hear some tangible proposals that could protect the people of Darfur, the question remains who will bother to act.


And then there was Jack. Jack, of course, couldn't miss an opportunity to act the buffoon, literally screaming into the microphone and insisting it is what he'll be doing in the Commons when they discuss Darfur this week (I suppose it couldn't be any less valuable than what he might actually say). I'll be watching for it.

Ken Dryden Hopes to Bring End to Democracy

Ken Dryden has thrown his hat into the Liberal Leadership ring. Why? Because he's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore.

Apparently Dryden is angry that he spent months working on the Liberal's let-the-government-raise-your-children plan, but then there was an election and the Canadian people decided that they didn't want the Liberals in power any more and so the whole plan was just abandoned. Can you believe it? It's like nobody even cares about how hard poor Kenny worked. Canadians just got to decide at the ballot box who they wanted to represent them, with no thought as to whether it was best for him.

If Dryden becomes head of the Liberal Party, he will work hard to ensure that the Canadian people can never again crush his dreams. He and his team are looking into alternate forms of government that would not be subject to the whims of Canadians.

13 Good Reasons To Switch From Internet Explorer to Firefox...

4. Mozilla doesn't inflate prices and use the money to vaccinate children in Africa.

I'm not sufficiently nerdy to be a browser devotee, but this is funny.

The Clock's Ticking

A spokesperson for Carla Del Ponte insists the deadline to turn over Ratko Mladic remains the end of this month despite media reports to the contrary. That gives them until Sunday to capture him and hand him over.

Now, I'm not really one to judge people for waiting until the last minute to get things done. But to be fair, they have already been granted a number of extensions.

Something to Think About

There has been a fair bit more talk lately about the situation in Darfur. There is a big rally planned this weekend in Washington, D.C. (and smaller ones across the continent, including here in Toronto). But as the calls for action increase, it is in no way clear that anyone has a solution. NATO does not seem interested in serious involvement, the Americans have made it clear they don't plan to lead a mission (and Europe never does anything alone), and the U.N..... well, the U.N. is the U.N. Perhaps it is time to start thinking about other solutions to end this thing. Could private security firms providing support to the African Union be the answer?

There would likely be a lot of opposition to this idea (the comments page at the Boston Globe has a lot of reactions about how warfare is already "corporate" enough), but it is easy to come up with arguments against something when it is not your life at risk and you are not the one facing gang rape by militiamen. I think it merits serious discussion. If Western governments and international organizations aren't willing or able to act, we need to start considering alternatives. Now.

(link via Chequer-Board of Nights and Days)

Sanctions in Sudan

The United Nations voted today to apply sanctions against four "alleged" Sudanese war criminals. This was possible because the Russians and Chinese abstained from the vote.

It's good to see that they have achieved some acknowledgement of Sudanese crimes within the U.N. However, given the amount of work that was required to achieve this minor step, it doesn't leave much hope for a serious response that could actually have an impact.

His Roommate is In!

Bob Rae has officially joined the Liberal leadership race. On a political level, I encourage Liberals to support Rae, if they want to abandon all chances of winning in Ontario, who am I to stop them? But this whole business of running against your old roommate (a fact finally acknowledged in the press) strikes me as somewhat disloyal. It's not like these people used to just share an apartment, they were good friends. Just last year Rae introduced Ignatieff at a speaking event, when it could just as easily have been someone else. I've never agreed with Rae politically, but I've always thought of him as a decent person. But I think that abandoning old relationships to pursue your own political glory says a lot about a person. He'll probably make a pretty good Liberal leader after all.

Beaches residents confirm suspicions that they are pretentious gits

The people of the Beaches have spoken, and they want their neighbourhood to be officially known as "the Beach". Everybody who lives outside the Beaches will continue to call it the Beaches, and will give confused looks every time someone refers to it as "the Beach". (My bet is if for some crazy reason the people of Toronto actually listen to Beaches residents and start calling it "the Beach", we've got about a decade before they discover that, in fact, "the Sands" is more historically accurate.)

In other news, I am starting a campaign to have the name of my neighbourhood changed from the "Yonge Street Strip" to the "Yonge Street Strips". There is more than one strip club in my neighbourhood and I think the official name should recognize that fact.

Bitter Lemon is Old

I was just chatting with the (seemingly) nice girl over at Second Cup. They had run out of trays and she was kindly helping me carry my order back to the office. I mentioned to her that I had worked at the same coffee shop back when I was an undergrad. She responded: "wow it's been here that long?!!". Sigh.

Never again (will we allow Germans to kill Jews in 1940s Europe)

The Chinese and the Soviets Russians are expected tomorrow to block efforts to apply targeted sanctions against individuals in the Sudanese government who have been singled out as responsible for the attrocities in Darfur.

As of tomorrow two permanent members of the Security Council will essentially be on record as saying that they don't intend to allow the U.N. to do a damn thing (no matter how small) about Darfur. Any pretense from this point on that this genocide is going to be stopped through the international body is a lie and everyone knows it.

The U.N. is over, it has been for a long time. The world needs to accept it and move on.

Trying Taylor in Africa

The New York Times has a piece today by the former Sierra Leonean ambassador to the United States, John Leigh. Leigh argues that Charles Taylor should be tried at the Special Court in Sierra Leone, rather than being shipped off to the Hague.

While acknowledging the problems that keeping the former Liberian president would pose -- security risks chief among them -- he argues that the benefits of trying him in Africa (by a U.N. backed court) outweigh the costs. I tend to agree. The need to have the VIPs of the war criminal community tried outside of the jurisdiction in which they committed their crimes perplexes me. This is particularly the case here, where they have already established a special court to handle it. What is the message? Sierra Leone is fine to try the little people, but the ex-president of a neighbouring state needs to be prosecuted in Europe where they have real courts. As Leigh points out, witnessing the process of justice is important for Sierra Leone as it attempts to transition into a stable democracy where the rule of law applies to everyone.

Trying someone in an international setting may make sense when nation that they victimized really can't, or won't, put them on trial. But barring that, their victims deserve to see justice served at home.

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite... et chantage

I refrained from commenting on the French riots because I didn't have anything to add to what was being said by everyone else. But this I can't ignore: Jean Lassalle, a French MP has just ended a 39 day hunger strike that sought to prevent a Japanese company from closing down a paint factory within his constituency. The company has agreed to keep the factory open after meeting with Sarko.

Personally I think they should have let him starve to death. What hope is there for any sort of reform in France? The people who are willing to behave in the most childish manner consistently get their way.

I'm all yours!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have completed my final assignment of the term (in which I cited Michael Ignatieff, proving that in a pinch I will abandon my principles... maybe I should run for the Liberal leadership).

I have decided to take a break from school for the summer, so you can expect to see more frequent posts over the coming months. Don't get too excited, I'm promising quantity, not quality!

U.N. Tells Ratko Mladic to Make Peace in Darfur Before he is Captured

Okay, I made that up. But it is about as likely as the real story, which is that the U.N. Security Council has told the Sudanese government and the rebels in Darfur to make peace before April 30th. Or else!

Diplomats said Britain would soon distribute a list of individuals it believes are blocking the peace process, who could become the targets of U.N. sanctions, such as a travel ban and having their foreign assets frozen. But China, which has veto power, has said it was not in favor of sanctions.

Empty threats from the U.N. Security Council. I guess it's over for the Sudanese regime. How can they possibly continue their genocidal plans in the face of such a show of power from the world body?

He's in

Michael Ignatieff has officially entered the race for Liberal leadership. I would like everyone to take a moment to imagine the reaction if someone who had been living in the United States until a few months ago announced that they were going to run for the Conservative leadership. The media would be acting like George W. Bush himself were coming to take over the party.

I will admit that I take this quite personally. I am a huge fan of Michael Ignatieff's work on international human rights, and to think that I spent so much time listening to a man who can see something worth saving in today's Liberal Party distresses me to no end. I always knew that we parted ways when it came to Canadian politics, but this is unforgivable.

In other Liberal news... Belinda announced yesterday that she would not be running. Apparently the process is set up in such a way that it would not be easy to buy the votes she needs. Losing the leadership bid for two different parties would just be embarrassing. Don't give in yet Belinda, there's always the NDP (and keep working on your french homework... Gilles has to step down eventually).

Of course, Belinda staying out of the race means that this whole thing just got a lot less entertaining. Which had to happen, following the rule that Canadian politics can't hold our interest for more than a week for fear that Canadians would actually get involved and want to talk about something other than healthcare.

Harper Mentions a Role for Canada in Darfur

Stephen Harper publicly mentioned the possibility of an expanded role for Canada in Darfur yesterday. It seems unlikely that, given our current political situation, the state of our military and our commitment in Afghanistan, Canada is going to be taking the lead in a multinational force in Sudan. Nonetheless, I am encouraged by the fact that we now have a Prime Minister who acknowledges the horrors in Darfur (rather than one who simply uses it when it is politically convenient).

It's nice to have a Prime Minister who understands that Canada can have a role in the world that extends beyond trying to be BFF with Bono. Hopefully this is a sign of more to come.

This time they really mean it. Really.

Serbia has been given one more month to turn over Ratko Mladic or their talks to enter the E.U. will be frozen. I think it's safe to say that you can expect to see a repeat of this statement at the start of May.

Welcome Slate Readers

Welcome to those who found Bitter Lemon through Slate. Have a look around, stay awhile.

Perhaps I should take this as motivation to post more frequently (not that I don't love my long time readers).

Pan-Arabism and Islamism in Sudan

An interesting take on the situation in Darfur at TCS Daily.

Saddam Charged With Genocide

Saddam Hussein and Chemical Ali have been formally charged with genocide against the Kurdish people. As the article points out, this is the first time that a Middle Eastern leader has been charged with genocide. More importantly perhaps, they are being tried by an Iraqi court. Genocide charges have traditionally come from international courts, whose legitimacy can be questioned by those sympathetic to the criminals on trial (see Milosevic). Furthermore, international trials do not force nations to come to terms with their past. By trying Saddam and his henchmen within the country, the attempt to exterminate the Kurdish people is on record within Iraq. This is important not only for the Kurds to get the justice that they have long been denied, but also to help the Iraqi people more fully come to terms with the horrors of the Baathist regime.

I almost believe them

Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, has been denied entry to Darfur. The Sudanese government has offered a number of reasons, including the fact that the trip would coincide with the Prophet Muhammad's birthday and that Egeland might be at risk after the recent Danish cartoon controversy (Egeland is Norwegian, and Europeans all look the same). Egeland claims that the Sudanese government doesn't want him to see how bad things have become in South Darfur. But why? What does it matter whether U.N. officials see how desperate things have become? The situation in Darfur has already been well documented, I'm not sure what piece of information would finally force the international community to act. The Sudanese government has already demonstrated that, like so many genocidal regimes before them, they have learned to play the intervention avoidance game. Really, I just can't see their motivation for keeping him out.

Maybe a genocidal past should be a requirement for membership

You're never going to believe this, but Serbia is saying that they need more time to turn over Ratko Mladic.

It was bad enough that Milosevic died before a verdict had been delivered in his case. At this rate, Mladic will live out the rest of his life without going on trial.

I can't say that I have high hopes for Europe standing firm on their deadline. Let's face it, it would be rather out of character. But if they do cave, they really need to think what message it sends that protecting genocidal maniacs isn't a barrier to joining your club.

Progress in the Middle East?

Sorting through the mail at work one day about 5 years ago, I came across a letter from Iraq. On it was a stamp with an image of Saddam Hussein. The picture was surround by a heart shaped garland of flowers. There was writing in Arabic (I don't know what it said), and in English it said "We say yes Saddam!".

A few minutes ago, I was looking at the massive pile of mail and told our clerks to watch out for cool stamps, because you never know what treasures you might find. I glanced through and found a letter from Saudi Arabia. The message on the stamp is "No For Terrorism". Sure, it would be better if it wasn't just rhetoric on Saudi Arabia's part. But if stamps from the Middle East have to contain political messages, I'll pick the latter over the former any day.

WWJD? I bet he'd say "Thank you"

The "Christian Peacemaker" hostages were freed today by coalition forces in Iraq. I don't care whether or not they acknowledge it, they owe their freedom to the brave British and U.S. forces that rescued them.

What I love about these pacifisty types is that, when push comes to shove, they will abandon their principles. If they don't believe that coalition forces should be in Iraq, then they should have refused to be rescued by them. Now we'll never know how long it would have taken for prayer to turn their captors hearts!

Attention Language Lovers!

Do you have any burning questions about generative grammar or the pro-drop parameter? If so, you won't want to miss the online chat with linguist Noam Chomsky at the Washington Post on Friday. If we're lucky, he might even be convinced to share his views on American foreign policy.

"I shall go on keeping score about this until the last phony pacifist has been strangled with the entrails of the last suicide-murderer."

I've been feeling sort of irritated of late as I keep reading things that imply that, at the 3 year mark, we are now all in agreement that the war was a bad idea.

And that is why we have Hitch.

Take your time, it's not like lives are at stake or anything

NATO is now saying that they will provide support for a U.N. mission in Darfur. Not actual troops or anything crazy like that. This is hardly worth the risk to Western soldiers! That's why God made Bangladeshis. But if the U.N. force should get a mandate and needs moral support, NATO will be right behind them.

NATO Secretary-General De Hoop Scheffer said he was "quite sure that when that question comes that the NATO allies will stand ready to support that mission in Darfur." Wow, "quite sure" that they will be able to provide some kind of support if given the chance. That's commitment!

Of course, it is all meaningless anyway, since the government in Khartoum says they will continue to oppose the presence of non-African troops in Darfur. And since it has taken three years to get NATO agree in principle to provide support, I'm not holding out hopes that someone is going to start getting tough with Sudan now.

Surprisingly, doing nothing just isn't enough

Eric Reeves explains why things are likely only going to get worse in Darfur (free registration required):

The African Union had committed "in principle" to a handover to the United Nations in January. But the genocidaires in Khartoum used the intervening weeks to remarkable diplomatic effect, pledging to withdraw from the African Union if there were a handover to the United Nations, implicitly threatening to unleash Al Qaeda on Western forces, and lobbying A.U. nations. Egypt weighed in on Khartoum's behalf, creating the prospect that the African Union might split along "Arab" and "African" lines.

Last Friday's decision by the African Union to keep the Darfur mission for another six months revealed just how effective these threats and lobbying efforts had been. Because the African Union reaffirmed its support in principle for an eventual U.N. mission, some at the United Nations sought to put a positive spin on the outcome. But the approving noises from Khartoum suggest how disastrous the decision is.

.....

In surveying this chaotic tableau of human suffering, we must not forget why it has taken place. This is not a "natural disaster," as one U.N. information site has suggested. Nor is it an accidental by-product of armed conflict--a massive case of collateral damage. This human destruction is intended. It grows out of racial and ethnic hatred, deliberately inflamed by the National Islamic Front regime in Khartoum. It is genocide. And after last week, we have every reason to believe that it is far from over.

I can't believe I'm saying this...

But go read this article in The Sun.

I'll have more thoughts on Afghanistan later. Class beckons.

Pretending to care was fun while it lasted

Jan Egeland, U.N. undersecretary for Human Rights, has warned that hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur face starvation if the situation there does not improve and says the region is returning to the "abyss of 2004".

Egeland said this is "a test case for the world for having no more Rwandas and no more massive loss of innocent lives." Is he even paying attention? If this was a test, the world failed a long time ago. Now he wants Western nations to send more money to support the African Union while they pander to the genocidal regime in Khartoum. And of course, wealthy Western nations will send money, because it somehow eases our guilty consciences. So what if the African Union forces won't be able to prevent the deaths of thousands of people in Darfur. At least we're doing something.

For the past few weeks the world has played a game and pretended that they might finally act in Darfur. Now we've decided to return to status quo and the most Darfuris can expect from the United Nations is the occasional statement about how things are becoming hopeless.

Since the African Union is expected to transfer responsibility in six months time, I predict we'll play this same game again in late July. Am I just being cynical? Let them prove me wrong.

This list will probably change tomorrow

I've been tagged by Martyloo:

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they are any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to."

1. The Decemberists -- The Sporting Life.

2. Belle and Sebastian -- Funny Little Frog.
I was rather disappointed by the last album, but I'm loving The Life Pursuit, and so...

3. Belle and Sebastian -- White Collar Boy.

4. Rufus Wainwright -- The Art Teacher.
It's not his best song, but something about it appeals to me of late.

5. Dwight Yoakam -- Little Ways

6. Radiohead -- Where I End and You Begin.

7. Wilco -- Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again).

Having never been part of a community in my life, I can't think of seven bloggers off the top of my head that I actually know, and I ain't tagging strangers (this might be the perfect opportunity for a certain someone who will remain nameless to start the sports blog that will change the face of sports blogging ... whatever that face might be). It will come to me. Why don't we start with Alexandrew. They are busy touring Asia, but this will give them something to think about once they reach the beach...

The previous times I have gone off topic, posting a link to a composite pic of Toronto and my post on Jesus' Birthday, I seem to have made my readers very nervous. Don't worry, I promise I will immediately return to the fun-free self-righteousness that you have all come to appreciate.

Harper Visits Afghanistan

Stephen Harper made a surprise visit to Afghanistan today to show his support for the troops. Today's soldiers are continuing our nation's proud military tradition of defending freedom throughout the world. Hopefully the Prime Minister's visit will help Canadians understand the importance of this mission.

Annan reaffirms that he is happy to watch Africans die

It has been decided that the African Union will continue to oversee peacekeeping operations in Darfur until December. After that, the UN will take over. This 'compromise' will allow Sudan to continue to perpetrate genocide while protecting the international community from actually having to give a damn. So everybody wins!

Kofi is reportedly happy with the agreement. Of course he is, by December somebody else will be Secretary General of the U.N., and the murder of tens of thousands of Darfuris can be somebody else's problem.

Milosevic is Dead

Slobodan Milosevic has died in his prison cell in the Hague, apparently of natural causes.

While it is hard to feel sorrow at the death of a genocidal lunatic, this means that his victims will be denied the justice that had already been so delayed. It is more important than ever that Mladic and Karazdic be brought to trial.

Got to get him healthy so he can go back to planning murder

If Rudolf Hoess had become sick in 1943 do you think the British government would have allowed him to visit for medical treatment so that he could return to Auschwitz and get on with the business at hand? Why do I ask? Because the head of intelligence for the Sudanese government, complicit in the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Darfur, was recently given entry into Britain to receive medical care.

Of course, this isn't the first time Salah Abdallah Gosh has received special treatment. Having been a good buddy of Osama's while the al-Qaeda leader was in Sudan, he has since come to be an ally in the war on terror and the U.S. government has lobbied to protect him from sanctions.

I'm not naive enough to pretend that fighting Islamist terrorism won't require Western governments to make deals with some rather unpleasant people. But you have to draw the line somewhere and, call me a pie-eyed idealist, maybe making friends with genocidal killers should be that place.

Now maybe the world will listen... (but probably not)

In response to the idea that the United Nations may take over from the African Union, citizens in Khartoum have taken to the streets:

``Death to invaders'' and ``Our country will be their graveyard,'' many in the crowds chanted, some waving automatic weapons in the air. Some carried banners reading ``death to America'' and ``resistance and jihad (holy war).''

Okay, so the world doesn't care that it's a crazy genocidal state. But when citizens of that crazy genocidal state start calling for jihad... maybe, just maybe, it's time to start paying some serious attention.

The situation in Darfur is not just about Darfur. It speaks to a larger political situation within Sudan. We will continue to ignore political crises in Africa at our own peril. But ignore them we will.

Please, just ten more minutes?

Europe has told Serbia it has one more month before bedtime they must turn over Ratko Mladic or they risk talks to enter the European Union. The original deadline was set for tomorrow, but since it hadn't been met, they went ahead and gave them an extension. Why do I think Ratko will be summering on the Adriatic?

And will you be offering troops?

Hilary Benn, Britain's International Development Secretary, has said that the U.N. should take over peacekeeping duties in Darfur. This is all very nice, but I don't hear anything about British troops to back up this effort. After three years, if the world is going to offer a serious effort and not just concerned talk, this is going to require real commitment, not just extra money.

I think perhaps Mr. Benn needs to climb into the magic change room and come out as a contigent of blue helmets (Bitter Lime will get that. For the rest of you: that's what Google is for!).

Sure he's a crazy bigot, but he had a point

With all the talk of capturing Ratko Mladic this week (see, this is why you read me, I'm cutting edge), I feel the need to point out that this isn't the first time we've pretended we couldn't find Serbian war criminals. Below is a copy of a letter Jesse Helms sent to Madeleine Albright back in 2000 when it was not just Mladic and Karadzic on the loose, but Milosevic too (the clock's ticking Radovan, in a few years, they'll be coming for you too!).

The Honorable Madeleine Albright Secretary of State U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

I am fascinated by the "wanted" poster that the Department of State is placing in public buildings in Bosnia, Serbia, and other parts of Europe. The poster states that up to $5,000,000 will be paid for information leading to the transfer to, or conviction by, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, or Ratko Mladic.

I have the information that you are looking for.

Mr. Milosevic and Mr. Mladic both are residing in Belgrade. Mr. Milosevic recently laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier on Mount Avala (to mark the first anniversary of the NATO bombing of Serbia). His address is: Presidential Palace, 15 Uzicka Street, Dedinje district, Belgrade.

Mr. Mladic is apparently unaware that he should be in hiding - he took a leisurely afternoon stroll down Knez Mihailova Street on Friday, March 24, waving at Belgraders as he walked along, and was spotted just this weekend at the Belgrade stadium taking in a soccer match.

Mr. Karadzic remains in the Pale area of Bosnia - living in the midst of thousands of NATO peacekeepers - where he has been seen regularly in public in recent months.

Reward payment should be made to Rev. Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse, a well-known and highly respected charitable organization in North Carolina. (Franklin is Billy Graham's son).

Kindest regards.

Sincerely,

____________________ JESSE HELMS

cc: The Honorable Lawrence Summers U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Rewards for Justice Diplomatic Security Service U.S. Department of State

(You'll note the "cc" makes it particularly timely, everything old is new again.)

Somebody (else) should do something!

Suddenly everyone cares about Darfur! And by cares about it, I mean are willing to pay it lip service. Not, you know, do anything about it. The U.S. has been pressuring the U.N. to take more action and encouraging increased NATO involvement. This all sounds very good, unless you listen close enough to understand that nobody is talking about a serious military commitment that could actually stop the genocide.

The French, predictably, have been urging caution in using NATO troops outside Europe. French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie said recently, "Let us make sure we do not spread ourselves too much in areas where the competence of other organizations is more obvious" (for those of you that don't speak French, that roughly translates as, "why should France care if black people are being murdered?"). Exactly which organization has obvious competence in this situation -- in which the world's incompentence is second only to its lack of concern -- I am not sure. As tempting as it is to point fingers at France, none of NATO's other member states (including Canada) seem desperate to help either.

I applaud the Americans for using their presidency of the Security Council to bring attention to the situation in Darfur. But it is too little too late. NATO providing increased support to the African Union is not going to help Darfur. This conversation should have occurred three years ago, before tens of thousands of people were killed and millions left homeless. If we are not going to act seriously, there is no point in spending any more money supporting African Union forces that don't have the power to improve the situation.

Mladic Still Free (and probably in Belgrade... check the pub)

Despite rumours in the Serbian press yesterday, everyone's favourite genocidaire is still on the loose.

“The news about Ratko Mladic is not correct,” Srdjan Djuric, the government spokesman in Belgrade, said. “This is a manipulation that undermines the Serbian Government’s efforts to complete co-operation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.”

It would seem to me that their failure to capture Mladic is what undermines their co-operation with the war crimes tribunal, rather than rumours that they have. I don't buy claims that this is somehow going to hurt their efforts to catch him, because I don't believe that they're really trying very hard.

Serbia has been warned by Europe that if they don't arrest him by next week, negotiations for Serbia to enter the EU could be at risk. A threat from Europe... I'm willing to bet that Mladic will still be free next week. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

Why are you eating at McDonald's?!

Yet another lawsuit against McDonald's because they failed to disclose the ingredients of their fries. It seems that they contain wheat and dairy. For the people with strange food allergies, I guess all I can really say is that if your allergies are so severe that traces of wheat products make you sick, maybe you should just avoid fast food.

But my real problem is with the vegan who is suing. Why are vegans eating at McDonald's? I haven't eaten there in a decade, and I don't even claim an ethical basis for my vegetarianism (really I just find eating flesh to be kinda creepy and backwards). If you are “opposed to eating any meat, fish or dairy products or by-products” then McDonald's is probably not the place for you. First of all, why would you be supporting a corporation that makes billions from the slaughter of animals? Secondly, can you really trust that in a place where food is being prepared so quickly by high school students/dropouts, that your vegan treat hasn't come into contact with meat? But more than anything, given that there have been so many stories in the past about McDonald's fries turning out to contain meat by-products, why would you trust them in the first place?

Can you also be imprisoned for saying 2+2=5?

David Irving has been sentenced to three years in jail in Austria for denying the holocaust while he was there in 1989. Beside Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who does this help? It is true that the only people who deny the holocaust are antisemites, but treating this historical event differently than any other event just fuels their fire. The state prosecuter claims that Irving has been treated as a martyr by right-wing extremist groups. Well, maybe if the state dismissed him as the nutcase that he is, then these people wouldn't have any grounds on which to do this.

Suicide in Rwanda

I'm not quite sure how to respond to this article today's Washington Post that talks about suicides among people accused of commiting acts of genocide in Rwanda. For those who are falsely accused and cannot live with community pressure, this is a real tragedy. But if one is to suppose that otherwise normal people were caught up in a genocidal frenzy that caused them to act in ways that were contrary to the person that they really are, how can they not feel driven to kill themselves? How does a person live with the knowledge that they hacked a person to death?

Human justice will never be sufficient to punish the crimes of 1994. Just as it was not sufficient to punish the Nazis. When an entire society goes mad, we really don't have the means to cope with it. In Rwanda, where many of the guilty have still not come to trial, and perpetrators and victims see each other every day, the genocide remains an open wound. I sympathize deeply with those who feel that they are being denied justice because the person who raped them, or murdered their family members kills themself; but the implication that these people killing themselves is making things worse suggests that there is a good way to cope with it.

Rwandans deserve a full reckoning of what occured over those hundred days, but nothing is ever going to fix what happened. Perhaps it is wrong to take your own life no matter what you are guilty of, but there is part of me that can't help but think it is the most rational response.

Get a job Tony!

Among the many names put forward as possible contenders for Liberal leadership in today's Globe and Mail is none other than my favourite ex-MP Tony Ianno. Apparently he has been "burning up the caucus phone lines" in an effort to get himself in the running.

Okay Tony, this is just sad. It's time to get yourself a real job. You got to play MP for 13 years, but now it's time to get out there in the world. It's not going to be easy for you, there's not a huge job market for people whose only experience is Minister of State for Families and Caregivers (with the portfolio for puppy dogs), but everyone has to grow up eventually..... I hear Starbucks is hiring.

You're never going to believe this

But the Sudanese government still doesn't want U.N. forces in Darfur. I'm starting to think maybe they don't have the best interests of their citizens at heart.

Slow and steady wins the race.... or allows the genocidaires to get on with their business.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a motion to send U.N. troops into Darfur yesterday. Of course, at this point in time the Sudanese government has not yet agreed to the presence of non-African forces, so we will have to wait and see whether this will come to anything. As much as I would like to think that this will lead the way for a robust peacekeeping force in Darfur, I tend to doubt anything that so easily gains the support of Sudan's best-buddy China. Even if everything falls into place, it will likely be a year before U.N. troops would arrive.

Meanwhile this week, an entire town of 55,000 people fled a Janjaweed attack. But you can't rush the U.N. they need to take the time to calmly consider their next step. Remember Kofi's advice to the U.N. just before the Rwandan genocide: the international community shouldn't act rashly, you never know what the consequences will be. Is three years really enough time to decide how to respond?

Closer to home

A Toronto grocer is boycotting Danish goods to show solidarity with people who burn embassies and threaten to slit people's throats. We live in a free society and that is his right. I will assume he also boycotts Saudi products due to their lack of protection for rights of religious minorities. After all, he is a man of principle.

Now Do You See Why You Are Wrong Denmark?

A Jordanian editor, who was fired after publishing three of the cartoons depicting Muhammad, has been arrested. The cartoons ran beside commentary suggesting that Islamist terrorism is likely the cause of more anti-Islamic sentiment than a few pictures. See, if Denmark had only taken this path, all of the violence could have been avoided.

In an effort to show that the cartoonists were wrong and spread the message that Islam is a peaceful and loving religion, Syrians have set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies.

And Iran has said that they are considering abandoing trade deals with any country in which the cartoons have been published. Perhaps Iran has just decided to go the route of pre-emptively sanctioning itself, before the rest of the world gets around to it.

Meanwhile, the cartoonists who drew the cartoons have gone into hiding (link via Damian Penny). I can't for the life of me think why.

U.N. To Act in Darfur?

I'll believe it when I see it.

Did they also lend him an invisibility cloak?

An investigation has found that retired members of the Serbian military helped to hide Ratko Mladic. I know what you're thinking, I was shocked too.

Can somebody please tell me why none of these articles ever mention that he has been out in public since he went into 'hiding'? I bore myself with how often I repeat it. But seriously, he's not very good at hiding. Nor does he need to be, it seems.

Some days, I feel like catching a flight to Belgrade and finding him myself. I don't speak the language or have particular genocidaire-catching skills. But I feel pretty confident that his whereabouts are an open enough secret that the tiniest bit of effort would find him before the week was out.

Denmark, listen up! The Saudis have some suggestions for you.

An editorial in today's Arab News calls the apology published in Jyllands-Posten 'disingenuous' and offers a solution to Denmark's problems of free speech: "if it does go against the law, the answer is simple: Change the law". And if you're allowing women to walk around like sluts, showing off their ankles in public, then change that law too! The editorial goes on to argue that Denmark should restrict free speech when it comes to issues of religion, similar to the legislation that was proposed in Britain. But of course, the restrictive anti-speech bill that they are speaking about was defeated in British parliament yesterday, when the government failed to gather the votes to overturn amendments made by the House of Lords. The defeat of the bill means that you will actually have to be found to be inciting violence, not just hurting religous people's feelings, in order to be charged.

Meanwhile, newspapers across Europe have been reprinting the cartoon images of Muhammad originally published in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. I gotta say, I expected them all to start pandering to the anti-free speech crowd. Good on ya Europe! (I just typed those words and the sky didn't fall. Who knew?!) Turns out that those of us who don't live in theocracies kind of value our freedoms after all.

Arab governments and their apologists have managed to find plenty of rage for a few pictures that they deem offensive, but seem to be unable to find any anger at all for the Sudanese government that is busy slaughtering Muslims in Darfur. You know how I hate to judge, but maybe they need to learn how to prioritize.

You know your country is in the right

When the Sudanese and the Saudis are boycotting you.

I'll support the Danish government considering an apology to the Muslim world if the Saudis apologise to the rest of the world for sponsoring terrorism and exporting a particularly backward version of Islam. Oh, and for denying rights to women. And foreigners. And for failing to pressure other Muslims governments to stop commiting genocide against their own populations. In fact, when Saudi Arabia apologises for pretty much every action it has ever taken as a state, then Denmark can look into whether they owe anyone an apology for having a free press that published pictures that are offensive to people who should probably be living in Saudi Arabia if they can't tolerate people criticizing their faith.

Update: Buy Danish! This on-line Danish Food Shop has an entire section devoted to liquorice! Never mind buying Danish, I might just move there!

And isn't it time to throw a Trudeau kid into the mix?

Frank McKenna says that he won't be running for Liberal leadership, telling reporters, "I'm not vain enough to believe I alone can provide the leadership our great country needs this time". If vanity's what we're looking for, then Belinda we've got a job for you!

The Globe mentions a few possibilities in the article:

Others named as possible contenders have ranged from former NDP Ontario premier Bob Rae and MP Scott Brison to Belinda Stronach, a Liberal MP who defected from the Conservatives during the last session.

As enjoyable as a Scott/Belinda bitchfest would be, I'm holding out hopes for a Bob Rae/Michael Ignatieff leadership competition. Okay, it may be incredibly farfetched, but given that they were roommates back in their undergrad days, how much fun would it be? "He can't even follow a chore wheel, how could he be party leader?!" (oh, you know those dorks had a chore wheel), "He'd be sneaking women into Stornoway at all hours of the night" (don't be jealous Bob!), "You want someone to help get the party's finances under control? He couldn't even pay his bills!".

It'd be a tough call though. Who do you support: the guy who did such a bad job running Ontario, or the guy who hasn't lived in the country for nearly 30 years? That's the problem with Canada, when it comes to political leadership, we're just spoilt for choice.

I know I should probably find sources of joy that aren't rooted in other people's misery...

But this makes me very happy.

Whatever could this mean?

Frank McKenna has stepped down as Ambassador to the U.S. I wonder if he has another job in mind.

Memo To Torontonians On the Day After the Election

The fact that nearly everybody you know agrees with you does not make your beliefs apolitical. Looking at me like a wounded puppy dog will not actually replace the need to have the facts to back up your assertions.

They won, you're just going to have to deal with it.

I guess I'll have to take my lashes

I think I misssed the call to prayer this morning. Are we each assigned to a particular church, or is that decision going to be left up to us? Where will we find out which part of the scriptures we are supposed to read each day? I bet they went over all this at morning services, didn't they? Damn, why did I sleep past the alarm?!

This new government's going to take some getting used to.

God bless.

Stephen!

First point: How cute is it going to be, First Ladies Laura and Laureen? For that alone, Harper had to win tonight.

But this is what happens when you let the West in: Victory speeches after 1 a.m. We should elect more leaders from Quebec.

-He speaks English first! Typical Albertan, pandering to the majority.

-Ooh, he just mentioned the prayers of supporters. Ladies and Gentleman, we now officially live in a theocracy.

-You'll note that Paul wasn't included in the list of leaders running 'honourable' campaigns. He doesn't want to start off by lying to the public.

- Canada: "sovereign, strong, free and united"? Fascist!

- Wow, that's the longest a Canadian leader has gone without mentioning healthcare. I think he might have made it past 10 minutes.

- He just abandoned Canada! "Made in Ottawa solutions don't work"? Since when?!

- He acknowledged our soldiers in Afghanistan. Finally we get a leader who respects the armed forces.

God Bless Canada!

You're welcome Jack

Jack is speaking. He personally thanked the people of Trinity-Spadina. I can't say it was easy Jack, I gave a little bit of my soul so that you could have your wife with you. But I appreciate the acknowledgement.

Kids: Get a job. Jack wants to see families working!

King Paul Abdicates

It seems HRH Paul I has just called Stephen Harper and conceded defeat. And the sky has not yet fallen!!!

Paul has been denied the legacy he wanted as Prime Minister, and that alone has put a smile on my face.

I would have preferred it if the Conservatives had won more seats, but at least Canadians have shown that they are prepared to live under a non-Liberal government. Now we can work towards a majority.

Update: (12:14) Paul has announced he'll be stepping down as leader. 'Tis a glorious day. Watching the Liberals duke it out is going to be fun!

Barely time to take the tree down

Peter Mansbridge just pointed out that the turnout was 'surprisingly' higher than the last election, despite the "holiday election". This is apparently good news for all Canadians.

Way to go Canada! So close to Christmas and you managed to do your one democratic duty. I guess if it had been a few weeks later, we would have been too distracted by Valentine's Day (or a certain bitter blogger's birthday) to get to the polls.

Update: Gord Martineau just declared a disappointing turnout. I'm glad they've all got their facts straight.

Update: Alan Gregg just pointed out the higher turnout in this election. Turns out Gord is just an idiot (who knew?).

Now I can't even count on Torontonians to be Anti-American?

Michael Ignatieff (who is looking much goofier than he used to, I might add) has won his riding.

That's it, I'm running in Bradford & West Yorkshire in the next election.

I know it's early

But Olivia is ahead right now.

Come on Toronto, let the bicycle built for two be Ottawa's problem.

Update: Track Liv here

Update: (11:43) They are now calling it for Olivia. I personally won't feel comfortable until more of the polls are returned.

Update (11:45) Apparently she feels comfortable, because she's making her victory speech. I'm still holding off. I have less faith in her than she has in herself.

Update (12:33) With 243/262 polls returning and over 3000 votes in the lead, Bitter Lemon finally calls Trinity-Spadina for Olivia Chow.

City Calls it For Harper

Adam Vaughan just died a little bit inside.

CBC refuses to call. Not because of the principle of not calling too soon, but because they refuse to spread the fear.

Update (11:10) CBC has now called a Harper minority.

Well sure, if you give everyone stock tips

It seems Ralph Goodale is winning his riding.

I'm saying nothing

But a certain person who may or may not have slept with a certain president of a country to the south of us is leading in very early results.

Update (10:20) Track a certain person here

Update (10:27) CTV just called a Belinda victory.

Update (11: 02) She won?!! Seriously, what do you have to do to lose?

Update (11:25) Belinda is just coming up to the podium for her victory speech. Does she realise that they won't let her cross back?

Update (11:56) Did you know Belinda got into public office to "make a difference"? I've lost count of how many times she has said that tonight (and througout the campaign for that matter). Belinda: stop campaigning now, you've won and the people of Newmarket-Aurora have shown that they too stupid to care what you say anyway.

Update (2:03) They just replayed Belinda's speech. In it she said that if Stephen Harper wanted to take rights away from "individual Canadians, or from women" she would be there to stop him. When exactly did I lose my standing as an individual Canadian?! I had this funny notion that I was a whole person, but apparently I am just part of the collective. I hate you Newmarket-Aurora!

I would never go against the government

But Global has declared that Canadians have a reason to be quite scared.

Get democracy out of your system Alberta!

Haroon Siddiqui just pointed out on TVO that it is good that the West had some influence in this election, since it gave them the opportunity to "get it out of their system".

What about Quebec? Why doesn't anybody ever talk about Quebec?

Protect yourself!

The Canadian government understands that information is dangerous and has been kind enough to protect us from ourselves through a media blackout. It is integral therefore that you avoid sites such as proalberta.com tonight until the polls are closed in your area. You could find out things that you are not supposed to know.

Is democracy supposed to make you feel this dirty?

All right, I've done my part for defeating Canada's Laziest MP. It's in G-d's hands now (what?! I'm not going to do anything that might upset Him today).

I've got to finish a paper, but as soon as it's done, I promise to be in blogging overdrive.

Attention Female Readers

If you want an abortion go have your last one now, because if the Tories win tonight then tomorrow the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Canadian Chapter) is coming to install a tracking device on your uterus (trust me, I've seen the Hidden Agenda).

And remember: Vote Liberal; because "Peace, Order and Fear" is as good a national motto as any.

I've often said that I was born into the wrong generation

Why didn't Oprah host this contest back when I was in high school? I would have won that trip to Chicago! (except my essay would probably not have found the hidden message of redemption in a Holocaust memoir that you just know Oprah is looking for). I suppose I could enter my OAC Literature ISU on Religious Symbolism in the Work of Elie Wiesel. Do you think anyone would notice it was about 12 years out of date and somewhat off topic?

You see, back when I was in high school it was decidedly weird for a suburban teenage girl to read the works of Elie Wiesel or have his quotes on the nature of evil posted on her bedroom wall and in her locker. Now Oprah's got everyone into him! I bet all the cool kids are listening to his Nobel Prize acceptance speech on their iPods too.

Born a decade too soon, it seems.

I support a woman's right to choose...

And at this moment in time, I choose to point out that King Paul needs to get his facts straight. If you want to spend the last few days of your campaign trying to scare everyone about the super-secret ultra-extreme hidden right-wing agenda of your opponent and make comments like “Canadians don’t think a woman's right to choose is too complex to describe. We expect our leaders to take a clear position, and state it", then you might want to remember what positions members of your party, and indeed you yourself, have stated.

My favourite socially conservative Liberal (of course!) is Tom Wappel. Tom not only chooses to believe that he need only represent those constituents who vote for him (which has nothing to do with the fact that he is socially conservative, but explains why he's a Liberal), he also chooses to be anti-gay. And by anti-gay, I don't mean he is anti-gay-marriage, I mean he is a homophobe. It is one thing to oppose gay marriage, it is another thing entirely to devote a section of your constituent web site to this stance (notably absent from his campaign site). And, of course, there is the now famous quote that: "Homosexuality is statistically abnormal, it's physically abnormal and it's morally immoral." Tom Wappel supports a person's right to choose to be straight.

So on Monday, I will choose to vote against the Liberals, because I am sick of the lies and the hypocrisy and, ya know, the theft. I would also encourage other Canadian women and, for that matter, Canadian men to exercise their right to choose not to have a Liberal government.

Really King Paul, right now is probably not the best time for you to be reminding Canadians that they have choices.

Liberal MPs Involved in Gang Bang Scandal!

What? Why are the Liberals the only ones who get to play dirty?

Yes, that's right folks, we have now sunk to the level of falsely accusing Conservative candidates of sexual assault.

Chris Axworthy is claiming that someone snuck into his campaign office to make a call to a live call-in show with entirely made up accusations that Maurice Vellacott sexually assualted someone. But, not only would believing this require that I accept a ridiculously far fetched claim, it would mean that I accept a statement made by a Liberal.

And remember: if a Conservative MP rapes you and you become pregnant, Stephen Harper will force you to keep the baby!

How To Write About Africa

The formula for how to write about Africa outlined in the most recent issue of Granta.

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these....

...be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama....


...Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Declares Oprah's New Book Club Choice 'A Pack of Lies'

Oprah has decided that her next Book Club selection will be Elie Wiesel's Holocaust memoir, Night. I suppose that the most logical thing to do after the A Million Little Pieces scandal was to pick a book with a subject that no civilised person would dare question that was written by a Nobel Peace Prize winner. (Although Hitch did once start an article with the words: 'Is there a more contemptible poseur and windbag than Elie Wiesel?', one suspects she's not going after his audience).

I was a bit surprised at the announcement as I had always kind of thought of Night as one of the books that started the whole 'Oprah's Book Club' thing to begin with. In the early '90s she started interviewing authors who had changed her life or realigned her journey (or whatever terminology Oprah uses) and Elie Wiesel was among them (I remember because it was right in the middle of my Elie Wiesel phase). So although the Book Club proper didn't start until 1996 (what? I looked it up!), it strikes me that Wiesel has already been given the full Oprah treatment. But who am I to question the choices that Oprah makes for her cult club?

Which is Africa's Remembered War?

Just channel surfing and The Hour was on CBC Newsworld. George was interviewing someone and the heading "Africa's Forgotten War" was on the screen. Having tuned in late, I wondered which of the wars currently occurring in Africa that nobody talks about was the "forgotten" one. It turned out that they were talking about Uganda. But my interest was piqued. I googled "Africa's Forgotten War". It turns out that Africa has or recently had 'forgotten wars' in Uganda, Burundi, Western Sahara, Darfur, Angola, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Congo-Brazaville and DR Congo. The term has also been used to refer to the war on AIDS.

So might I recommend that next time Africa has a war that the media sees fit to talk about all the way through to the end, they refer to it as "Africa's Remembered War" and for the rest of them they can use a heading along the lines of "It's far away, you've never heard of it, it's probably tribal" (with the obligatory Heart of Darkness reference when it's DR Congo).

Done. Climbing down off soapbox.

You're wasting your campaign budget....

It seems that the Conservative and Liberal candidates in Toronto Centre-Rosedale can't read an electoral boundaries map. I keep getting their campaign literature in the mail, but I live in Trinity-Spadina. Now, I'll grant that it makes no sense that my apartment falls within the boundaries of Trinity-Spadina, but nonetheless it does.

I wouldn't mind so much, but Bill "It takes me nine months to respond to letters from my constituents and then I dismiss their concerns and tell them Iran is doing just fine thank you (and did I mention I'm the Foreign Affairs Minister and they murdered one of our citizens)" Graham is the MP for that riding and is likely to still be after next week's elections and I don't want him to think in any way that he represents me (granted with a Liberal MP, it's not a real threat, but it's the principle of the thing). Because, well, he's evil.

Okay, maybe 'evil' is a wee bit of an overreaction. What comes between not caring about the murder of Canadians by foreign governments and evil?

For those of you who are still undecided (really?)

The Vote Selector Quiz



What I want is a "strongly neither" option. But I guess they're just working with what they've got.

My results put Stephen Harper first, then Jack Layton (Andrew Coyne got the same results for the top two, which surely suggests something confused about the political parties in this country... shouldn't they be at opposite ends of the spectrum?), then Gilles, then King Paul (I promise I didn't change my answers to get him last).

What can they say, they just really believe in copyright

The new Conservative TV ad quotes Liberal candidates who spoke out against the Liberal Party's anti-military ads.

The Liberals have demanded that the ad be pulled because it uses footage of Paul Martin on CBC that they claim the Conservatives used without approval, and therefore violates copyright. Of course, the copyright would be held by the CBC, not Paul Martin. But that's King Paul for you, always defending the rights of Canadian corporations!

Liv, honey, you're going to talk me out of it

I just received a phone call from Olivia's campaign asking if I knew about her work and if I would support her. Surely it would be best not to tell people anything about her work if you want people to vote for her. This is definitely a riding in which the NDP would benefit from going negative; vote for Olivia because Tony Ianno is a lazy, arrogant son-of-a-bitch.

This is the third time that Olivia's campaign has contacted us during this election (fourth if you count the non-demoninational/non-holiday card they sent me; sixth if you count the phone messages left by an NDP rep and then Jack! to invite me to an NDP event at the Liberty Grand). Before the holidays they called and Bitter Lime informed them that we would be voting for her strategically (they were very confused; happy for Liv, sad that they had to talk to a real- live Conservative without being able to yell at her that she is a fascist). They confirmed our names and address. Then last weekend Olivia herself came to the door. She rambled incoherently until we cut her off and told her nobody wanted the Liberals out of office more than us, so we would be voting for her. This caused mass confusion as she yelled down the hall to get another staffer who held the list (don't be so obvious that you're desperate). They confirmed our names and telephone number, then one campaign bunny excitedly guessed that Bitter Lime and I are sisters (we live together, have the same surname and share a physical resemblance... you can't get anything by the NDP). And then came today's phone call. I assured her yet again that I would be voting for Olivia and that I had already informed Olivia and her staff. She didn't apologise for bothering me. She asked if I want a sign. No thank you.

If nothing else, this shows why the NDP should never form government of any sort. If you can't sort out your voter lists in such a close riding, you will lose. Get yourselves in order! All the energy they have spent contacting me could have been spent trying to convince someone not to vote Liberal (or even trying to change the minds of some of my left-of-centre friends who plan on voting for Sam Goldstein because Olivia is too awful for words).

Every time they contact me, I am reminded that I am being a typical cynical Canadian voting against something instead of for it. This does not make me happy. If I receive one more call from Liv's campaign asking if I will vote for her, my answer will change. I will vote for Sam. I will give them a pass if it is election day and they are just calling to make sure I made it to the polls. Until then, leave me alone!

It's too good to ignore

I have not posted about how things are looking very bad for the Liberals this week. I'll admit, this is mostly because I don't want to get all excited about a Conservative victory only to be disappointed yet again. But it is hard.

The attack ads are beyond ridiculous. I have nothing to add to everything that has already been said. I expect nothing but the worst from the Liberals at all times, so nothing will ever surprise me about the depths to which they will sink. But if they want to dig their own graves, who am I to question them?

Then today, the Globe and Mail endorsed Stephen Harper. It's a very cautious endorsement, I'll grant you, but an endorsement nonetheless. If the Liberals can't rely on a united media effort to scare the hell out of Canadians in the next week, then they really are doomed.

I am allowing myself one day of real excitement that the Conservatives could actually win this thing, before I switch back to very cautious optimism. Today seemed as good a day as any.

"Thanks, but we're happy to go on with the genocide for now"

Unbelievable as it sounds, the genocidal regime in Khartoum has decided that they don't want a non-African military presence in Darfur. They think the African Union is doing a great job. Well, of course they are; they provide the cover of international involvement while allowing the raping, murdering and general mayhem to continue.

Now the shaming of rich donor nations to provide more funding to the African Union forces so that they can stay in the region will begin. But somebody needs to stand up and point out that there is no sense in the world paying to support a mission that does not prevent the Sudanese government from carrying out attrocities. The A.U. mission has failed to protect the people of Darfur, and aid workers in the region. I am not blaming the African Union, they were given the resources or the mandate to do this. There have even been reports of Sudanese troops painting their vehicles so as to masquerade as African Union forces. The value of their presence is becoming less evident as time goes by. The world should demand that if we are going to pay for a peacekeeping force in Darfur, it must effectual. How long do we allow the Sudanese government to go on pretending that they are not responsible for the attrocities? Force the Sudanese government to admit that they don't want a real international peacekeeping force because it doesn't suit their interests. It is time to stop allowing genocidal killers set the rules.

Alternately: Damn Americans, if they weren't paying for their illegal occupation of Iraq they could pay to support the A.U. mission. This is all their fault!

3 years late and a mandate short

With the African Union now saying that they can no longer maintain their role in Darfur, the U.N. has indicated that the international community needs to become more involved. Kofi Annan has expressed the hope that the U.S. and Europe will contribute troops. Why? Well because: "the killings are going on, the rapes are going on...We have lost access to some of the needy people. Obviously the international community cannot allow that situation to go unaddressed." Obviously! Could you imagine the world standing by in the 21st century while a government turned armed militias on its own citizens? Unthinkable.

Setting aside for the moment the fact that Kofi is a couple of years late on this one, the fact of the matter is that, as it stands, sending U.S. and European troops to the region will require the approval of the government of Sudan. Why is Sudan suddenly going to submit to intervention by the international community? And if he feels so confident that the U.N. can convince the government in Khartoum to allow a powerful international troop presence in the region, why hasn't it happened sooner?

The African Union was never going to be able to have a significant impact in policing the crisis. They didn't have enough troops, there was insufficient funding and, let's face it, if the European Union can't get anything done, what hope does the African Union have? Of course, it is for these reasons that Sudan allowed the A.U. to have a presence in the first place.

The one reason that the Sudanese government may allow for a non-African policing force is that, with so many already dead or displaced in the region, they have largely accomplished their goal. Government-backed militias have now changed the face of the region; even a strong U.N. force is not going to be able to reverse that.

Of course, I support a strong international presence in Darfur, and if there is an intervention I hope that Canadian soldiers will be a part of it. But the international community dragged its heels while a genocide was perpetrated in Darfur. Even if we intervene now, we have failed.

Elections in DR Congo

The results are now official and, as was predicted, voters in DR Congo have overwhelmingly approved their new constitution. Parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in March.

Since the Belgians gave up their rapacious control in 1960, the country has seen civil wars, Mobutu's decades-long kleptocracy, and interference by neighbouring states. Congo's plentiful natural resources mean that it could be one of the richest countries in Africa but, as is so often the case, the drive for control of those resources has instead fed the violence and chaos. This week, there are warnings of the threats posed by increasing violence in the province of Katanga. These are hardly the ideal conditions for a stable democracy to develop. But the people of Congo have shown that they feel it is time for real representative government.

Even without the poll, the current UN force in Congo is insufficient and, as usual, does not have a strong enough mandate. Obviously, the elections will increase the need for peacekeepers in the region. So what is the UN asking for? 800 EU rapid reaction troops. 800 extra troops, for a country that is about the size of Western Europe. The EU is not yet sure if they are going to be able to provide the troops. When you can't even meet the pathetic expectations of the U.N., things aren't looking good for you. This is an important moment for Congo, if Europe actually wants to play a role in the world beyond just yelling at the Americans, now is the time to step forward. Maybe they could surprise everyone and exceed the U.N.'s expectations. No, now I've gone too far...

Trinity-Spadinans: Not even worthy of our candidates

In the federal leaders debate we allow the separatists to participate despite the fact that they run candidates in only one (granted, the most important) province. In the local debates, we have the Green Party (running a child candidate who was charming in that "look mom, I'm running for office" sort of way), the Progressive Canadian Party (who formed when the "neocons" took over the Conservative Party), the Canadian Action Party and, of course, the Marxist-Leninists.

I knew it was going to be a bad debate when, rather than raising my ire, Tony Ianno's introductory comments bored me to tears. He seemed so down tonight. Maybe the waterfront debate on the weekend really took it out of him. Or maybe he just can't believe that he has to go through this again. It's like when you are made to reapply for your own job; how much zeal can you be expected to bring to the interview?

Sam Goldstein is fiscally conservative. Sam Goldstein believes in gay marriage. Sam Goldstein actually mentioned Darfur (without being prompted) and the need for a strong Canadian military to back up our "soft power". And yet, I can't vote for Sam Goldstein.

Olivia Chow was Olivia Chow. It is a measure of how much I loathe both Tony Ianno and Paul Martin that I will cast a ballot for this woman. Strategic voting is a nasty, nasty business.

Of course, the only thing more depressing than the candidates in Trinity-Spadina are its constituents. They burst out in hysterics when Sam said that he believes in equality of opportunity, not equality of result; and again at every mention of personal responsibility. When a woman got up to point out that she is both a mother and a grandmother (that's right folks, a double hero) and she was pleased to see that there was a least one female candidate on the stage, the crowd went wild! We are so progressive. It's 2006 and we believe women should run for higher office! You know, women are so peaceful and bring such a unique perspective to government.

And then there was the most telling moment of the evening: a woman got up and asked about Canada's trade relationship with China and issues of human rights. The Marxist-Leninist candidate smiled and pointed out that he wasn't really able to answer the question as it was loaded with anti-communist bias. Oh, the crowd did laugh and applaud! Hee! China's human rights abuses are a laugh riot!

There'll be another round at Hart House next week. Anybody up for it?

Local Candidates: Same uninspired topics, less charisma

Tonight the Trinity-Spadina candidates will duke it out at the Miles Nadal JCC. If past events are anything to go by, Liv will continue her strategy of trying to put everyone into a deep sleep so that all but her hard core supporters will miss the vote; Tony Ianno will yell at us and tell us what his constituents think (apparently he's already put on quite the show this week); the Conservative candidate will impress me with the fact that he is a fiscally conservative, socially progressive, urban type and depress me because I still can't vote for him; the Green candidate will be a 19 year old student there to remind everyone why the party will never break through nationally.

Can you feel the excitement?!

Who won?

The debate now becomes about who won tonight. But of course, the real issue should be that we all lost. Seriously, agriculture trumps Canada's place in the world? Is there any hope for us?

I hope there will be five topics in tonight's four part debate

So we're going to have a federal election and not discuss defense or foreign policy? (I take it we're officially done with the idea of peacekeeping as national identity).

Instead, this entire debate seems to be about which of the candidates for Prime Minister can scream the loudest that they were born in Quebec. Gentlemen, let me see your birth certificates!

They grow the food we eat! God bless the humble farmer!

Also, the Gap makes the clothes I wear. Without them, I would freeze in the winter. Therefore, should not the government be supporting clothing retailers in Canada? Paul, Stephen, Jack, answer me this: do you really want Canadians to freeze to death? For shame!

What the hell is a working family?

It makes me ill. I'm not sure who it was that ran the survey that proved that the term "taxpayer" doesn't go over as well as "working family", but it needs to stop. Are there a lot of children going to work with mum and dad? "Families" don't work (that's not social commentary, just a statement of fact). Individuals work. Is there anybody running for office in this country who remembers the term?

I was so hoping that question was going to go in a different direction

Did anyone else hope that Steve Paikin was going to ask the party leaders about their views on swinging when he mentioned the recent Supreme Court decision in raising the issue of values?

I think a bit of wife swapping would go a long way toward healing the rifts between the leaders. And, of course, everyone would get to have a go at Belinda (in keeping with her flexible political values).

Gilles, will you marry me?

The separatist leader just pointed out that Paul Martin is "a living democratic deficit".

This is why we let him debate!

People must be held accountable for their actions

King Paul wants you to know that he believes in transparent government and if people do wrong, they must be held accountable. By the way, has he told you about his proposed amendment to the constitution that would mean all of his strongly held opinions should not apply to the Finance Minister?

New rule: take a drink every time Paul Martin says "I would set up a commission"

Like Communism, it works on paper

In response to a question posed to him by Jack Layon, Paul Martin pointed out that of course he believes in ministerial responsibility. You know, it's just very hard to put into practice.

Bitter Lemon: The Most Trusted Name in News

CNN is running a Reuters story that the Serbian government is going to stop paying war criminal Ratko Mladic his military pension.

Authorities said the pension had been suspended because of unspecified illegalities, but the fact that Mladic received the cash will be seized on by critics of the government as evidence that the general had high level protection in the military and there is little real will to turn him in.

I'm glad to hear that he won't be eligible for his pension anymore ("unspecified illegalities" would those be something other than the genocide and the war crimes?). You would have thought that government critics would have seized upon this information 13 months ago, when it first made news.

Although indicted in 1995, Mladic lived more or less openly in Belgrade until former strongman Slobodan Milosevic was ousted then extradited to The Hague in mid-2001, when the general went underground....Serbia has repeatedly insisted it does not know where Mladic is hiding and vowed that it is doing all it can to deliver him to justice, including freezing his assets.

The international media are playing Serbia's game in all of this, because they report the Serbian governments claims, rather than the actual facts. When they say that he went 'underground' in 2001, what they actually mean is all the way underground to Belgrade, where he attended a ceremony commemorating the Bosnian wars last summer.

I know ten years is a really long time in the age of 24 hour news, but could we at least pretend show a little bit of respect for the people that he massacred? How hard is it for major media outlets to fact check when a genocidal killer was last seen at a public event?

More unbiased reportage from our state run media outlet

Because Paul Martin has failed to do his job, the CBC would like to remind you that Stephen 'Handmaid's Tale' Harper has a hidden agenda. Social conservatives in Alberta are happy to keep social issues off the table for the moment, but once SHTH is elected, watch out! Content that he will never have to run for re-election, Stephen Harper will outlaw abortion, ban gay marriage, and kill all the injuns.

The CBC is just reporting the facts. You do what you want with that information.

Why is Paul Martin campaigning for Stephen Harper?

Paul Martin is selling me on a vision for Canada. Granted, it's his vision of Stephen Harper's vision for Canada, but it sounds really good. In Paul Martin's version of Stephen Harper's Canada, people would be expected to fend for themselves. A nation of well-educated, middle class people being asked to take responsibility for their own lives. This is the fear-mongering and negative campaigning I was promised in the New Year? Come on Paul, at least tell us he's going to force women to reproduce against their will.

And what is Paul Martin promising us? That a certain new issue-that-will- not-be-named is going to become as important a part of our national identity as the original issue-that-will-not-be-named. With no debate or discussion, everyone in this country seems to have bought into the idea that this new issue is one that only the federal government can solve. Why? Because the Liberals told us it is. Proving that not only can Canadians not be expected to fend for themselves, but they seem incapable of thinking for themselves also. Thank god we have King Paul!