A Twitter-riffic Beclowning: #Trudeaueulogies

First came the silly utterance. Then comes the Twitter mockery.  There's nothing quite as entertaining as watching an overhyped public figure shoot himself in the foot.

One Canadian Perspective on Bernanke

Oh, my.

Canadian Op-Ed: Harper 1, Obama 0

What was I just saying about the Canadians being ahead of the curve?  I found this little op-ed rather interesting, not least because it comes out in praise of Stephen Harper and I can't really remember the last time a Canadian journalist spoke about the Prime Minister in order to praise him.  Over Obama.

Canada Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations with Iran

Canada has closed its embassy in Iran and is in the process of expelling all Iranian diplomats from Canada. When I heard this from Dignified Rant, I went off and dove into every single Canadian news source I could find (good thing I was already there obsessing about TIFF).  One does indeed wonder, why now?  What does Ottawa know that's precipitated this?  It says that there is no one single reason but the cumulative effect of dealing with Iran.  When the polite Canadians do something like this, one should pay attention.  FYI, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has released a statement in which he says, among other things, 

"Iran is among the world's worst violators of human rights. It shelters and materially supports terrorist groups. ... Canada’s position on the regime in Iran is well known. Canada views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today."

He's not wrong, eh? Canada is as of September 7 formally listing Iran and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.  More here (in English and French) from Canadian PM Stephen Harper. Iran's reaction is unsurprising, right down to accusing Canada of being racist and also being Israel's puppet.  Whatever, as Baird specifically called out Iran for its anti-Semitism and incitement to genocide.  (The Israelis have expressed thanks to Canada for the decision, something done also by various human rights groups. Here's a quote from Netanyahu.)

On a more personal note: the response from an astonished Alessandra was "OMG!!!  Go Canada!"  Second that.

Nerd News: the Quebec Student Protests

The New York Times has an op-ed about tuition hikes and student strikes.

Canada: Conservatives Win Big

Stephen Harper and his Conservatives now have a majority, eh!  Some of my lefty Canadian friends are deeply depressed.  Harper's off to cut taxes to boost economic recovery and growth.  A man after my own heart, clearly.  More commentary here.

Where Do Libraries Come From, Mama?

This Canadian lambasting of British author (and dirtbag du jour) Philip Pullman is a thing of beauty.  Here's just a bit (the last paragraph is just magnificent):

A Few More Thoughts on State Multiculturalism

Here's a follow-up (or two) on the ongoing recent discussions about state multiculturalism (last post here).  Seriously now -- who is really that surprised that the ghetto-ization of foreign people groups has blown up in all our faces?  

Canada: the Failure of State Multiculturalism

Blurb:

A prominent voice in Canada’s Muslim community said British Prime Minister David Cameron was “spot on” when he insisted British multiculturalism has failed. 

And just like Britain, Canada’s will fail, said Muslim Canadian Congress founder Tarek Fatah. 

He said Monday that, like Britain, Canada has been too tolerant in allowing Muslim immigrants to settle into closed communities, some of which preach Islamic values and a hatred toward the West. 

“The Canadian multicultural model has failed, as the British model has,” said Fatah. “When first generation (Muslims) are more loyal to Canada than the second generation, then we have sufficient evidence to say that multiculturalism has failed.” 

Citing the Toronto 18 terrorist plot as an example of the extremism that can result from ethnic isolation, Fatah said he hoped Canada can “pick up on” the points Cameron made in a controversial speech on Saturday. 

Well, DUH.  At least more people are realizing the perils of this practice.


RELATED POST: UK's Cameron: State Multiculturalism Has Failed.

Retrospective: A Canadian View of Reagan

Take a look at the most influential president since FDR.

What Are "Human Rights?": Canada Edition

Here is the blurb:

By some crude osmosis, or just from the luxuriant carelessness of our pampered lives, we have overturned one of the great concepts of all human law. The concept of human rights, as experience and history inform us, is protection from the state's power, not oversight, interference and punishment by the state's power.

The core concept of human rights is the protection of the irreducible safety and dignity of the individual from the massive and arbitrary power of the state. Not, the state wandering in, with its apparatus and procedures, its boards and tribunals into the doings, or speech, of the individual.

I dare say Mark Steyn would agree.

Maple Leaf Madness: "American Idol" + Canadian Politics = Hilarity

Funniest bit of politicking since these New Zealanders. Check out this amusing tale from the Great White North:



For those of you might be a bit fuzzy on what's going on in pop culture-dom, see this.

Book Review: "Shakedown" and Canadian Free Speech Rights

Hmmm, there's the buzz of a new book from Canada. I haven't read the "Shakedown" by Ezra Levant, but after reading this book review, I think I'll have to!

The review itself has its delights; see, if you will, the following glorious characterization of Canadian politic correctness as "simultaneously absurd and frightening, Kafka dipped in Wodehouse. Welcome to the strange new world of political correctness roaming the landscape, seeking whom it may devour."

Maple Madness and Woe, Canada: Political Turmoil in the Great White North

In a nutshell, a multi-party coalition (including the Bloc Québécois) is attempting to bring down Conservative PM Stephen Harper's government. Harper, after a speech last night, has vowed to fight.

The inimitable Canadians Mark Steyn (see, for instance, his thumbnail sketch), Andrew Coyne (note this bit of witty sarcasm), and Ezra Levant have been covering this, as have major news sources.

Constitutional crisis? And who said Canadian politics were boring? (OK, a Canadian friend of mine told me that, but he said it before the current mess erupted in Ottawa.)

The entire situation now goes to the Governor-General. The upshot? If Harper's opponents succeed, it would mark the first time in Canadian history that a government has been ousted and replaced by an opposition coalition without an intervening election. Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound too palatable.

Harper and his Tories are launching a public-relations war against the coalition.

Then again, cracks are appearing in the coalition -- or at least in one of its member groups, the Liberals under Stephane Dion. At the same time, there's been a rather vitriolic spate of Quebec-bashing from various quarters, including Harper's.

UPDATE 1: The Governor-General has suspended the Canadian Parliament until late January.

UPDATE 2: I forgot to link to the Canadian Filibuster Cartoons earlier.