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March 31, 2004

Woah

Critiscism of the United Nations? In the Toronto Star? By Richard Gywn??? Wow.

In all kinds of small and practical, and often unnoticed ways, the U.N. and its agencies often do good work. But often, far too often, they fail abysmally.

And, as is really disturbing, the root cause is often the defining characteristic of multilateral projects. This is, that they involve many partners so that no one is responsible nor can be blamed— in contrast to all the contemporary never-ending barrage of criticism of the U.S. and of President George W. Bush. (Not that most of that isn't merited).

For quite a while now, the U.N. has escaped criticism, not least because so many commentators were anxious to shore up its credibility as a counterweight to the overweening power of the U.S.

Suddenly, the U.N. is in the spotlight. And it isn't a pretty sight.

Even Gwyn's attempts to equivocate and balance all critiscism with critiscism of the U.S. can't hide the inescapable conclusion: U.N.-led missions have been giant failures all over the world. More involvement for the U.N. in areas where the U.S. has been taking the lead would mean more suffering for the people living there.

Maybe we're getting somewhere, when even lefties like Gwynn are realizing the weakness of the U.N. as a force for good in the world. Or maybe not - he still thinks its the better way to go, rather than accepting that its time for the world's democracies to cut their losses and move on.

Posted by David Mader at 07:38 PM | (0) | Back to Main

May 25

Victoria Day? How about election day?

Here's the idea:

Chuck Guite, the man at the heart of Adscam, is scheduled to testify before the Commons Public Accounts Committee on April 22. Unless, as Andrew Coyne says, something happens between then and now to stop him from testifying. Something like an election call, for instance. Because if Martin calls an election then Parliament will be dissolved, meaning no more committtee for Guite to appear before.

Canadian federal elections are always held on Mondays after a minimum 36 day campaign. That means that the most likely day for Martin to call and election would be Sunday, April 18th, for a vote on Monday, May 24. Except that May 24 is Victoria Day, a national holiday. This means that Martin could drop the writ on Monday, April 19th, for a vote on Tuesday, May 25.

How likely is this scenario? Well, we've been hearing a lot more out of Ottawa over the last week saying that the spring election is back on. Apparently Martin thinks that Adscam has been dealt with. Also, he seems like he wants to get the election out of the way before any more juicy details have been dug up. That's why the Liberals on the Public Accounts Committee have been working so hard to have the committee release an interim report in time for a mid-April election call.

So, today, I'd say that May 25 is the most likely day for a vote. A guess, sure, since a lot could change between now and April 19. But the opposition had better be ready to go by then.

Posted by David Mader at 07:29 PM | (0) | Back to Main

File Sharing Legal in Canada?

That certainly seems to be the thrust of this story on a decision by a Federal Court judge:

"No evidence was presented that the alleged infringers either distributed or authorized the reproduction of sound recordings. They merely placed personal copies onto shared directories on their computers which were accessible by other computer users via an online download service," the judge wrote.

As a result, using an online download service for personal use does not amount to copyright infringement in Canada, Akin said.

So there you go. I expect the RIAA CRIA will resubmit after having done a little homework; I'd also expect to see the argument that users have to specify shared folders when setting up file-sharing software, which is tantamount to authorization of reproduction.

Posted by David Mader at 01:50 PM | (10) | Back to Main

War is a Dangerous Place

This story is pretty horiffying. We should not, perhaps, be surprised by the attacks on contractors and other non-military personnel by those who would frustrate Iraqi freedom and bring back Ba'athist tyranny and tribal rule. But can we all agree to call the mutilation of corpses barbaric?

Though the press agencies are backing away from initial suggestions that the four contractors were Americans, comparisons to Mogadishu are inevitable. Mogadishu is precisely the comparison America's enemies want to see drawn, of course, but I'm not sure the withdrawal from Somalia is seen in America as the catastrophe it was. Some may indeed draw upon this latest tragedy to again urge a removal of all 'foreign' forces from Iraq.

But it's absurd to think that lives will not be lost in war, even - or especially - a war that involves such a high degree of humanitarian effort as does the current coalition operation in Iraq. And yet we still read passages like the following in news articles: "Progress in Iraq in the last year has been "a miracle," he gushed even as the death toll for American G.I.s approaches 600." As if any death toll - and some would argue that given the scope of operations many more lives could have been lost - necessarily and automatically renders impossible any progress.

Once upon a time we believed in sacrifice. Many of us still do. But do we all?

Posted by David Mader at 11:53 AM | (2) | Back to Main

Cold Terror

David Frum plugs a new and important book by the National Post's Stewart Bell. Cold Terror details the use of Canada as a base of terrorist operations, the security services' efforts to frustrate those operations and the complete failure of Canada's political class to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan notes that the men arrested by British police this morning were all Britons born. The connection? Terror is in our cities, and it doesn't always carry a foreign passport - or a cell-phone with bin Laden on speed-dial.

I wouldn't be surpised to see this become the predominant criminal/civil-libertarian issue of the next decade. What do you do about suspected terrorists when a) your suspicions do not meet the criteria for a formal charge, b) the suspects enjoy full rights of citizenship and c) politicians refuse to consider or act upon the security threat? ('C' will be an issue for only a short time, but it's the state of affairs in Canada today).

The US, which is now taking domestic terror threats more seriously than any other nation (I think), has some experience with this question - as the controversy over Jose Padilla shows. Canada has its own experience in the person of Maher Arar. The strict civil libertarian will see no controversy: until and unless an individual has committed a crime, he must be free. But when those free men are known to be closely associated with known (even convicted) terrorists, show patterns of terrorist activity - in short, give security professionals every reason to suspect participation in an attack - constitutional liberties approach suicide-pact status.

Another Sedition Act, tailored to the times, would be as unacceptable as the civil-libertarian status quo. A new balance must be found, and I confess I have absolutely no idea what it might be.

Posted by David Mader at 01:01 AM | (2) | Back to Main

March 30, 2004

Suicide Terror in the Americas

A Bolivian miner entered his country's Congress today wearing a dynamite belt, which he detonated, killing two policemen.

It is, perhaps, logical for a miner to express his grievance through the use of dynamite, and this isn't nearly the first suicide protest in the hemisphere. In fact, it wasn't a traditional suicide attack at all. Still, it may be worthwhile to consider whether the rise of suicide terrorism elsewhere - and its acceptance, so to speak, by so many observers - has made it a more acceptable method of expressing discontent.

Based on the preliminary reports, this evening's news out of Bolivia doesnt' sound like anything but an unfortunate tragedy. It may signal something more, though, and that's something to think about.

Posted by David Mader at 07:27 PM | (0) | Back to Main

In the Bullseye

Hundreds of British police officers participated in a series of raids this morning which resulted in eight arrests and the seizure a half-ton of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer used in explosives. Police believe the men planned to bomb 'soft targets' including pubs. The arrested men are all said to be Pakistani. Home Secretary David Blunkette called the raids a "timely reminder that the U.K. and its interests abroad remain a target."

What was that, Petronella?

Posted by David Mader at 02:55 PM | (0) | Back to Main

What Role for the Veep?

Daniel Drezner notes a potential problem that has resulted from the Vice President's active involvement in White House policymaking.

Cheney has been much more closely involved in governing than any Vice President I can think of (suggestions? Hit up the comments). The Vice Presidential office was a late-hour addition to the Constitution in 1787, designed to give some sort of executive power to the 'small states,' since the 'large states' had an electoral college superiority which guaranteed a lock on the White House for some time. (Indeed, four of the first five presidents, who served for thirty-two of the first thirty-six years of the country's Constitutional history, were Virginians). Nor was the Vice Presidency seen as a route to the White House, except when the President died in office. In the twentieth century, the Vice President has either been substantially excluded from governance (as Truman was prior to FDR's death) or focused on the more political aspects of the presidential game (championing presidential initiatives and so on).

The fact is that the Vice Presidency is and has always been an ill-defined institution, and office-holders have often chaffed at its political restrictions and burdens. Sitting around the Senate isn't much fun either. Cheney's close involvement in the day-to-day operation of the White House (he has, or had until September 11, a West Wing office) presented the prospect of a redefinition of the office; Drezner suggests that this redefinition is not to be.

Posted by David Mader at 02:41 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Well, I'm Out to Get Her

Apparently Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish - of 'bastard Americans' fame - believes herself to be a target of those nefarious JOOOOOS.

Ms Parrish, on behalf of the great Zionist conspiracy, let me tell you that there's no need. Whenever your name is mentioned in public discourse - which is rarely - those few who recognize it hardly fail to express the same sentiment, which might roughly be transliterated as follows: "Ugh."

Posted by David Mader at 02:13 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Man of the People

An alert Wonkette reader notes than John Kerry rides a $5,000 bike. Wonkette retorts: "You mean a guy with five homes doesn't ride a Schwinn?"

Should presidential wealth be a factor in the contest? Bush could doubtless afford a $5,000 bike - though he's a runner - but somehow it's not his style. Who's the more superficial - Kerry, who enjoys his (admittedly much greater) wealth in various conspicuous manifestations, or Bush, who applies his wealth to less conspicuous purchases - a bigger ranch, a nicer truck, and so on?

I'm inclined, of course, to view Dubya's discretion more favorably. Kerry, though, has every right to spend his (or, ahem, her) money however he sees fit. Does a $5,000 dollar bicycle suggest that he would, as president, ensure America had the best of the best? Or that he would spend taxpayer money on frivolities? Or does it matter at all? Or does it matter only in a superficial, rather than substantive, manner?

Posted by David Mader at 02:10 PM | (2) | Back to Main

Corroborating Evidence

Glenn Reynolds shares my feeling that it's been a rough week or two for Bush, politically, but points to some more evidence that suggests the President is weathering the storm.

LATER (13:45 EST): The USA Today takes a closer look at the numbers and comes away with some negative spin for Bush - but acknowledges that the overall trend is distinctly in his favor. One number that jumped out at me: 76% of Democrats believe Clarke's testimony (versus 83% of Repulicans who believe the administration). That's an awful lot of Democrats who either don't believe Clarke or aren't willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Posted by David Mader at 09:53 AM | (2) | Back to Main

March 29, 2004

Why I Love Letterman

He has Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Mundell delivering red-neck jokes. Yes, it's urban-elite humour. But it's also hilarious.

Posted by David Mader at 11:53 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Oh, There's the Good News

As recently as this morning I was despairing the effects of the Clarke testimony on American attitudes towards the election and the war (which I see as inextricably related). But Matt Drudge is reproducing two Gallup stories which suggest that I foolishly lowballed the focus of the American people.

The first surpising poll found (over the weekend) that after a week of apparently damning 9/11 commission testimony, Bush leads Kerry by 4 points (the margin of error). I'm not sure how much more the Kerry camp could ask for, but it seems the GOP's ads have done more to bring down Kerry than Clarke's broadside have done to trip up Bush.

That's (apparently) confirmed by the second poll, which found that attitudes towards Clarke correspond very closely with voting intensions. More encouraging is the news that while 54% believe the Bush administration could have done more prior to September 11, 67% believe the President could not have prevented the attacks.

For all the politicking on both sides, the American people seem to have their eye on the ball. I don't mean that they support Bush; the election is a statistical dead-heat. I mean that the electorate doesn't yet seem entirely taken in with the partisan back-and-forth; or rather, they're so much a part of it that these knock-abouts aren't shifting the polls substantially.

Posted by David Mader at 11:51 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Virtual Property Rights

The McGill Daily (of all papers) has an interesting piece on virtual property - specifically the 'property' created in popular online games. I've mentioned this before, but some time ago; at one point shortly after I started blogging, the in-game currency of Ultima Online was trading on E-Bay at par with the Italian lira.

The article is a good introduction to the issue, and introduces some interesting questions. Do gamers have a fundamental property-right to in-game property? A court in China(!) has decided in the affirmative, but user-agreements on American games may prevent similar findings.

I agree with the sentiment expressed by Julien Dibble, quoted in the Daily piece, who makes a living from virtual-currency arbitrage and who has to list his virtual 'property' in his income statements. But I don't agree with those players who demand that publishers like EA keep games running after they cease to be economically viable. The sudden closure of a game, or the sudden inflation of a currency or depreciation of an item due to reproduction, is an economic hazard. A mature virtual market will provide hedging options for players worried about these hazards.

There's lots more to be said; it's a fascinating subject (to a law/economics guy like me), and there will no doubt be more about it in the news in the coming years.

[Thanks to Matt for the pointer.]

Posted by David Mader at 08:41 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Got (Some)One

A senior al Qaida official may well have been killed in Pakistan, but there's a considerable amount of confusion over his identity. The Associated Press identifies the possibly-deceased as 'Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah,' an Egpytian national who was indicted for the 1998 embassy bombings. Dan Darling, on the other hand, is suggesting Abdul Wahab, an Iraqi national.

Posted by David Mader at 04:51 PM | (0) | Back to Main

When Did Private Become Public?

Ireland has banned smoking in all 'public' places, including pubs. Similar statutes are on the books in New York City, Ottawa and elsewhere. I think I've gone through this issue before - though it may be in the old archives; I'll try to dig it up. We can go round and round on it again, if you'd like. But my question is this: at one point, historically, did the private become public? States have restricted the right of property-ownership in order to impose safety regulations - fire hazard, crowd management and so on. I suspect this regulation dates back quite some time.

But opponents of the ban argue that smoking does not present the same order of health hazard. Governments have diminished property-right in other ways, however - I'm thinking particularly of racial discrimination in private stores. Can readers think of earlier attempts to override private property ownership in order to impose a social value on citizens?

Posted by David Mader at 04:45 PM | (5) | Back to Main

The Process is All

So the State Department is talking down Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Foggy Bottom spokesman Richard Boucher wants to ensure that "other steps can be taken to further proceed down the path outlined by the president, of two states living side by side in peace."

Call me crazy, but withdrawing 'occupation' forces and turning Palestinian lands over to an autonomous Palestinian political authority seems like a pretty good way of advancing the two-state plan.

In fact, over the past year it seems the Israelis have quite suddenly found themselves in the driver's seat, despite the PR victories the Palestinian Authority has had in framing the 'intifada' in international media. Once a majority of Israelis came to support withdrawing from the territories - once a desire for integration had been blown apart by an endless campaign of terrorism - the Sharon government found itself able to creat a de facto Palestinian state simply by withdrawing all forces behind a line. A line, for the present, of their own choosing. Sharon will put the plan to his cabinet; he should go ahead with it. When the State Department - and the Palestinian Authority - reject another opportunity to become self-governing, it becomes clear that these parties feel better served by the interminable 'peace process' than the prospect of an actual Palestinian state.

Posted by David Mader at 04:34 PM | (2) | Back to Main

September Tenth World

All this Richard Clarke business is getting me pretty depressed. No, by Democratic friends, that does not mean I'm shattered by his damning testimony. I think the fact that he released his book three days before he was to appear before the Congressional 9/11 comission says everything about his character that need be said.

What's bugging me is the response. As Andrew Sullivan points out, the Administration's claims that it took terrorism seriously before Setpember 11 are ridiculous. And yet the White House has willingly ventured back into the September tenth world, which is where the news cycle - and the presidential contest - is now stuck.

Have a read through ABC's The Note, a daily compendium of all things political. There's almost nothing positive for the president out there; Kerry may soon become the presumptive victor of the November election. The root of this perception is the miserable week Bush has had, thanks in no small part to his White House's bumbling of the Clarke affair.

The proper response - and I don't think it required hindsight - would have been this: "Yes, we - as an Administration, as a government, as a society - dropped the ball on terrorism prior to September Eleventh. Yes, immediately after that terrible day the President demanded that his staff examine all avenues in order to determine culpability. Yes, that included Iraq. And in the months since September Eleventh, America has, with the leadership of this President, toppled two tyrannical regimes and brough the first taste of liberty to millions. He has dedicated the country to defeating Islamist terrorism by helping to liberate the millions of Muslims who suffer under brutal and arbitrary government. September Eleventh woke us from an unforgivable slumber - and we're back."

But instead the White House plays the Richard Clarke game, all the while lulling the nation back into September Tenth complacency, to the advantage of a candidate who's given no sign he'd do anything but reinstitute the very approach to terrorism which failed, for eight years, to stem the threat.

Posted by David Mader at 11:38 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 28, 2004

Ten

Speaking of the Spectator, the latest issue has a fascinating and disturbing piece by lifestyle columnist Pertonella Wyatt (reproduced in Sunday's Montreal Gazette, and available through the Speccie's registration-only website).

Wyatt opens: "On a scale of one to ten, one being the least often, how frequently do you think about terrorism? [...] I would register as a definite and unashamed one." She contrasts this attitude to that of an American friend who "was expressing concern that there would be another assault on New York or Washington." "Imagine," Wyatt writes, "the torture of spending every day in a state of nerves. Before it was cholesterol and fags, but now even the dreaded weed has been overtaken by the extraordinary Bush/Blair conviction that everyone in the West is going to die under a pile of rubble."

And then this: "Yet I live in the Middle East. Honestly. The population of St John’s Wood is made up mainly of Arabs and Jews. The shops in the high street are owned by Arabs and Jews. Up the road is a synagogue and down the road is a mosque. Yet though I apparently walk in the valley of death I fear no evil."

Look, it was some years ago, and I was young, but I've lived in St. John's Wood, and the notion that it's some microcosm of the Middle East is laughably preposterous. It's an high-middle-to-upper-class residential neighborhood not a half hour's walk from the City, lined with rows of spacious flats and townhouses. In fact, the very phenomenon Wyatt sees in the neighborhood - typified by Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Christians rubbing shoulders at Lord's Cricket Ground - is what will eventually make St. John's Wood a target, rather than a breeding ground, of those who want to cover us in rubble.

The fact that many Britons are going on with their lives is laudable - because life must go on, even in the wake of a terrorist attack. Ask the people of New York, which remains the most dynamic city on earth, despite - and because of - that black day which has only added to its character.

And when a bomb goes off in the Baker Street tube station, Londoners will share the feeling. And the voices of the dead will haunt the Petronella Wyatts of the world, who refused to admit that they, too, lived in the bullseye.

Posted by David Mader at 10:50 PM | (3) | Back to Main

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say

In his latest Spectator piece Mark Steyn mentions this column from the International Herald Tribune by Geoffrey Wheatcroft. Steyn has his own reasons for mentioning it, but I was struck by this passage: "Anyone who wants to know the names of the neocon elite has only to look at the masthead of [Conrad Black's] Washington magazine The National Interest. Luminaries such as Henry Kissinger and Richard Perle were recruited onto his boards and handsomely rewarded, even if they seem to have taken their fiduciary duties somewhat lightly."

What?

Look, I know I'm just some no-good 'self-hating Canadian' (to borrow Wheatcroft's lovely term), but a fact's a fact: when you cite Kissinger and Perle as defining examples of neoconservatism, you announce to the world that you don't know what the s**t you're talking about.

Pardon my French.

Posted by David Mader at 10:35 PM | (2) | Back to Main

No Tories Here

The National Post's Adam Daifallah has a great column in Saturday's paper on the use of the term 'Tory' to describe members of the new Conservative Party of Canada. Insofar as the term evokes the party's emotional ties to the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, I think it's acceptible; still, as an Americanist, 'Tory' has distinctly negative connotations.

In fact, I'm a proponent of the one alternative appelation that Daifallah explicitly slags: "Heaven forbid that 'Whig' be resuscitated." Bah! While tories were Irish bandits, whigs were Scottish horse-thieves, and we all know that the Scots were midwife to liberal democracy (see "Smith, Adam"; "Civil Wars, The" and "Presbyterianism").

The truth is, the dedication to free markets and laissez-faire social policy which defined the best of Whiggism is the great strength of Harper-stream (and Clement-stream) Conservatism. Let the social conservatives and reds fight over the court-party label 'tory.' Real modern Conservatives - as neo-liberals - will glory in the label 'whig.'

Posted by David Mader at 10:11 PM | (2) | Back to Main

Congo Coup Averted?

There are reports out of Congo-Kinshasa that an attempted coup by supporters of former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko has been suppressed.

Congo is just months out of a ruinous civil war - really a permanent form of internal chaos, rather than a conflict between well-delineated parties - and much of the country is still outside of the control of either the central government under Joseph Kabila or the UN peacekeeping force. A coup could certainly signal a return to the chaos of previous years.

Posted by David Mader at 04:59 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Democracy in the Arab World

The Associated Press has two fascinating pieces on the efforts to democratize the Arab states. The first is an analysis of the breakdown of talks at an Arab summit organized to hash out a common approach to the question of reform. The second is a nifty roundup of the state of democracy in the various Arab states. Both are must-reads.

While both are interesting for their substance, they're equally interesting as indicators of a tremendously important trend. This sort of AP coverage would have been unimaginable five years ago (as would a summit on democratic reform). What's changed? The introduction of the Bush doctrine, which holds that the only true 'root cause' of terrorism is tyranny, which breeds a contempt for freedom and which allows for the free operation and support of terrorist organizations.

The AP now reports the democratization of the Arab world as a matter of course. Take, for example, this passage: "Ben Ali is hardly alone in the Arab world, one of the last bastions of authoritarianism holding out against the global trend toward democracy." The AP hardly understates the challenges democracy faces, but the very fact that democratization is seen as a) a very real program, b) a desirable program and c) a program with a hope of success suggests that a change in attitudes is taking place.

That commotion you see? That's the shifting of goalposts. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, great things happen.

Posted by David Mader at 02:14 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Chirp

Toronto police are widening their probe into the rash of anti-Semitic incidents following the discovery of an e-mail campaign which named Jewish Torontonians by name.

Posted by David Mader at 02:02 PM | (2) | Back to Main

Neale is Back

Brian Neale has teamed up with an entertainment website in order to keep his much beloved NealeNews going. That's great news, and I know the Maderblog team and readership send our best to Mr. Neale and welcome him back from his brief but nonetheless lamented absence.

Posted by David Mader at 02:01 PM | (1) | Back to Main

It's Working

Glenn Reynolds highlights another of Wolfowitz' Dominos.

Posted by David Mader at 10:19 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 26, 2004

York Update

[For background on the situation at York see here and here.]

I've received in my Inbox two interesting statements regarding the situation at York. One is from Marty Lockshin, director of York's Center for Jewish Studies; the other is a statement by the University administration. Both should be read by those following the situation, and are reproduced below.

Lockshin chides those who have attacked York as racist or anti-Semitic, noting the school's commitment not just to diversity but to Judaica. He suggests that while Hillel students were right to counter-protest the SPHR, they were nonetheless engaging in disobedient behaviour and so should accept the consequences.

The University's statement is little more than a presentation of the facts as it sees them. Interesting to me is this passage: "On March 26, 2004, letters were sent to the presidents of the relevant student groups informing them that the temporary suspension of club privileges would be lifted as of Monday, March 29, 2004." March 26 - that would be, you know, today. The orginial Globe article suggested that the groups had been suspended for the remainder of this week. The point is that there seems to have been confusion over the duration of the suspension, and observers can be forgiven for assuming it was to be indefinite.

As for Locksin's piece, I think it illustrates the counter-productiveness of accusations of racism and anti-Semitism. By refuting those allegations, Lockshin and the school can ignore the real problem at York - and at campuses across the country (and beyond). As I said in my original post, by suspending both groups (Hillel and SPHR) York gives a veto on campus activism to those who would stir up controversy. Hillel is not beyond reproach, but can any doubt that in the absence of the controversy-mongering of SPHR there would have been no altercation?

The fact is that Universities, faculties and student governments are terrified - terrified - of those campus groups who raise controversy through accusations of racism and anti-progressiveness. If the courage to stand up to these groups requires bad publicity for the school and backlash from the alumni, then so be it.

Posted by Prof. Marty Lockshin to a faculty e-mail list:

I am the Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies at York University. I
have been at York for 26 years.

The students of Hillel at York this year are better organized and more
politically active than at any point previously in the last 26 years. They
have accomplished wonderful things, including successfully supporting a
reasonable slate of candidates (with a very high percentage of Hillel
members) to take over the student government. I am very proud of them.

I was even proud of them when, last week, they broke the rules of the
university in an act of civil disobedience. Their wrist was slapped for
doing so by a generally sympathetic administration. Anyone who indulges in
an act of civil disobedience must expect that there will be consequences and
must hope that the consequences will be light. This time they definitely
were.

The postings about York on this list are very troubling. We are being urged
to drag out the donors to fight the administration. Pardon me? We are
being told that York is an antisemitic environment. Pardon me?

York University is one of the few universities (other than Yeshiva U) that
has no classes on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. York University is one of
the few universities in North America that has a "no exams on Passover"
policy. York University is one of the few universities in North America
that has a kosher restaurant, serving three meals a day. York University
has the largest Jewish Studies program in Canada and one of the largest in
North America. York University has one of the most liberal policies in
North America for credit for study in Israel. York University continues to
send students to study in Israel even in these troubled times.

An anti-Semitic environment?

Yes, York also has strong and vocal anti-Israel (and anti-American) groups.
They make the work environment less pleasant for a supporter of Israel like
me and they make the study environment less pleasant for Hillel students.
Professors on a list like this should realize that in a country that
respects freedom of speech that is something that can happen. That does not
make an antisemitic environment.

I believe that antisemitism is a serious problem in our world, and even here
in North America. Can we concentrate on fighting it where it actually
exists?

Marty Lockshin

Released by York University:

The following statement, issued by York University, outlines the University's actions in response to the March 16, 2004 student protest involving York student clubs Hillel and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights:

Both Hillel and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) were aware that, as of Feb. 1, 2004, Vari Hall, an academic building, was no longer available for events. This deadline was imposed in response to previous events that disrupted academic lectures for our students.

Nonetheless, on March 16, 2004, approximately 20 members of SPHR decided to stage an "impromptu" demonstration and around 100 members of Hillel quickly counter-demonstrated. The result was the disruption of classes in the Vari Hall building. The police were in attendance at the University's request but were not deployed and the crowd eventually dispersed.

While we understand that one side may see the other's demonstration as a provocation, nonetheless both clubs were aware of the rules and knew that they were not permitted to demonstrate in Vari Hall. As a consequence of the counter-demonstration, it was much more difficult for York security staff to deal with two demonstrations versus one.

Consequently both Hillel and SPHR had their privileges suspended for one week while the situation was investigated. From the University's point of view, particularly as exams approach, we must ensure that academic activities of York community members come first. We will not allow approximately 100 demonstrators to prevent the 55,000 members of the York community from going about their academic lives in a safe and secure environment.

On March 26, 2004, letters were sent to the presidents of the relevant student groups informing them that the temporary suspension of club privileges would be lifted as of Monday, March 29, 2004. Student clubs were reminded that they are signatories to a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities that requires them to abide by York University's Student Code of Conduct. The letter also warned that future infractions will result in disciplinary proceedings.

As a University, we call upon the leaders of the respective communities to support York as it deals with these difficult global issues, and to encourage students to express their beliefs in a way that is respectful of the rights of others and consistent with the best values of Canadian society.

Posted by David Mader at 01:07 PM | (3) | Back to Main

Farewell to NealeNews

Brian Neale, publisher of NealeNews, has decided to shut down his site. He cites both declining traffic, which I don't understand (I checked NealeNews at least three times daily, usually more) and the tremendous amount of work it takes to keep a site like that updated. I certainly understand that.

NealeNews very rapidly became the best man-made news aggregator in Canada, and it will be missed. Best of luck to Brian, and here's hoping he'll stay involved in the online news world - perhaps with a good old fashioned weblog?

Posted by David Mader at 11:21 AM | (4) | Back to Main

March 25, 2004

Welcome to Canadia

Associated Press, March 25: U.S. Envoy Applauds Canadia for Terror Aid.

Heh.

Posted by David Mader at 10:42 PM | (5) | Back to Main

Sail With Me Into La-La Land

I mentioned Myriam Bédard's testimony yesterday in order to highlight the alleged 'sponsorship' of F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve, but most have focused on her allegations of drug involvement at ad firm Groupaction.

I didn't mention the drug business just because it seemed so, well, weird. Groupaction promptly denied the allegation of course; today, Villeneuve's people have done the same.

There are more denials, too, such as Andrew Coyne notes. Of course, denials are to be expected in a scandal of this scale (and scope, apparently).

Still, something doesn't smell right. Coyne says the whistle-blowers, so to speak, have no obvious reason to lie. But I wonder. The Liberal government is getting hit weekly - even daily - by more and more scandalous allegations of corruption. They all seem to be sticking - indeed, they're sticking so well that Canadians are becoming willing to believe allegations regardless of the availability of proof. As each new allegation arises and sticks, the Liberals lose any grace or credibility.

How do you restore that credibility? By refuting allegations on the merits. But if all the allegations coming against you are substantial, where do you find insubstantive allegations to refute?

Hey, I told you we were going to la-la land. But think about it - having a very public figure (like Bedard) make absurd allegations about the Liberals which can be factually refuted allows them to turn the rhetorical tables, calling into question all the allegations being made against them. It's a gamble - lots of people apparently have no trouble believing the Liberals were laundering drug money - but it seems just crazy enought to work.

Just for the record: Paul Martin and his 'new' government have done absolutely nothing thus far to suggest an ability to either think up or execute a conspiracy like this. Now Chretien, he'd have done it before the thought had become fully articulated in his head. Which is my way of saying: of course I don't think this is going on, but it's the most rational explanation for Bedard's testimony that I can think of, unless a) she's just hella-bitter, or b) she's telling the truth.

Posted by David Mader at 06:32 PM | (2) | Back to Main

One Cheer for Amnesty

Amnesty International has condemned the use of children as suicide bombers and attackers, in the wake of this story.

Amnesty's response, while late, is welcome. Their message contains surprisingly little equivocation and equivalence on the issue. That's good: no cause can excuse this murderous exploitation of children.

Posted by David Mader at 06:01 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Harper Steps Up

Andrew Coyne excerpts Stephen Harper's response to Paul Martin's first budget, and - as Coyne says - it's devastating. I can't excerpt it with any justice; go read it.

Posted by David Mader at 02:02 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Almost There

Sorry for the lack of posting. As usual when I go quiet, I like to say it's probably a good thing, especially since I've been dreading the inevitable follow-up post to this, which mercifully has not yet had to be written.

In any case, the Big Honkin' Paper gets handed in shortly, so regular posting should resume quite soon.

Posted by David Mader at 01:26 PM | (0) | Back to Main

March 24, 2004

How Old Was the Teen Bomber?

Lots of folks have highlighted the story of a Palestinian teenager stopped at an Israeli checkpoint wearing an explosive vest (not to be confused with the eleven year old boy found to be carrying explosives at a checkpoint last week).

There seems to be disagreement, however, over the boy's age. The AP maintain's that he is sixteen, while the Israeli Defense Force says he is fourteen. Reuters holds with the IDF; though if you follow the Ha'aretz link, it credits the AP wire for elements of the story. Also, the stories present differing ages for the boy stopped last week.

Fog of war? A little; but there's also a question of trust here. I imagine one of the wires is taking the IDF at its word, while another is running on the word of Palestinian officials (or, more likely in this instance, family or friends).

Posted by David Mader at 11:12 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Where's My Twelve Mil?

Dave K forwards me this story about the latest adscam/sponsorship controversy embroiling the Liberal government. It seems Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve was paid $12 million to sport a Canada logo (yes, our government is branded) on his racing suit.

You know, the one he wears while racing. In a car. A car with a cockpit. A cockpit with no windows. It's like paying him to wear the logo on his boxers.

As a matter of fact this seems more like an instance of a massive misuse of government funds than a kick-back scandal; it's possible that some knucklehead actually thought that Villeneuve's suit would get a lot of exposure in Quebec. (Number of times Villeneuve has placed on the podium since the 2000 Formula One Season: two).

Andrew Coyne has more so you can make up your own mind. Even if it weren't a straight kick-back, though, it's yet more evidence of the terrible fiscal (mis-)management which has, it is now becoming clear, been a rule of the Liberal government since at least 1995.

Dave K. asks: "Does this mean Quebec stars can be bought?" Apparently so. The next question is: who else is on the take?

Posted by David Mader at 08:30 PM | (1) | Back to Main

McGill Question

Anyone know why there was a kilted piper walking around campus shortly after six this evening? Is it some special Montreal/Canadian/Scottish day of which I'm not aware?

Not that it has to be a special event; I think we should have bagpipes playing on campus every evening.

Posted by David Mader at 06:28 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Another French Rail Bomb Found

French authorities have discovered yet another explosive device buried in the track-bed of a rail line, although it's not clear whether this bomb was planted by the same group that has been threatening the French government in recent months.

You know, sooner or later one of these things is going to go off.

Posted by David Mader at 02:46 PM | (1) | Back to Main

York Blowback

Early this morning I mentioned the suspension of Hillel at York University. In reply to one of the group e-mails spreading the message, a friend's father sent the following e-mail:

I am shocked, angered and greatly saddened by the turn of events at York University. I am as you know a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University Class of 1973. During my studies at York the vice president of the school was Walter Tarnapolsky, a champion of Human Rights and later to become Mr. Justice Tarnapolsky of the Ontario Court of Appeal. During that time York was a safe haven for all thought, religion, nationality and protest without violence. I know that sometimes your parents seem ancient but protest in the late 60's early seventies was a common method of exerting one's viewpoint but I would like to think that a common thread of respect for human rights, and dignity was part of our university community...

I am about to resign my membership in the York University Alumni Association. I no longer wish to be associated with York University.

I wonder whether we'll see more of this; if you know of someone who's taken the same step, please let me know. As my own father points out in the comments to my earlier post, it's only though this kind of agitation that a message will be sent - and felt.

Posted by David Mader at 01:23 PM | (1) | Back to Main

I Had a Dream Last Night

It was the spring of 2000. I was in an airport in London. I passed a booth where an engineering company was advertising by displaying a video of mock-disasters; the video showed pennies or pocket-weights thrown at glass replicas of major landmarks.

I stopped, approached the table. "What about the twin towers," I said. "What's it's disaster plan like?"

The guy started tapping excitedly on his key-board. "I can't find it," he said, "why?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied. But then I thought: if he doesn't believe me, so what? But if he does believe me...

So I told him. "On September 11, 2001, terrorists will crash two airplanes into the World Trade Center. The buildings will fall - do you understand? They will implode. At the same time terrorists will crash a plane into the Pentagon. A fourth plane will crash in Pennsylvania, thanks to the actions of its passengers; it will have been heading for Washington."

The guy called over his boss. He made me repeat what I'd said.

They started laughing. They didn't believe me.

It's a dream; it's only a confirmation of what I think would have happened had anyone said that then. But it gives you sympathy for guys like this:

On a brisk October day in 2000, [Army Special Forces colonel Mike] Sheehan stood with me on West Executive Avenue and watch[ed] as the limousines left the White House meeting on the Cole attack to go back to the Pentagon. ‘What’s it gonna take, Dick?’ Sheehan demanded. ‘Who the shit do they think attacked the Cole, fuckin’ Martians? The Pentagon brass won’t let Delta go get bin Laden. Hell, they won’t even let the Air Force bomb the place. Does al Qaeda have to attack the Pentagon to get their attention?

None of us were prepared to do what it takes to 'prevent' September 11, because it would have taken what we are now trying to do to win the war on terror. It would have taken invasion and regime change and reconstruction, airport vigilance and a Patriot Act, international and domestic law enforcement cooperation. And still there would have been no guarantees.

And had you tried to explain why all of this was necessary, we would have laughed at you.

Posted by David Mader at 10:37 AM | (0) | Back to Main

Taking Terror Seriously

Lileks, as always, is right on:

One thought after hearing much of the 9/11 committee testimony. Eventually the 1993 bombing of the WTC was revealed as an act of Islamicist terrorism. Let’s imagine the effect of the following scenario: President William J. Clinton invites the Saudi ambassador to the White House. Ushers him into a room with several TV monitors, clicks the remotes. There are four TV s with labels: Baghdad, Tehran, Damascus, Riyadh. President Clinton turns on the first three monitors, and as he’s talking with the ambassador the monitors light up with huge explosions. Government buildings and leadership HQ s evaporate. The President turns to the Saudi ambassador and says “this here is just a taste. Now you need to stop it, and stop it now.” The Riyadh monitor remains blank. The President sets out terms and conditions for the cessation of all terrorist activities against the United States, and takes his sweet time – because the dark monitor is doing all the talking.

Posted by David Mader at 10:04 AM | (0) | Back to Main

York Hillel Banned?

There's an e-mail going around containing two press releases (reproduced below) from York University's Hillel (Jewish Students Organization). The story, as reported by Hillel, is that the pro-Palestinian group SPHR set up a 'mock checkpoint' inside an academic building without a permit. Hillel confronted them, and has since been barred from holding any activities, political or otherwise, on York campus.

The Globe has an article that fills in some of the gaps. SPHR has similarly been barred, though since they are an explicitly political organization, the impact isn't quite the same. Also, it seems that while Hillel was authorized to hold a vigil outside the building, SPHR had no permit to hold any demonstration anywhere, though their demo was 'anticipated.'

Hillel, I hear, is now seeking an injunction. It sounds like York simply doesn't want to confront controversy, and so is throwing out the bathwater, baby and all. Hillel doesn't sound beyond reproach, but SPHR has more or less perfected the tactic of stirring up controversy in order to shut down debate. York is playing their game by gagging the groups rather than addressing the actual rule violations.

I think, though, that this also suggests the importance of separating cultural and political organizations on campus. The combination of Jewish cultural and pro-Israeli political advocacy only encourages the racialization of the Israeli-Palestinian political discussion, and places many Jewish students and pro-Israeli advocates in an uncomfortable situation. I understand that a new campus group will be launched in the coming months to focus expressly on political issues; hopefully they will be better equipped to deal with instances such as this.

Here are the press releases:

Jewish Student Community Shocked as York University Suspends Hillel

Club status and privileges revoked leaving students feeling vulnerable,
silenced and fearful.

For Immediate Release

Toronto (Mar. 22, 2004) - Students at York University are shocked by news that the university administration has suspended the club privileges of Hillel @ York, the recognized voice of York ' s Jewish students. This statement from the university, which is purportedly based on the confrontation last Tuesday, March 16 in Vari Hall, where Jewish students defended themselves against an incendiary form of anti-Israel guerilla theatre, has left Jewish students on campus feeling betrayed, silenced and vulnerable.

"As a group that has always respected university directives and strives to pursue a healthy working relationship with the administration, we are shocked by this heavy-handed crackdown, which affects all areas of our religious, social and cultural activities, not only our political advocacy," said Jordie Saperia, the President of Hillel @ York. "We are also extremely nervous at the message that this disproportionate response to the Jewish student voice on campus sends to the entire student body."

"We feel betrayed."

On Tuesday, March 16th, members of Hillel @ York clashed verbally with pro-Palestinian activists who set up provocative and instigatory mock Israeli checkpoints in Vari Hall, an academic building off limits to political demonstrators. University administration and security officials stood by, watching, during almost an hour of intense confrontation. "The disciplinary measures taken against Hillel are allegedly in response to Tuesday's clashes," said Seth Winberg, Vice-President of Hillel @ York. "But the record shows that the university has turned a blind eye to dozens of illegal and unauthorized rallies by opposing groups. It is only when Hillel members chose to begin defending themselves that the university decided to punish us."

Students are furious that such disproportionate, harsh action has been levelled against them for the simple act of verbally and non-violently opposing a highly insensitive and unauthorized demonstration, while in the past, rallies held in direct contravention of university guidelines have been ignored and glossed over.

In contrast, the location of a Jewish Unity rally scheduled by Hillel for last Thursday was dutifully changed only twenty-four hours in advance when the university.s Office of Student Affairs backtracked on permission granted weeks earlier.

"We are confused and hurt by the university's actions," said Talia Klein, the Director of Hillel @ York. "Despite the marked instability at the Office of Student Affairs over the past few months, we have always maintained a close and mutually beneficial working relationship with university officials. Now it seems as if York has turned into Concordia."

-30-

For more information:

Jordie Saperia Talia Klein
President, Hillel @ York Director, Hillel @ York
(416) 419-6096 (416) 910-9032

-----------

Fact Check: York's Response to Illegal Rallies

Record shows undeniable bias in official reaction to unauthorized activities on campus

For Immediate Release - Toronto (Mar. 22, 2004) . York University has suspended the club privileges of Hillel @ York, the Centre for Jewish Campus Life, purportedly in response to clashes last week that began when pro-Palestinian activists set up an unauthorized demonstration in Vari Hall, an academic building.

But the record shows a disturbing phenomenon. The following is a list of unauthorized rallies and demonstrations over the past year or so, and the
university response to each.

January 28, 2003 - Anti-Israel groups protest without authorization in
Vari Hall against Daniel Pipes' appearance on campus. A megaphone is used
illegally.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

March 5, 2003 - Anti-war groups march without authorization through Vari Hall and other academic buildings, disturb classes, use illegal megaphone
and drum, and physically and verbally assault Jewish students.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

March 20, 2003 - Unauthorized rally and snake march through academic buildings and classes is organized and implemented by anti-war campus groups.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

October 22, 2003 - Anti-Israel groups protest an authorized pro-Israel
display in Central Square and meet without authorization to 'confront fascism' in Vari Hall, an academic building. Illegal megaphone used.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

November 26, 2003 - Anti-American groups protest campus visit by Former CIA Director James Woolsey inside Fine Arts Building, an academic
building. Illegal megaphone used.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

January 30, 2004 - Without authorization, student activists protest
postponed student government elections in Vari Hall, an academic building, and use illegal megaphone.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: nothing.

March 16, 2004 - Palestinian activist groups plan illegal demonstration of Israeli checkpoints inside Vari Hall, an academic building. Illegal megaphone used. Jewish students respond with a vigil for the victims of suicide bombings, which became a confrontation as Jewish students defended themselves inside Vari Hall with retaliatory chanting, including 'Checkpoints Save Lives' and 'We Want Peace.'

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: Hillel @ York is suspended as a club.

March 18, 2004 - Hillel @ York plans Jewish Unity rally and reserves the space outside of Vari Hall with the Office of Student Affairs.

UNIVERSITY RESPONSE: Forced relocation to Founders College with less than
24 hours notice.

Does this seem like a fair pattern of response?

Posted by David Mader at 12:09 AM | (1) | Back to Main

March 23, 2004

Cheers to Ralph Goodale

For uttering the phrase 'absolutely flippin' nuts' in public.

More comment on the budget tomorrow, when the right-wing media tells me what to think.

Posted by David Mader at 11:05 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Busy Day

It's paper-writing season this week, which is why posting has been less frequent. In the meantime, read about the upcoming Harry Potter movie. You know you want to.

Posted by David Mader at 08:27 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Breaking News: Our Tax Dollars At Work

I don't know how I missed this, as it was obviously the most important story of the day on March 12, if not the most important story of the entire week.

Apparently, the Canadian government has launched an important anti-dumping investigation. The future of the Canadian economy is at stake.

Thank heavens we have our ever-vigilant federal government to protect us from cheap frozen self-rising pizza!! I'm so happy the government's on the case here. The Liberals must have realized that even people on welfare were able to afford to eat pizza, and that just wasn't acceptable.

Either that or they owe a favour to McCain's. No, couldn't be that.

Great to see our tax dollars at work.

Posted by David Mader at 07:00 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Frum on Clarke

David Frum says some things that need to be said about the Clarke business. Especially this:

Why oh why is the Bush administration sending its representatives onto the airwaves to claim that the administration was totally focused on terrorism before 9/11? Or that everything was done that could have been done to prevent it? Almost nobody was totally focused on terrorism before 9/11. That’s why we say “9/11 changed everything.” George Bush has been an effective war leader because he responded with vision and courage to a world-changing event – not because he had perfect foreknowledge of events yet to come. Out of a commendable desire to smack down unfair allegations against the president, the president’s spokespeople are backing themselves – and him – into untenable positions.

Yea, I've been feeling that myself, and trying to avoid it. But I think it's a similar point to the one I made earlier. We all dropped the ball; the question now is how we propose to pick it up and run with it.

Posted by David Mader at 11:42 AM | (0) | Back to Main

Good Economic News from Britain

Tony Blair has taken a stand against trade barriers as a means of counteracting the effects of global integration, advocating instead a more productive economy.

The Prime Minister said it was time to "take on and defeat" the resurgent voices of protectionism.

His remarks appeared to be aimed at politicians in the United States, including John Kerry, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, who has called for measures to protect American jobs from global competition.

Hear hear. And in economically-related political news, the British anti-Euro campaign is closing up shop - as the prospects of Britain joining the European currency dwindle. I'm still not sure how I feel about currency unification, but giving Brussels any more control over British policy is a no-win scenario. Two heartening stories out of the patriam, then.

Posted by David Mader at 11:30 AM | (0) | Back to Main

Chirp

Jewish Center in France Attacked.

[For an explanation of the 'chirp' series see here.]

Posted by David Mader at 11:14 AM | (0) | Back to Main

But Will They Fight As Well?

AP: EU Ministers Warn Others to Fight Terror.

Just, you know, don't fight it too hard.

Seriously, that headline writer deserves a prize. I didn't write much about reaction to the Yassin attack yesterday, since I figured it was more or less predictable. I was encourged, however, by the muted response from the White House, not because it indicated support for Israeli policy but because it indicated a strengthening of US policy. By refusing to condemn the attack, Washington made clear that it would consider doing the same in similar circumstances. It not only recognized that Israel is at war, it reemphasized that America is at war too.

Posted by David Mader at 11:13 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 22, 2004

The Blogosphere is Complete

The internet was said to bring all the information in the world to one's fingertips. I'm prepared to say that the project is complete: we can now peruse Andrew Coyne's rap playlist.

*cough*oldschool*cough*

Posted by David Mader at 11:53 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Right General Idea. Almost.

Paul Wells contrasts excerpts from Bill Clinton's last State of the Union and George Bush's first, and suggests that the lengthier treatment of terrorism shows a deeper consideration of the problem on the part of the outgoing President.

I wonder, though, if this isn't a problem of symantics. Look at the type of terrorism Clinton discusses: "the major security threat this country will face will come from the enemies of the nation state: the narco-traffickers and the terrorists and the organized criminals, who will be organized together, working together, with increasing access to ever-more sophisticated chemical and biological weapons." He goes on to talk about alleviating poverty and treating AIDS. For Clinton, then, terrorism was a threat that came primarily from Latin America, and perhaps from Africa. You'll notice the region and movement which are conspicuously absent from Clinton's remarks.

Clinton's talk about terrorism and 'root causes' reflects precisely the blinkered thinking that failed on September 11. Again, that doesn't excuse any short-sightedness on the part of the Bush administration; but to suggest that Clinton somehow had a better hold on the issue seems amiss.

Posted by David Mader at 06:49 PM | (3) | Back to Main

More Questions on Clarke

In today's Best of the Web James Taranto mocks Richard Clarke for his role in the 1998 missile attack on a Sudanese pharmeceutical plant. But Dan Darling points out that the factory was thought to be engaging in terrorist activities with Iraqi backing:

As any number of media reports indicate from the time period in question, those US officials who ordered the cruise missile attack on the al-Shifa plant did so because they believed that bin Laden was producing precursors for VX there with Iraqi assistance.

Darling has links. Clarke has alleged that attacking Iraq after September 11 was a distraction. If he's right, what was his role in the 1998 decision? And if he was already marginalized within the anti-terrorist infrastructure in 1998, should we really be worried about what he's saying now?

Posted by David Mader at 06:42 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Coyne

Here's an interesting profile of Andrew Coyne, columnist and blogger extrordinaire!

Its a few years old, but still very interesting.

Posted by David Mader at 02:10 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Money, Mouth, Etc.

Canadian Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci is retiring after thirteen years on the high court. Iacobucci's retirement will open up a second spot on the Court, as Justice Louise Arbour departs in June to become UN High Commissioner on Human Rights.

Paul Martin has talked a lot of talk about a democratic deficit. Now's his chance to back it up with some action. Any appointment to the Supreme Court should be submitted to a comittee of the House of Commons (until it's reformed the Senate just won't do), and that committee's - or the House's - opinion should be considered binding.

The question is this: will Martin try to railroad his Court appointments before the next general election, which he's expected to call for June as well?

Posted by David Mader at 01:54 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Chirp

More anti-Semitism in Toronto.

Hmm. Anti-Semitism spikes in Europe; anti-Semitism spikes in Canada. But the US is the fascist state.

Riiiiiiiight.

Posted by David Mader at 01:49 PM | (3) | Back to Main

The World Still Says YES To Liberty

We had a great time on Saturday, counter-protesting the idiotarians. You really should go out to one of their protests sometime, just to see how ridiculous they really are. Trust me - I thought I knew how stupid they are, but I still wasn't prepared for what I saw.

There were about 30 of us, protected by 20 of Toronto's finest. The cops were great. Without them, there's no way we would have been able to get our message out.

We got a bit of coverage on the local all-news station. Click on the link at the top of the page to get the video.

There are also lots of pictures here.

Posted by David Mader at 12:50 PM | (1) | Back to Main

The Protests

I'll have a full report on the "The World Still Says YES to Liberty" rally coming later today.

For now, go read Lileks. He's angry. Very angry. As we all should be.

A small example:

This has nothing to do with Iraq. This is all about the hard left’s worse nightmare. For years they have insisted that every occupant of the White House is a sawdust puppet whose limbs jerk to the strings of International Finance (cough Jews cough) and this satisfies the faithful; the President doesn’t have to be explicitly evil to be inherently evil. He’s the President. Say no more, nudge nudge. But Bushitler is explicitly evil. He attacked Afghanistan for that oil pipeline deal. He attacked Iraq for no reason whatsoever. It’s almost a godsend; finally, a homicidal maniac president who lives up to his advance. And the beauty of it, really, is that you can pinpoint the date when the mask came off. September 12, 2001. For some reason – Gaia knows what – he just decided to crank up the war machine and start killing brown people. Well, at least it’s all in the open now. Put on the old Crosby Stills and Nash albums. Tin soldiers and Nixon coming. It never changes. Us vs. them. Start printing the fliers. Contact the GLBT office in Kabul for a statement of solidarity with the protestors in Paris and London

Posted by David Mader at 12:39 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Guess Who's Back

Gone since last Wednesday, Glenn Reynolds makes a triumphant return to the blogosphere.

Well, he's back, anyway.

Posted by David Mader at 11:03 AM | (1) | Back to Main

More On Clarke

I'm afraid my earlier post was slightly too partisan, and I want to emphasize that I am indeed troubled by Clarke's allegations. I think it's important to note, however, that more or less everyone dropped the ball on pre-September 11 intelligence, especially broad trends regarding Islamist terror. While certain institutions, especially the FBI, can be singled out for blame, we as a society in North America shared a singular determination to ignore the realities of a world that was far more dangerous than we cared to admit. For those who recognized the danger - and it's quite possible Clarke was one - trying to get the attention of an apathetic public must have been terribly frustrating; when you try - and fail - to get the attention of people who have the power to make a difference, the frustration can only increase.

So if it turns out that elements in the White House underestimated the threat posed by al Qaida, I think that will demonstrate more than anything the dangers of a lackadaisical approach to terrorism. The issue, then, is not how we all low-balled the threat before, but how we are prepared to deal with the threat now. Clarke has made clear his disagreement with Bush over how to prosecute this war, but once his allegations of pre-9/11 error are addressed he becomes yet another nay-sayer, unconvinced by or unwilling to recognize the value of the campaign to democratize the Arab-Muslim world in order to address the real 'root-causes' of Islamist terror.

Posted by David Mader at 12:56 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 21, 2004

Hold On to Your Hats

It's about to get bumpy.

UPDATE (23:39 EST): Check out this story from earlier today quoting Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announcing a 'war on Hamas.' Via Winds of Change.

Posted by David Mader at 11:37 PM | (0) | Back to Main

IDF: 1, Yassin: 0

Ladies and Gentlemen, we got him!

The Israelis have reportedly killed Sheik Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas.

If so, this is a great victory in the War on Terror. Yassin was the "spiritual" leader of one of the nastiest terrorist groups in the world. He had been held in jail for several years, but was released under the Oslo Accords - another great moment in international diplomacy.

He will not be missed.

Posted by David Mader at 11:30 PM | (2) | Back to Main

What Took Him So Long?

Richard Clarke, who retired as a White House counter-terrorism official last year, is publishing a book accusing President Bush and his administration of ignoring the threat of al Qaida in the months prior to September 11, 2001. Clarke also suggests that the invasion of Iraq has exacerbated terrorist activity across the globe.

Clarke's accusations are serious, and supporters of the President and the war should carefully evaluate them. It's absolutely true that elements in the US government missed warning signs and mishandled responsibilities prior to September 11, and these failures have yet to be satisfactorally addressed.

Still, there are hints that Clarke is motivated as much by politics as by principle. The story linked above suggests a degree of professional animosity towards National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice who "effectively demoted [Clarke] within the national security council."

What I can't figure out, however, is this: Clarke is said to have retired from a thirty-year career in counter-terrorism. He suggests that he asked for a meeting with senior officials to discuss the "imminent al Qaida threat" immediately after Bush took office. Did Clarke not have the same concerns prior to January, 2001? If he did, why was he not able to move the previous administration to action on the issue? Clintonian inaction would not excuse inaction by the Bush White House, of course, but the logical discrepancy in Clarke's story certainly raises the possibility of a political motivation - not to mention after-the-fact auto-hagiography.

MORE (3/22/04 00:57 EST): Chris Green casts further doubts on Clarke's record.

Posted by David Mader at 10:35 PM | (2) | Back to Main

The Drawbacks of Law Enforcment

The AP has an interesting piece on the difficulties of prosecuting the war on terror in the courtrooms of democratic nations. The story seems to hint that the failures of the law-enforcement approach denote failures for the war on terror itself. This isn't entirely untrue; law enforcement remains a very important component of the anti-terrorist effort, and difficulties will have to be overcome. Still, the difficulties also indicate the problems involved in applying domestic law to what is, in the end, a war beyond domestic legal structures.

Posted by David Mader at 10:17 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Outsourcing

Daniel Drezner has a great article on outsourcing in the latest Foreign Affairs. Some excerpts are included below.

The reaction to Gregory Mankiw's remarks on outsourcing has reminded me to a degree of the reaction to DARPA's Policy Analysis Market (see here, here and here) last July. When the Republican Speaker of the House says things like "we cannot have a healthy economy unless we have more jobs here in America," it betrays such a basic lack of economic understanding that you can't help but wonder why we trust these folks to govern us at all.

It's all politics, of course, and there's a reason economists don't run the country. Still, I continue to advocate insterting basic micro-economics into the elementary school curriculum, so that disagreement and discussion will at least be based on some sort of common knowledge, as opposed to a scare-mongering that should leave all politicians ashamed.

From the Drezner piece:

On manufacturing:

There is no denying that the number of manufacturing jobs has fallen dramatically in recent years, but this has very little do with outsourcing and almost everything to do with technological innovation. As with agriculture a century ago, productivity gains have outstripped demand, so fewer and fewer workers are needed for manufacturing. If outsourcing were in fact the chief cause of manufacturing losses, one would expect corresponding increases in manufacturing employment in developing countries. An Alliance Capital Management study of global manufacturing trends from 1995 to 2002, however, shows that this was not the case: the United States saw an 11 percent decrease in manufacturing employment over the course of those seven years; meanwhile, China saw a 15 percent decrease and Brazil a 20 percent decrease. Globally, the figure for manufacturing jobs lost was identical to the U.S. figure -- 11 percent.

On comparative advantage:

The current trend of outsourcing business processes overseas is comparative advantage at work.

On noneconomic benefits:

Outsourcing also has considerable noneconomic benefits. It is clearly in the interest of the United States to reward other countries for reducing their barriers to trade and investment. Some of the countries where U.S. firms have set up outsourcing operations -- including India, Poland, and the Philippines -- are vital allies in the war on terrorism. Just as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) helped Mexico deepen its democratic transition and strengthen its rule of law, the United States gains considerably from the political reorientation spurred by economic growth and interdependence.

On white-collar outsourcing:

Technological innovation has converted what were thought to be nontradeable sectors into tradeable ones. Manufacturing workers have long been subject to the rigors of global competition. White-collar service-sector workers are being introduced to these pressures for the first time -- and they are not happy about it. As Raghuram Rajan and Luigi Zingales point out in Saving Capitalism From the Capitalists, globalization and technological innovation affect professions such as law and medicine that have not changed all that much for centuries. Their political reaction to the threat of foreign competition will be fierce.

On legislative responses to outsourcing:

As Robert McTeer, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said when asked about policy responses to outsourcing, "If we are lucky, we can get through the year without doing something really, really stupid."

You haven't read this far, because if you were this interested you'd have already gone to read the whole piece.

Posted by David Mader at 10:01 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Not Anti-War

Just on the other side.

Posted by David Mader at 09:14 PM | (2) | Back to Main

How Do You Say Reichstag in Chinese?

Following a mysterious assassination attempt late last week, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was reelected over the weekend in a contest that has been hotly contested by the opposition. Now, with thousands demanding a recount and violence flaring as opposition supporters attack police positions, China has put its army on combat alert, threatening to declare a state of emergency and to invade the island to restore order.

I don't want to venture too far into tinfoil-hat territory here, and while I don't know much about Taiwanese or Chinese politics it seems to me the prospect of collusion between Beijing and the Taiwanese opposition - a certain Kuomintang - is close to nil.

Still, this is precisely the sort of below-the-radar crisis a government like Beijing's could well exploit to achieve its longstanding goal of reunifying China. With the US military deployed around the globe, a quick invasion could allow Beijing to present Washington with a fait accompli which would be very difficult to reverse.

Yet another spot to keep an eye on, I think.

Posted by David Mader at 09:12 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Still Saying Yes to Liberty

I haven't spoken to Dan, but I hear via my usual channels that the rally for liberty went well yesterday. Hopefully we'll get a report - and might we even see pictures? - in good time.

UPDATE (22:04 EST): Kelvin at Blue Revolution has some pictures. What a miserable day; and I hate to say it, but there seem to have been as many cops as counter-protesters. Still, it only takes a pebble, and kudos to all who ventured out to give voice to those who support America and its allies in this war.

Posted by David Mader at 08:57 PM | (2) | Back to Main

Sorry Indeed.

Laurent at Polyscopique notes the extremely disturbing story of a Palestinian terrorist group apologizing for murdering an Arab mistaken for a Jew:

"The fighters thought he was a settler jogging in an area full of settlers. It was a mistake and we extend our apology to his family," a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group in President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, told Reuters.

Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

As Laurent says, this would seem to undermine the notion that Palestinian terrorists seek only the end of Israeli 'occupation.' The transparent and unapolagetic racism inherent in the statement above only underlines the brutality that motivates these terrorist groups. Is it too much to ask that this racist reality be recognized in the popular press?

Posted by David Mader at 08:25 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Moderates Defeat Islamists in Malaysia Poll

A moderate or 'secular' coalition led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has scored a resounding victory over the opposition Islamist party in Malaysia. I don't know much of anything about Malaysian politics, but this certainly sounds like a Good Thing.

Most encouraging, perhaps, is the news that Badawi's party polled well not only with the country's 40% non-Muslim population but with Muslims in the country's 'Green belt' of Islamic concentration.

Posted by David Mader at 11:45 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 20, 2004

Harper Wins Conservative Leadership

Stephen Harper has won the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Harper cleaned up out west, did extremely well in Ontario and was very competitive in Quebec. Here's hoping he can fire up the newly reunited party and take the fight to the Liberals starting... now.

Posted by David Mader at 07:26 PM | (3) | Back to Main

One Year Later

Mark Steyn evaluates some predictions about Iraq.

Posted by David Mader at 07:22 PM | (0) | Back to Main

March 19, 2004

Rally for Freedom Tomorrow

This is Dan's thing rather than mine, but I want to remind everyone of the World Still Says Yes to Liberty rally tomorrow in Nathan Phillips Square beginning at 12:00. Thanks so much to those bloggers who have already helped to spread the word; I hope everyone else passes the message along, and that those in the GTA will go and show their support for freedom.

Posted by David Mader at 02:41 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Senate Reform

The Conservative Party of Canada has made senate reform a top policy priority, and polls suggest that the idea has broad support across the country. Reform is generally taken to mean some combination of equality of provincial representation and election of senators. (An 'effective' senate rounds out the 'Triple-E' catchphrase).

I'm all for senate reform, but I've been thinking about it a bit and I have a question for Maderblog readers: can anyone point to a jurisdiction which has a bicameral elected legislature but which does not independently elect its executive (or the official who exercises executive power)? Britain may soon become such a jurisdiction, but it is not quite yet and has not been historically. No more than one or two States (of the US), I believe, are unicameral, and all States elect their executives. I'd look first to the Commonwealth: Australia may fit the bill, and I'm not sure about New Zealand. But there are quite a few democracies with bicameral legislatures, and I imagine there are some provincial or lesser jurisdictions with this type of arrangement.

Again, I'm looking for jurisdictions in which two legislative houses are elected but the officer exercising executive powers is not elected directly and separately from legislative elections.

You can drop your suggestions in the comments or e-mail mader-at-maderblog-dot-com.

Posted by David Mader at 02:35 PM | (5) | Back to Main

de Villepin's 'Peace'

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin says that the war in Iraq has created a "more dangerous and unstable world," according to an Associated Press report.

Apparently the French Foreign Minister believes peace and stablity are best ensured by intimidating nascent democracies with military shows of force.

Glenn Reynlods often quips that far too many 'anti-war' activists aren't so much 'anti-war' as simply on the other side. De Villepin's views on Iraq are hardly unusual, and ultimately come down to a disagreement over whether the world was dangerous before the Iraq campaign. When his government engages in activities widely recognized to be part of a campaign to bully Taiwan to reintegrate into a totalitarian society, though, it's hard to argue that the French foreign minister - or his government - are on the side of freedom and democracy.

Posted by David Mader at 02:13 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Shoulda Thought That One Through

China is banning a Norwegian computer game because it "blackens the country's image":

The State Press and Publication Administration said the game, "Project IGI2: Covert Strike," violates Chinese regulations prohibiting games that hurt China's national dignity and interests, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

And banning games and other entertainments just does wonders for the reputation, eh comrade? Honestly, if they're so sensitive about dignity they might want to stop spending so much time censoring computer games.

Posted by David Mader at 02:01 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Taiwan President, VP Shot

Taiwan's president and vice-president have been shot (not critically) while campaigning for re-election in a vote to be held this weekend. No arrests have been made and the motive for the shooting is unclear, though China is strongly (and I mean strongly) opposed to both the vote and the prospect of an incumbent victory.

Posted by David Mader at 10:00 AM | (0) | Back to Main

Can't Get No Rest

John Kerry is taking a vacation at his wife's estate in Idaho in order to revitalize for the coming presidential campaign, but he can't seem to escape his own mis-steps:

He had just sat down for a bite to eat on the crowded patio near the lift line when a waiting skier, John Norris, shouted: "Hey, John! What foreign leaders talked to you?"

Mr. Kerry beat a retreat back into the lodge, to an upstairs, out-of-the-way dining area where he would be sure to draw even less attention.

Heh. But I think it's this episode which will be getting the most press:

His next trip down, a reporter and a camera crew were allowed to follow along on skis — just in time to see Mr. Kerry taken out by one of the Secret Service men, who had inadvertently moved into his path, sending him into the snow.

When asked about the mishap a moment later, he said sharply, "I don't fall down," then used an expletive to describe the agent who "knocked me over."

Expletives, haughtiness - that'll play well, Senator.

Posted by David Mader at 09:52 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 18, 2004

Qaida #2 Cornered?

That's the rumour getting air on CNN:

The Pakistani military was preparing to launch a heavy air assault after sunrise Friday on al Qaeda troops believed to be protecting a "high-value" leader near the Afghanistan border, Pakistani sources told CNN.

Intelligence indicated the surrounded figure is Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, two Pakistani government sources told CNN.

More than 200 well-trained and well-equipped al Qaeda fighters are trying to prevent al-Zawahiri's capture, an official in the intelligence services and another in the interior department said.

Dan Darling has the inside goods. Keep your eye on this one.

Posted by David Mader at 07:05 PM | (1) | Back to Main

Free Burma Event at McGill

The McGill chapter of the Free Burma Coalition is hosting two speakers this evening who will discuss the situation in Burma, where a military junta continues to erode human rights and democracy. The event is at 6PM in room 204 of the McConnell Engineering Building. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it, but if someone does, feel free to send in a report. It's a good cause.

Posted by David Mader at 03:28 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Threat Closes French Rail Line

French police discovered a suspicious package along a rail-line after receiving a telephoned threat earlier today. It's not clear whether the threat came from the same group which has planted a number of bombs along rail-lines in France over the past month.

Posted by David Mader at 11:59 AM | (0) | Back to Main

Get Stufft. Sorry, 'Stuffed'.

And I though I was pedantic.

The unfortunate truth is that if you mispronounce certain words, people will assume not that you have a unique dialect but that you don't know what the word is or means. I say unfortunate because I believe in an organic language, and I've studied enough middle-English (it doesn't take much) that I see the idea of an orderly language as completely absurd.

And while saying 'nucular' might get you laughed out of some Parisian salon, saying 'miniature' is going to sound stupid pretty much anywhere outside of England. I don't think there's anywhere you wouldn't sound stupid saying 'parliament.' I'm hardly one to talk, but it just sounds ostentatious.

[Via the Volokh Conspiracy]

Posted by David Mader at 11:55 AM | (2) | Back to Main

Friends Like This

David Frum on Zapatero:

Fighting terrorism with bombs, with Tomahawk missiles, isn't the way to beat terrorism, but the way to generate more radicalism.” Well of course there’s nobody, least of all in the Bush administration, who thinks that bombs and Tomahawks alone are right way to fight terrorism.... [But] the Europeans did not object very much over the dozen years that the US was bombing Iraq and periodically Tomahawking terrorist training camps Afghanistan. It was not the use of violence that frightens them, but the talk of democracy.

Ouch. Frum also looks more closely at Zapatero's explicit endorsement of John Kerry, repeated after Sunday's election. As I mentioned before, this has got to be way out of bounds by more or less anyone's standards. What kind of treatment does Zapatero expect from a second Bush administration? The President knows well how to isolate an antagonistic 'friend', as Canadians know well.

Or is that the point? Is Zapatero so convinced of American error that he's willing to wreck Spanish-American relations in order to advance his career as champion of European anto-Americanism?

Posted by David Mader at 09:42 AM | (1) | Back to Main

Gaza Sliding into Chaos?

Many observers have predicted that the factionalism within the Palestinian territories would result in an eventual descent into warlordism and chaos; indeed, many Palestinian advocates have accused Israel of isolating Arafat in order to achieve just this result. Whatever the background politics, it appears to be taking place:

Gunmen from the Islamic Resistance Movement clashed with Palestinian security forces early Wednesday in central Gaza City, leaving one bystander dead and 17 injured and underscoring the deteriorating relations between radical groups and the Palestinian Authority.

The firefight erupted during morning rush hour when a carload of Palestinians belonging to the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, pulled up to a police checkpoint outside the Saraya prison and police compound and were ordered to stop and allow a search of their vehicle, according to a statement by the Palestinian Authority's Preventative Security service.

The occupants of the car responded by throwing grenades at uniformed officers manning the checkpoint and opening fire with automatic weapons, the statement said.

The incident illustrated the tense and unstable security situation in the Gaza Strip, where the popularity of such groups as Hamas and Islamic Jihad has increased so much during the 41-month-long Palestinian uprising against Israel that they are challenging the governing Palestinian Authority for control of the streets.

This sort of thing will get more common, I think.

Posted by David Mader at 12:31 AM | (0) | Back to Main

March 17, 2004

A Time to Choose

A group which has admitted responsibility for the 3/11 attacks now says it has declared a truce with Spain "to give the new government time to withdraw troops from Iraq." Intelligence sources are casting doubt on the legitimacy of the group, suggesting they may simply be taking credit for the work of others. Still, if legitimate it would seem to put the debate over the consequences of 3/11 in pretty sharp relief. The new Spanish government has a choice 'granted' them by these terrorists: to do their will, and so hope escape further attack, or to remain committed to freedom in Iraq, and so reject the terrorists' attempt to dictate Spanish policy. Unfortunately, I think we can all guess what the new government will decide to do. Will it make Spain safe? On the contrary.

Czechoslovakia. Just give them Czechoslovakia, and we'll all be safe.

Posted by David Mader at 09:53 PM | (0) | Back to Main

Child Sacrifice

The Jerusalem Post has a must-read editorial on the shocking story of an eleven-year-old Palestinian boy who was stopped at an Israeli check-point and found to be carrying a bomb in his school-bag.

Abdullah wasn't merely a courier. He was, unknowingly, a guided missile. A cellphone connected to the 10-kilo bomb he lugged was primed to detonate the bomb by remote control, if his dispatcher considered it expedient.

The boy told the border policewoman whose suspicions he aroused that someone promised him "lots of money" if he took the heavy backpack through the IDF checkpoint outside of Nablus. Had the precocious smuggler succeeded, the contraband would have been set off in an Israeli bus or similar crowded civilian target.

However, the plan called for detonating the charge on the boy, if he were stopped. Indeed, as sappers handled his bag's contents, someone dialed the cellphone trigger. A technical failure prevented the death of the child and many of those around.

The Post also laments the lack of world-media coverage: "One might think the story of this child would evoke a modicum of human interest from a world that claims to care about Palestinian children. Is no one interested when Palestinian children are systematically indoctrinated by official media into a cult of suicide and murder, and if that doesn't work, they are employed as unknowing cannon fodder?"

I'm proud to be involved in an organization, McGill Operation SICK, which has started to highlight the incitement of children to violence in the Palestinian territories and around the world. Our OpSICK chapter believes that no ideology can justify this sort of terrible manipulation of society's most vulnerable members.

Unfortunately, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, an activist group in Montreal which was involved in the Netanyahu riots at Concordia University, are trying to get OpSICK thrown off the McGill campus. SPHR has accused OpSICK of having a racist ideology and is campaigning to deny it full club status under the auspices of the Students' Society.

As the Jerusalem Post notes, this is an issue that should be beyond di