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Afghanistan and the Dilemma of Post-Conflict Elections
Par Richard Lappin le 1 octobre 2009
A growing dispute over election results in Afghanistan is threatening to further destabilise the war-torn state. On Wednesday – nearly 1 month after the country went to the polls – the EU confirmed widespread fears over the credibility of the elections by announcing that as many as 1.5 million of the 6 million votes cast could be fraudulent. According to the EU, as many as 1.1 million of these ‘suspicious’ votes were allocated to the incumbent President Hamid Karzai and only 300,000 to his rival Abdullah Abdullah. With the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission now undertaking recounts, there is a significant chance that Karzai’s current 54.6% of the vote could slip below the 50% threshold required for victory and thus trigger a run-off poll against Abdullah Abdullah.
Are we as good as we think we are?
Par Robert Presser le 1 octobre 2009
According to the latest statistical data, the Canadian recession ended
sometime over the summer and we will see slow growth in the third and
fourth quarters of 2009. While this is likely to be a jobless recovery
until sometime in 2010, Canadians believe that our conservative banking
culture coupled with greater financial market regulation spared us the
mortgage melt-down and destruction of consumer wealth that devastated
other first world economies. While that may be the case, it does not
mean that Canada is perfect on all major economic and government policy
issues. This article takes a look at some major issues facing western
economies and what international organizations like the World Bank have
to say about Canada’s success in managing them.
Lack of regulation you say?
Par Mischa Popoff le 1 octobre 2009
Some claim the global financial crisis was caused by a lack of
regulation. But it was overregulation and community activism that
caused the American mortgage crisis which precipitated the global
financial meltdown.
The American mortgage industry is overseen by Freddie Mac and Fannie
Mae. They are roughly equivalent to our Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, the big difference being that unlike CMHC they participate
directly in the mortgage market. Now hold that thought…
From Small Beginnings
Par David Solway le 1 octobre 2009
Global warmists, environmentalists and ecological redeemers are a mixed bunch and come in every shape, size and color. There are those, of course, who adopt a sane and responsible attitude toward preserving our natural heritage. One notable instance involves a new class of wealthy philanthropists, called eco-barons, such as the Chilean Sebastian Pinera, the American Douglas Thomas, and the Swiss Ernst Beyeler and Hansjörg Wyss, who have purchased, preserved and reconstructed millions of hectares in Chile, Argentina, the United States and South Africa. They are to be commended, not only because they are materially contributing to the planet’s well-being rather than whipping up public hysteria, but because they are not in the business of profiting from the latest environmental scare...
Wiesel in Montreal: “You are not alone! Somebody cares.”
Par Joel Goldenberg le 1 octobre 2009
Individuals should never think there is nothing they can do to help solve society’s ills, professor, Nobel Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel told an audience of more than 2,200 at Théâtre St. Denis recently...
Le Monde de Piperberg
Par Roy Piperberg le 1 octobre 2009
TREMBLAY’S TRIUMPHANT SEASON. Michel Tremblay, that is.
Par Alidor Aucoin le 1 octobre 2009
If there’s any doubt that Michel Tremblay is a national resource, all
you have to do is look around . He’s everywhere. Tremblay’s latest
play – his 30th– Fragments des mensonges inutiles, is at the Theatre
Jean Duceppe until October 17. His fifth novel, La Traversée des
sentiments, comes out in November, and a musical based on his
classic, Les Belles-Soeurs, (lyrics by René Richard Cyr and music by
Daniel Bélanger) will be staged next spring at Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui,
and is already a box office hit. Tremblay is also doing the French
translation of Steve Gallucio’s farce, Piazza San Domenico, which
opens the Centaur season Oct. 6 , Michel Tremblay is also a character
who banters with Jack Kerouac in George Rideout’s play, Michel &
Ti-jean, at the Centaur in February. A production of Albertine in Five
Times is at the Shaw Festival until mid October, and next year,
Stratford will produce For The Pleasure of Seeing Her Again.
Ladies and Gentlemen…Leonard Cohen! Still your man
Par P.A. Sévigny le 1 octobre 2009
He may have written Death of a Lady’s Man but Leonard Cohen is not,
repeat, not dead. As of last week, he’s 75 years old and pulling in a
pension but the man’s alive, the man is well and as far as we know, he
still knows how to make the ladies sweat.
Edmonton’s Allison Akgongor’s Longing for Leonard knows what she’s talking about when she writes
Leonard’s sounds entice us
His words carry us away
Ce n’est pas ma fête
Par Louise V. Labrecque le 1 octobre 2009
J’aime beaucoup les anniversaires. Ils nous invitent à déclarer des sentiments trop souvent tacites, qui vont sans dire, mais qui vont tellement mieux en les disant. Ils invitent aussi à la rencontre avec le passé, à des retours vers ce que l’on fête, à des prises de consciences renouvelées vers soi, comme l’air de dire : « J’ai eu de la chance ». Ainsi, je m’amuse à évoquer les mille et unes réflexions se situant au cœur du dernier livre de Milan Kundera : Une rencontre.
Thousand Words
Par . le 2 septembre 2009
Un sujet sans importance
Par Pierre K. Malouf le 2 septembre 2009
La question n’a aucune importance, mais elle est souvent posée de diverses manières qui se ressemblent toutes : quelle différence y a-t-il entre la droite et la gauche ? Telle mesure proposée par tel parti, par tel groupe de pression, tel penseur, doit-elle être classée à droite ou à gauche ? De quel bord de l’éventail situer, par exemple, le manifeste des Lucides, la réplique des Solidaires, le rapport Monmarquette, Bouchard-Taylor ? Hors le sexe de l’individu concerné, comment distinguer un homme de droite d’une femme de gauche, une femme de droite d’un homme de gauche ? Toujours la même question stérile, que quelques événements récents ont ramenée sur tapis. Vous me pardonnerez de la traiter ici avec quelque légèreté...
A campaign of chaotic vanity « …le public est ennuyé par les politiques de la grande ville… »
Par Alan Hustak le 2 septembre 2009
Gerald Tremblay is on the ropes. The momentum is with his nemisis Louise Harel. What is shaping up is a municipal election campaign of chaotic vanity. In the past few weeks so many candidates have been jockeying for position that you need a program to know who they are and what they stand for.
..Gerald and Louise Take a Tram Ride
Par Robert Presser le 2 septembre 2009
Since Montreal is apparently flush with cash to undertake new infrastructure projects, a study by engineering consortium Genivar-Systra was commissioned to demonstrate the viability of a 12 kilometre tramway network for Montreal. The cost is estimated at $500-$750 million dollars, depending on the scope of secondary infrastructure work that is included in the study. But what would a trip on a Montreal tramway really look like? Imagine if we could take a ride on the Guy Street to Jean Talon line?
Vision sets its sights on Ville-Marie
Par P.A. Sévigny le 2 septembre 2009
With less than a month left to go before the start of Montreal’s municipal election campaign, Louise Harel’s team is already up to speed with 10 more weeks to go before next November’s election. While Harel’s charm offensive is winning converts all over the city, she’s still letting everyone know she won’t back down from a fight-any fight...
Closing Peel Street bad idea
Par P.A. Sévigny le 2 septembre 2009
Last July, the entire section of Peel Street between Sherbrooke St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd.was closed after a decorative slab of concrete weighing 135 kilos fell out of its 18th floor casement, killing Léa Guilbeault, 33 and permanently injuring her husband Hani Beitinjaneh. After Guilbeault’s body was taken away, city fire and security officials immediately closed the street as a security precaution against further incidents and possible injuries. Six weeks later, Peel Street is still closed and local business people wonder why the Tremblay administration can’t do anything about it...
Le libéralisme face à l’homophobie islamofasciste
Par Daniel Laprès le 2 septembre 2009
Le dimanche 16 août dernier, au moins 100 000 spectateurs assistaient au défilé de la Fierté gaie de Montréal. Le parti libéral du Canada a profité de l’occasion pour rappeler que c’est un gouvernement libéral qui, il y a 40 ans, avait légalisé l’homosexualité au Canada. Accompagnés de quelques dizaines de militants libéraux,cinq députés libéraux ont participé au défilé en arborant fièrement des affiches dont le slogan ne manquait ni d’originalité ni de saveur : « 69 une position libérale ». Il fallait effectivement y penser...
Ending homophobia
Par Jessica Murphy le 2 septembre 2009
Quebec’s wide-ranging, inter-ministerial action plan against homophobia, years in the making, is expected to be tabled this fall.
The action plan uses as its framework the recommendations put forward by the Quebec human rights commission’s 2007 report into homophobia in the province.
Comfort and dependency
Par Akil Alleyne le 2 septembre 2009
I will never forget the surprise and disappointment I felt as a child when I first discovered that the word used to describe opponents of Quebec sovereignty was “federalist”. Even at the tender age of ten, I was dismayed that as Canada teetered on the brink of dissolution, this dry, wishy-washy term was the best its principal defenders could do. “Federalist”? Nothing more stirring, such as perhaps “loyalist”? Not even merely “unionist”? “Federalist”?
Cotler invites government to adopt anti-genocide Iran Accountability Act
Par Beryl Wajsman le 2 septembre 2009
In a press conference held in his riding of Mount Royal, MP Irwin Cotler made two significant announcements related to his Iran Accountability Act (IAA). The first was an invitation to the government to adopt the Act as its own legislation thereby assuring passage of the already broadly supported measure. The second was a plan for a comprehensive international community strategy...
EMK: “And the last shall be first...”
Par Beryl Wajsman le 2 septembre 2009
When John Kennedy was elected President he gave his youngest brother a silver cigarette case with the scriptural verse from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark “…and the last shall be first…” engraved within. Whether they were intended as words of aspiration or inspiration, Edward Moore Kennedy – overcoming so many personal demons – rose to their hope and to their promise. His legislative legacy, more than anyone in the post-war era, became the first line of defence for hundreds of millions of the vulnerable whose concerns are too often last in the minds of lawmakers in their ivory towers.
L'équivalence morale, ou l'hypocrisie occidentale
Par Jacques Brassard le 2 septembre 2009
Il est coutumier, en Occident, dans les médias, chez les universitaires s'affichant experts et dans la classe politique, de pratiquer, à l'égard du conflit israélo-arabe, ce qu'on peut appeler l'«imposture de l'équivalence morale». Un exemple récent: l'opinion d'un ancien Premier ministre du Québec, Bernard Landry, dans sa chronique publiée par la revue La Semaine...
Learning from “Teachable Moments”
Par David T. Jones le 2 septembre 2009
This summer for Americans has seen the return of the “teachable moment.” That is, in my rough definition of such, a circumstance or development from which a lesson about life, society, politics, etc can be drawn.
Our interlock in this instance, has been the interaction between Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates (an African American), Cambridge police sergeant James Crowley (a Caucasian), and U.S. President Barack Obama. Although the outlines of this event are relatively well known, they deserve recounting.
Kip
Par Beryl Wajsman le 2 septembre 2009
I’ve often said that the word vacation doesn’t exist in my life. I feel privileged to be able to do advocacy and journalism . You get used to not having normal routines. Perhaps I never wanted them in the first place. So you live your life out there – on the edge - available, attackable, accessible. And you get used to pretty much all sorts of tragic stories and appeals. But every now and then there is one that not only ignites a fury that propels you to act, but also floods you with sadness that moves you to reflect.
On the morality of bottled water
Par Dan Delmar le 2 septembre 2009
Journalists are often invited to all kinds of launch parties, cinq à septs, premieres; it’s one of the perks of the job. Most are fairly unremarkable and formulaic: Wine, women, tapas and, “hey, are you going to mention how revolutionary ‘Product A’ or ‘Politician B’ is in your article?” Not likely, no. But thanks for the chicken skewers...
Piperberg's World
Par Roy Piperberg le 2 septembre 2009
An older society does not mean a poorer one!
Par Vincent Geloso le 2 septembre 2009
Economists, pundits and public policy makers have been trying to convince us for sometime now that the economy will soon face a very difficult challenge: that of an aging population. The concern is two-fold. As Canada’s new grey-haired population retires, the labour force will shrink thus slowing down economic growth. A recent study by the Caisses Desjardins in Quebec declared that the “growth of potential GDP (the economy’s long-term average growth rate) would drop substantially by 2021”. The problems is that the rising share of Canadians above 65 years old who consume services will rise from 13.7% in 2006 to 23.4% in 2031 according to Statistics Canada. Some provinces like Quebec could get close to 30%. Thus there will be more elders for every worker left. Globe & Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson concluded from similar studies that “government finances will weaken: few tax revenues, more spending, chronic deficits, more debt. Health-care and education budgets will be squeezed”.
Grand symphonic gala celebrates 75 glorious years
Par Naomi Gold le 2 septembre 2009
Montreal's beloved symphony orchestra recently staged its 11th annual ball at Windsor Station and proved to be this year's premier sensory-pleasing fundraiser. A symphony of incredibly tantalizing delights for the eyes, palates and ears, the benefit soirée pulled out all the proverbial stops, as some 500 guests fêted their local orchestral treasure.
« … et j’ai signé : Étoile »
Par Louise V. Labrecque le 2 septembre 2009
Nous vivons une époque exceptionnelle de l’histoire de l’humanité. En effet, nous sommes enfin sortis des mythes anciens qui décrivaient, d’une manière ou d’une autre, la création de l’Univers. En somme, nous voilà sortis d’une vision du monde qui traçait invariablement une frontière entre le Ciel et la Terre, le Bien et le Mal. Ces mythes plaçaient la Terre au centre de l’Univers, tel un nombril originel, et la religion était, de ce fait, profondément imprégnée des idées d’Aristote. Toutefois, lorsque Galilée découvrit des détails astronomiques dans le Ciel divin, nous étions déjà passés de l’autre côté du miroir. Et nous savons aujourd’hui l’impact que ses observations eurent sur l’avenir de la civilisation en général et sur la recherche scientifique en particulier.
A FREER, FAIRER, RICHER MONTRÉAL PLUS LIBRE, PLUS JUSTE, PLUS RICHE
Par Beryl Wajsman le 6 août 2009
“Ethics and transparency? Inform the people of your decisions and leave more than a few hours a month for the public to ask questions. Montreal as an international city attracting world business? Stop the culture wars and make a tax free zone downtown for tourists. Transport? Build a highway and rail link parallel to the 20 through Turcot. Economic development? Cut social engineering and nanny state programs. Get rid of the boroughs. Reduce the size of government like New York and Toronto. And give the savings back in lowered taxes to Montrealers, particularly the small business people who create 80% of our jobs. Urban planning? Develop air rights and stop the empty talk of ‘sustainable development’ in a city with a third of our households below the poverty line. Governance? Talk straight to the people. They are not stupid. Just tired.”
Milles Mots
Par Robert J. Galbraith le 6 août 2009
Des changements, oui ! Mais lesquels ?
Par Pierre K. Malouf le 6 août 2009
Nous sommes en récession. À quelques exceptions près, les experts s’entendent pour identifier la cause du mal : la « déconnexion entre économie réelle et finance virtuelle. ». Tous conviennent que la crise emmènera des changements. Dans La Presse du 5 juin, Alain Dubuc écrit qu’elle « va forcer les économies à se transformer et à s’adapter à un monde qui ne sera plus le même . Dans la revue Liberté, Gilles Dostaler déclare : « Cette crise est donc l’occasion idéale pour remettre en question la façon dont nous fonctionnons . ».
Louise Harel and the art of newspeak
Par Alan Hustak le 6 août 2009
When Louise Harel was still Quebec’s minister of municipal affairs, and promoting the borough system for Montreal, she envisioned the boroughs as “little homelands.…What is important to understand,” she said back then, “ is that there are little bits of patrie throughout Montreal, and the people are proud of it. That has helped me understand the feeling of identity in the suburbs. ''
Will the real Richard Bergeron please stand up?
Par Jessica Murphy le 6 août 2009
Projet Montreal’s website seems to have whitewashed an element of its leader’s history.
While it trumpets a number of books Richard Bergeron has published - “Le livre noir de l’automobile” and “L’économie de l’automobile au Québec” - there’s no mention of his most recent treaty, “Les Quebecois au volant, c’est mortel.” The book deals primarily with Bergeron’s favourite bugaboo - the car - and how it has caused millions of deaths and injuries since its invention..
Il ne faut pas exagérer la « flat tax »
Par Vincent Geloso le 6 août 2009
Le candidat à la chefferie de l’Action démocratique du Québec, Jeff Plante, a déclaré son adhésion à la “flat tax” à plusieurs reprises sur sa radio internet. Récemment, il est sorti dans Le Soleil et a défendu la « flat tax » à nouveau. L’idée peut avoir ses charmes, mais il faut la mettre dans le contexte québécois pour constater que ses effets seraient minimes voire indésirables.
Decade of terror against Falun Gong
Par The Hon. David Kilgour le 6 août 2009
Almost exactly ten years ago, the party-state in Beijing launched its campaign against a government-estimated 70-100 million Falun Gong practitioners. The then determinedly-non-political Falun Gong, which is an exercise community with a spiritual component, soon became the latest in a long list of 'enemies of the party'. Atrocities against Falun Gong supporters continue today across China.
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