US Intelligence needs fundamental reform

No kidding, eh? There was also good news for Bush from the bi-partisan report:

[It] found no evidence that senior administration officials had sought to change the prewar intelligence in Iraq, possibly for political gain...investigators examined every allegation "to see if there was any occasion where a member of the administration or anyone else had asked an analyst or anyone else associated with the intelligence community to change a position they were taking or whether they felt there was any undue influence. And we found absolutely no instance."

It's unanimous

Paul Wolfowitz has been unanimously approved as head of the World Bank.

It's over

Terri Schiavo has died.

An enviable position

Alberta is debt free. Nice. And all the opposition can do is complain that it was done too fast. Please. Alberta has the fastest growing economy, the lowest taxes (10% flat!), and the best outlook of any province. Opposition parties are there to oppose, but not oppose every last thing, including good news.

Iranian brutality

This isn't exactly a surprise, but it's still hard to read about. The doctor who examined Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi before she died says her injuries indicate she was brutally beaten, tortured and raped while in Iranian custody in 2003. We withdrew our ambassador at the time, but 4 months later sent a new one, and not much else has been done. Shame on us.

Zimbabwe's election

Thursday will probably see another rigged vote, but it would sure be nice to see the opposition win in Zimbabwe.

Still, opposition optimism pervades. One reason is that it's so clear the government's policies have largely failed (largely? -ed). The national economy has shrunk by up to 40 percent in five years, sending inflation as high as 600 percent and unemployment to 70 percent...By one estimate 4.8 million Zimbabweans are on the verge of starvation.

The country is an absolute mess, but hopefully it can join the ranks of newly free nations through a peaceful uprising.

Mr. McKenna goes to Washington

You have to love this guy - I may not agree with everything he has to say, but our Washington Ambassador is making a splash, talking tough, and making a lot of sense. FM for PM one day?

Rejected again

The latest and probably last appeal by Terri Schiavo's family has been rejected. It's been 13 days now, so if can't be much longer. Even if you think she would want to die in this condition, and agree with the law, starving and dehydrating her to death is inhumane. Since the courts have ordered that she receive no food or water they have in essence ordered that she be killed. That makes no sense. If it's legal to kill her, there should at least be advocates clamoring for a morphine over dose or something. This seems the worst of both worlds.

Strange bedfellows

What's that saying - politics makes strange bedfellows? Here I am on the same side as Ralph Nader! It's short and to the point, and it's right on. Read it all here.

The courts not only are refusing her tube feeding, but have ordered that no attempts be made to provide her water or food by mouth. Terri swallows her own saliva. Spoon feeding is not medical treatment. "This outrageous order proves that the courts are not merely permitting medical treatment to be withheld, it has ordered her to be made dead," Nader and Smith assert.

The medical and rehabilitation experts are split on whether Terri is in a persistent vegetative state or whether Terri can be improved with therapy. There is only one way to know for sure - permit the therapy. That is the only way to resolve all doubts.

Instead, we'll wait for the autopsy to determine her actual condition. You can't make this stuff up.

UPDATE: It gets worse [sort of]. Jesse Jackson has visited Terri and declared "She is being dehydrated to death and that is inhumane. It is immoral and it is unnecessary. There is no rational reason for this to happen" and that her case "transcends politics and family disputes." Don't worry, he also declared that this is about "civil rights", so it's not like this was totally out of character.

This is quite the coalition: W, Jeb, Rush, the Pope, Ralph, and Jesse, not to mention the "religious right"...

Arnold's California

Arnold is easily my favorite politician at the moment. He's fearless, bold, and intelligent. In January, rather than keeping his focus strictly on the budget, he opened up a multi-front war, to the surprise and consternation of his opponents. (whole article here - it's great)

• He wants a rigid limit on state expenditures that would impose across-the-board cuts when spending exceeds revenue.
• He proposes to change the state pension system by replacing defined benefits with individual accounts for newly hired workers, patterned after private-sector 401(k) accounts and in the spirit of Bush's Social Security plan.
• He is defying the education establishment and the California Teachers Association by backing merit pay for teachers and a change in tenure requirements.
• He is at war with the California Nurses Association over staffing ratios at hospitals.
• And in a battle other states are watching closely, Schwarzenegger wants to take the power to draw legislative and congressional district boundaries away from the legislature and put an independent panel of judges in charge of redistricting.

For those of us worried he wouldn't be conservative enough: "No one has ever raised taxes and solved the problem, nor will we solve the problem," he said. "We don't have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem."

Music to my ears.

Schiavo update

Mark Steyn weighs in with an outstanding commentary, and as usual he is able to make all the important points with wit and power.

As for the worthlessness of Terri Schiavo's existence, some years back I was discussing the death of a distinguished songwriter with one of his old colleagues. My then girlfriend, in her mid-20s, was getting twitchy to head for dinner and said airily, ''Oh, well, he had a good life. He was 87.'' ''That's easy for you to say,'' said his old pal. ''I'm 86.'' To say nobody would want to live in an iron lung or a wheelchair or a neck brace or with third-degree burns over 80 percent of your body is likewise easy for you to say.

Governor Bush has said there is nothing more he can do - the courts have completely tied his hands. There actually were agents ready to seize her, but the police made clear they would resist, so thankfully the state backed off. The family is asking the people stop volunteering to be arrested, recognizing there is no more anyone can do. The court has spoken, so all we can do is wait for her to starve to death, or perhaps die of dehydration. It's interesting to note that she is being given morphine for pain, despite the assertion that she can feel none. Depending on who you talk to, she either has a 'Look Of Beauty And Peace' or she looks 'Like Concentration Camp Victim' . That about sums it up, doesn't it?

Orson Scott Card on the Schiavo case

This is an outstanding commentary, by the father of a severely disabled boy who lived only until he was 17. His passion on this issue is palpable, and I strongly recommend reading the whole thing.

[W]e now live in a country where you can kill your wife, as long as she’s tragically brain-damaged, lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak. She does open her eyes, though. And she can track objects that move across her field of vision. She isn’t in a coma. She even has people who want to take care of her. Her parents, her siblings. And pay no attention to the “experts” who say that these apparent signs of intelligent life aren’t real. We once had an “expert” make the same sort of declaration about our son Charlie, after a mere half hour of observation, completely discounting the experience of Charlie’s parents and other caretakers who knew perfectly well that he really communicated with us. The expert’s assumption was that anything seen through the eyes of people who loved Charlie was to be discounted completely. Ironically, though, it is precisely the people whose attention is concentrated by love who are best equipped to judge whether communication is happening — since it is happening with them.

...

We cannot get inside the head of someone else even when they can speak. So to take the life of someone based on speculation about what they “would have wanted” is arrogant at best, monstrous at worst. So what if she might have said at one time, “I wouldn’t want to live like that”? She was only speculating herself at that time, guessing at how she would feel. How many times have you ever said, “If that ever happens to me, then I hope you’ll just kill me”? Even people suffering from such dark depression that they say they want to die — who is to say that at some later time they might have a completely different desire? But once they’re dead, they can’t change their mind. We can’t prevent death indefinitely — it comes to everyone in the end...But when we can preserve a life, how dare we not do our best to do so? Not just for the sake of that particular life, but for the sake of all the others who will be murdered once we open the floodgates and allow selfish people to kill those helpless ones who inconvenience them.

The judge question

Tomas Sowell makes an important point: 19 judges have not reviewed the merits of the Terri Schiavo case.

Liberals can count all the judges they want, but that does not mean that all these judges agreed with the merits of the original court's decision. It means that they found no basis for saying that the original court's decision was illegal. ... What the law just passed by Congress did was authorize a federal court to go back to square one and examine the actual merits of the Terri Schiavo case, not simply review whether the previous judge behaved illegally. Congress authorized the federal courts to retry this case from scratch -- "de novo" as the legislation says in legal terminology.

That is precisely what the federal courts have refused to do.

Bloggers dodge bullet

The FEC has altered its regulations governing the Internet. If the March 10 original document had been adopted, "political Web sites would be regulated by default unless they were password-protected and read by fewer than 500 people in a 30-day period. Many of those Web sites would have been required to post government-mandated notices or risk violating campaign finance laws."

Popular revolution in Who-its-stan?

Following in the footsteps of the Ukraine and Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan (I didn't know it was a country either) is seeing a popular revolution. The president has fled and the opposition has seized power during a relatively non violent week of protests over a fruadulant election and widespread corruption. For the record, Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim country of 5 million bordering China, in "an energy-rich region where Washington and Moscow vie for influence". Both have military bases in the country. It could be that we someday look back at these years the same way we look a back at 1989-1991. In any event, freedom is on the march, as a famous man once said.

Deserter does not equal refugee

Immigration Canada gets one right, denying refugee status to a US soldier who fled his unit rather than fight in Iraq, claiming the war was "illegal". I guess Bush will have to call his lawyer. Again. Of course there will be an appeal. Or ten. Given current practice, we can expect this man to be exported in 2050.

Why this case matters

The Terri Schiavo case is about more than just her life, as valuable and precious as it is. Peggy Noonan has some important observations, but I'd like to add my own. This case is about the state's ability to kill an innocent person. Let's be clear, the state (in this case the judiciary) is ordering that a woman be starved to death. The order is that no one may give her food and water, because that is what they think she would have wanted. This is not about life support being discontinued - she can breathe and swallow on her own. It is about a husband's right to decide his disabled wife's future, even when in a clear conflict of interest, and about the state's ability to intervene in order to save a life. In many ways, it's about the power struggle between the legislative and judicial branches, and the judges are winning. And most importantly it's about the value of human life. As Noonan points out, "God made you or he didn't. If he did, your little human life is, and has been, touched by the divine. If this is true, it would be true of all humans, not only some. And so--again, if it is true--each human life is precious, of infinite value, worthy of great respect." Some argue we should have the right to take our own lives if the circumstances are desparate or dark enough. I disagree, but don't think that's the battle worth fighting. What is worth fighting is the ability of the healthy to decide the fate of the disabled. One of the doctors in this case is on record as saying that people with alzeimer's disease should be starved to death, and that people in a vegitative state (an admitedly subjective diagnosis) have no constitutional rights. Either human life is valuable and should be protected in all it's forms or it shouldn't. It is and it should.

Nine New Senators

Paul Martin has appointed 9 new senators to Canada's unelected upper chamber, including 6 Liberals, 2 PCs and 1 NDP (first one ever). The list includes retired General Romeo Dallaire, of Rwanda genocide fame, and disgraced former cabinet minister Art Eggleton. The rest of the list include long time Martin backers, so the Senate continues in it's tradition of being the ultimate reward for political support and outlet for patronage in Canadian politics. None of the elected senators from Alberta were chosen. Instead, Martin nominated a former provincial cabinet minister under Tory premier Don Getty and a social activist, feminist, and two-time Ontario provincial candidate. Neither will sit in the new conservative party - they are Progressive Conservatives. Nice.

The last dead end

A Florida court has rejected the state's request for a review of the evidence in the Terri Schiavo case; Governor Bush was attempting to obtain custody in order to reinsert the feeding tube and save her life.

Outstanding

Liberals' newfound respect for "federalism" is completely disingenuous. People who support a national policy on abortion are prohibited from ever using the word "federalism." I note that whenever liberals talk about "federalism" or "states' rights," they are never talking about a state referendum or a law passed by the duly elected members of a state legislature — or anything voted on by the actual citizens of a state. What liberals mean by "federalism" is: a state court ruling. Just as "choice" refers to only one choice, "the rule of law" refers only to "the law as determined by a court." -- Ann Coulter

It's not politics as usual

When he listened to the debate, he was struck that Republicans seemed to be pleading for help for the unfortunate while Democrats were arguing legalisms. "It was difficult," Edwards told me, "but if we had to err, it would be better to err to keep her alive." Nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus agreed. So did such tried-and-true Democratic stalwarts as James Oberstar of Minnesota, Dale Kildee of Michigan and Jose Serrano of New York. On Monday night, Ralph Nader was substituting as left-wing host on CNN's "Crossfire" and seemed uncomfortable grilling Republican Rep. David Dreier of California. After the show, the old reformer noted to me that it was illegal to starve a dog to death but it was being done to Terri Schiavo. This is an issue truly transcending normal political boundaries. -- Novak on the Schiavo case

What have we come to?

This kid was arrested trying to bring Terri water. He's not the only person arrested in the last couple of days either...how would you like to be the police officers in this picture?

The end is near

The Supreme Court has declined to hear the case or order the feeding tube reinserted, so the Schiavo's legal options have come to an end. Barring a miracle, Terri will die within days. She hasn't had food or water since Friday. How did we come to this point? It's been 15 years of battle between the husband and parents for her life. The husband, who one a million dollar malpractice settlement and has moved on with another women, is her legal guardian and the only one who asserts Terri would want to die if in this state., There is no written record. The parents dispute that she would want to die, and are sure she has a chance to recover. It is the most public and longest fought legal right to die case in history, and it's about to come to an end. There is so much to say, and so much conflicting evidence from doctors. But this strikes me the most, as I posted below: The burden of proof used to lie with those who would end a severely disabled person's life, to prove they would want it that way. Today, the burden of proof is on those who would keep them alive. If that isn't a slide down the slippery slope, what is?

Terri Schiavo is "aware, conscious and responsive"

A nobel prize winner in medicine, DR. BILL HAMMESFAHR, on Terri's condition:

HAMMESFAHR: Terri is completely aware and conscious and responsive. She is like a child with cerebral palsy. We have kids in the Pinellas County school system every day that are much worse than her, that we're educating. HANNITY: Doctor, wait a minute. I've got to get this straight here. You were nominated to get a Nobel Peace Prize in this very work. Are you saying that this woman could be rehabilitated? HAMMESFAHR: Absolutely. HANNITY: Could she talk one day? HAMMESFAHR: Yes. HANNITY: Then how is it possible we're in this position if you have examined her, you were up for a Nobel Prize. I -- this is mind boggling to me. HAMMESFAHR: I don't understand it myself. You know, this is a -- this is a case of a terrible error that's happened and it's a grievous case.

The Human Rorschach Test

An insightful article on the Schiavo case: [O]ne would think that the certainty of her diagnosis would be the least open to interpretation. One would be wrong. When it comes to understanding the workings of the human mind, the state of the art of modern medicine is just that -- more art than science. The diagnosis of a persistent vegetative state is a clinical diagnosis. That is, it's based on a doctor's interpretation of signs and symptoms rather than any objectively measurable test results. ... In the few, limited studies that have addressed the issue, the rate of misdiagnosis of the persistent vegetative state hovers around forty percent. The presence or absence of consciousness in another person simply isn't measurable. It is something that we can only infer, and as such it's subject to observer bias. The diagnosis itself is a Rorschach test, as dependent on the observer's beliefs in the meaning of life and death as end-of-life decisions are on a patient's beliefs. ... We've been down this road before, most famously with Karen Ann Quinlan and Nancy Cruzan. In both of those cases, families fought hard for the right to discontinue treatment; treatment that they felt was futile. Today, the Schiavos are fighting equally hard to continue treatment; treatment that so many others feel is futile. So little and so much has changed in the past ten years. Our science is no closer to understanding consciousness, but our society is more confident that those living in altered forms of it are closer to death than to life. In the era of Quinlan and Cruzan, the burden of proof lay on those who would deny basic care to the severely cognitively impaired. Today, the burden of proof is on those who would continue it. If that isn't a slide down the slippery slope, what is?

Outstanding Charles K commentary on the Schiavo case

Let's be clear about her condition. She is not dead. If she were brain-dead, we would be talking about harvesting her organs. She is a living, breathing human being. Some people have called her a vegetable. Apart from the term being disgusting, how do they know? How can we be sure of the complete absence of any consciousness, any awareness, any anything "inside" this person? The crucial issue in deciding whether one would want to intervene to keep her alive is whether there is, as one bioethicist put it to me, "anyone home." Her parents, who see her often, believe that there is. The husband maintains that there is no one home. (But then again he has another home, making his judgment somewhat suspect.) The husband has not allowed a lot of medical testing in the past few years. I have tried to find out what her neurological condition actually is. But the evidence is sketchy, old and conflicting. The Florida court found that most of her cerebral cortex is gone. But "most" does not mean all. There may be some cortex functioning. The severely retarded or brain-damaged can have some consciousness. And we do not go around euthanizing the minimally conscious in the back wards of mental hospitals on the grounds that their lives are not worth living. Exactly.

UN 'reform'

Kofi swings and misses. Please resign Kofi.

Instead, Mr. Annan went right on to deliver his latest plan for U.N. reform, by way of a 63-page report stuffed with high-sounding declarations wrapped around dozens of proposals to take most of what the U.N. does wrong, and do lots more of it, with lots more taxpayer money. ... From there, Mr. Annan forges on to propose nothing less than reforming the entire known universe, via the U.N., while he bangs the drum for a budget to match. He wants to expand his own staff, change the world's climate, end organized crime, eliminate all private weapons, and double U.N.-directed development aid to the tune of at least $100 billion a year, "front-loaded," for his detailed plan to end world poverty. ... Now, in much the same way that despots faced with popular unrest like to announce giant patriotic dam-building projects involving the pouring of huge amounts of cement, Mr. Annan is presenting his new improved save-the-world reform plan, conveniently timed to serve as a distraction from the oil-for-fraud, sex-for-food, theft, waste, abuse and incompetence stories that for the past two years have bubbling up around the same U.N. he already reformed for us back in 1997. ... The grand failure of the U.N. is that its system, its officials and most visibly its current secretary-general are still stuck in the central-planning mindset that was the hallmark of dictators and failed utopian dreams of the previous century.

Canadians don't like BMD

Apparently 57% of Canadians don't think Canada should be a part of missile defense, with 26% supporting the idea. Bloq and NDP supports were most vocal against, followed by Liberals. Conservatives split 49-35 in favour. Not withstanding the kooky left in this country, is it any wonder Canadians are supportive given that a) no one has stood up and defended the idea b) Bush isn't well liked here c) the outstanding trade disputes we have with the US? All of that creates a little ill will. But like I posted last month, when Canadians are explained the details, they are supportive.

Unions are dumb

This one finally settled after 13 years. That's right, 13 years. Congratulations to the union for screwing the workers completely. ...most of the workers have now found jobs elsewhere, and the union admits they are unlikely to return...The company has also filled most of their old positions, or replaced them with automated processes.

The Terri Schiavo case

This is a complex story, with lots of twists and turns going back 15 years. The latest is that congress passed a law allowing a federal judge to review the case, but that judge has decided not to order the feeding tube be reinsterted. The parents are appealing. It's amazing to see how public support has been mobilized. The person I trust most on this issue is Chuck Colson. There's lots more all over the net, including Townhall.com, where I found this excellent commentary by Thomas Sowell.

Make no mistake about it, Terri Schiavo is being killed. She is not being "allowed to die." She is not like someone whose breathing, blood circulation, kidney function, or other vital work of the body is being performed by machines. What she is getting by machine is what all of us get otherwise every day -- food and water. Depriving any of us of food and water would kill us just as surely, and just as agonizingly, as it is killing Terri Schiavo.

Every member of Terri Schiavo's family wants her kept alive -- except the one person who has a vested interest in her death, her husband. Her death will allow him to marry the woman he has been living with, and having children by, for years. Legally, he is Terri's guardian and that legal technicality is all that gives him the right to starve her to death.

Must read on SS reform

Bryon York has a great article pointing out how biased the coverage is, and how strong support really is.

Conservative convention #10 - Harper approved with 84%

Closing ceremonies underway now, and all in all a very successful convention. They dealt with the riding-representation issue, hammered out a solid policy platform, and strongly endoresed Harper. Who thought we'd be here 2 years ago? Sure Martin got 88%, but who knows how many ad execs showed up to vote? Or how many young people were bused in for beer and pizza.

Conservative convention #9 - controversy

They have just voted on the resolution that would change the voting rights of each riding. Basically the proposal is to have ridings with 100+ members have more clout at conventions than those with less. Makes sense to me, but it was defeated, so the arrangement stays like it is.

Conservative convention #8 - resolutions

The party co-president (Cliff Fryers) running the show this afternoon is outstanding. They are blasting through the resultions, and he runs a fair and tight ship.

Conservative convention #7 - Youth wing vote

The party just voted against having a youth wing, aparently for fear that it would allow for voting delegates from every educational institution and thus overwhelm the rest of the party delegates. A compromise was also defeated. So the Conservative party is still the only party without a youth wing.

Conservative convention #6 - Resolutions

Globe and Mail has the coverage: For

• the traditional definition of marriage (74-26)
• Two-tier health care
• elect Supreme Court judges in the House of Commons.
• eliminating all defences for the possession of child pornography
• raising the age of consent to 16
• review the Kyoto accord
• return to the table on missile defence
• repeal the gun-registry

Against

• passing any laws restricting abortion (55-45)
• the right to recall a members of Parliament if a constituency wants to

The two tier health care vote is interesting - that should be a major issue in the next election, which according to John Reynolds yesterday could be any time after Christmas. I would have liked to see the party adopt a publically funded, privately delivered approach, but I'm ok with this too, and so, I bet, are a majority of Canadians, who realize that the current system needs more than tinkering.

Raising the age of consent is extermely overdue.

The only resolution that really upsets me is the abortion one - and I think it could hurt the party. The delegates didn't even get a chance to vote on a subsequent proposal that would have banned all third trimester partial birth abortions; I bet a majority of Canadians would support that - it's a reasonable compromise at this point in our history. I guess they want to take the issue away from the liberals in the next election, and it's not really a change in policy; Harper repeatedly said that during the last campaign. Update: follow some reaction here.

Still, it would be nice to have one party that said third trimester abortions are immoral.

Conservative convention #5 - Harper's speech

You can read it here in PDF. It's a good speech, but better when you see it delivered. Lots of appeal to Quebec, which is necessary, if unfortunate...

Conservative convention #4 - media coverage

Some semi-surprising angles:

• Bourque sticks with mostly negative coverage about the party's surprising debt, the Stronach MacKay thing, etc.
• Canada.com leads with Harper going on the attack, with other stories including the MacKay saga
• National Post leads with the divisions within the party, with a second story about Harper on the attack
• CBC (motto: we're publically funded but you can't tell. seriously.) leads off with Conservative support for traditional marriage (is that even news?)
• Canoe news leads with Harper on offense, with stories about tackling controversial issues, Mulroney, and the divisions
• The globe and mail (motto: we're smarter than you) has coverage of this morning's votes on marriage and abortion, but their national page covers the "fissures" within the party
• The Toronto star (surprise) leads with the "rift"within the party and that's it.

Adscam update

Suprise! An advertising firm at the heart of the sponsorship scandal camouflaged tens of thousands of dollars in payments to the Liberal Party and to Liberal organizers through one of its subsidiaries in Quebec City, the Gomery inquiry heard yesterday. And here's an interesting analysis of how this bit of shocking news was covered today in Canada. Even the Toronto Star got to the heart of the issue in its headline, while the CP managed to bury the meaning in a enormously long title.

Conservative convention #3

That was a darn fine speech...the coverage will be interesting. The early coverage was all about McKay being upset over a worshop that voted to change the representation at conventions. Stay tuned. BTW, you can watch the convention live on CPAC

Conservative convention #2 - Harper's Speech

On marriage - preserve traditional definition, but civil unions with same economic rights On abortion and social issues - no legislation will be introduced, but he committed to allowing free votes on all matters of conscience.; he also asked that members respect each other's views On missile defence and North American issues - said he wouldn't sign anything he hasn't seen, but emphasized that our place is at the table on all these issues. Shot at the Bloc - after 15 years, what have they accomplished?

Conservative convention #1

The first united (new) conservative party convention began today, and it started well. There is a lot of controversy, mostly kicked up by a moderately hostile media, but that should mean expectations are low and when it ends on Sunday everyone will be talking about how impressive it was. The focus will clearly be on differentiating the party from the Liberals. Translation: bashsing the crap out of them on all kinds of issues, but especially corruption. Harper was also careful to be clear that policy decisions will be made by delegates, and to congratulate and encourage them for all the work they've done and will do. When I watch traditional media coverage of Harper and the party, I get discouraged. When I see Harper in the flesh, I'm reassured. The challenge will for his communications people to get the message and the image out. He's ready, the party is ready, and Lord knows Canada is ready.

Campaign Finance Reform is a scam

From the NYPost:

There was a three-pronged strategy: 1) pursue an expansive agenda through incremental reforms, 2) pay for a handful of "experts" all over the country with foundation money and 3) create fake business, minority and religious groups to pound the table for reform.

What would have happened had a major news organization gotten a hold of this at the wrong time?" ...George Will stumbled across a report ...he started to reference that this was a liberal attempt to hoodwink Congress...Journalists didn't care . . . So no one followed up on the story."

And if you think that’s bad, it’s considerably worse in Canada. Read this Andrew Coyne article here, and check out this graph:

2004 Election Tally

Party	Expenses	Reimbursed @60%	+ Subsidy @1.75/vote	= Total Public $
Liberals	$16.6 mil	$9.9 mil	$8.7 mil	$18.6 mil
Tories	17.3	10.3	7.0	17.3
NDP	12.0	7.2	3.7	10.9
BQ	4.5	2.7	2.9	5.6
Greens	0.5	0.3	1.0	1.3
TOTAL	50.9	30.4	23.3	53.7

And who's to blame for all of this? Voters who don't pay attention, and end up voting for politicians that think that the government has a people, and not the other way around.

The left's shame

I love reading columns like this one.

The international left's concern for human rights turns out to be nothing more than a useful weapon for its anti-Americanism....For which Arab people do European hearts burn? The Palestinians. Why? Because that permits the vilification of Israel -- an outpost of Western democracy and, even worse, a staunch U.S. ally. Championing suffering Iraqis, Syrians and Lebanese offers no such satisfaction. Hence, silence. Until now. Now that the real Arab street has risen to claim rights that the West takes for granted, the left takes note. It is forced to acknowledge that those brutish Americans led by their simpleton cowboy might have been right. It has no choice. It is shamed. A Lebanese, amid a sea of a million other Lebanese, raises a placard reading "Thank you, George W. Bush," and all that Euro-pretense, moral and intellectual, collapses.

Harvard endorses private accounts

Well, at least for their own employees...and liberals should too. They don't because a) the ideas is Bush's (he's evil!!), b) the effect they will have on workers (they will own stocks!), and c) they are paternalistic (people need to be protected from themselves!). But the can't say any of that, so they say personal accounts will mean more debt (not true) and that it's too risk (except the program is voluntary). It's a great article. And it's in the TNR.

Accused Air India bombers acquitted

This is unreal. After a year long trial, the judge found every one of the prosecution's witnesses to be unbelievable. Every one, including one that was paid almost 1/2 a million dollars to testify (is that even legal?), and one who said she loved one of the accused, who confessed to her that he was responsible. The trial was by judge alone, for the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight that killed 329 people, 278 of them Canadians. It was carried out in a multi-million dollar courtroom built especially to house the trial, which lasted a year and is likely the most expensive ever. The chronology in the article is very interesting and worth reviewing. The crown may appeal. What a mess.

Bush's nominations

You have to think that Bush is fully intent on breaking the second term curse for lameness. Just look at these nominations:

• John Bolton for U.N. Ambassador (update: Steyn has a great piece here)

• Karen Hughes for undersecretary of state for public diplomacy

• Paul Wolfowitz for head of the world bank (for more on Wolfowitz read David Brooks “Credit where it’s due”, and Mark Steyn has the best line on him ever: the most sinister of all the neocons, the big bad Wolfowitz, the man whose name started with a scary animal and ended Jewishly)

You especially have to like Bolton and Wolfowitz, because lefties are up in arms over both picks.

More Social Security

Had enough yet? Too bad, I love the topic. Good summary of what's happening in the Senate here, including the Rs and Ds who defected on different votes. And a great article by Byron York on the biased coverage, and the actual support that exists for reform.

Wi-Max

We interrupt the politics for a little tech. Wi-Max is coming, it's the 4G to 3G that really isn't here yet. It's 802.16, with speeds of 2 - 6 mbps within the cell radius (up to 2 miles with the line of sight interrupted). If the line of sight is uninterrupted, the speed can be higher and the radius larger. Very cool. It's the last mile, and it's cost effective. Broadband for everyone. It's coming.

The Bush doctrine comes to Ireland

David Frum summarizes appropriately:

The London Times is reporting that the Bush administration has just banned Sinn Fein fundraising in the United States. This decision constitutes only the latest blow against the IRA’s civilian front group. Last week, President Bush refused to meet with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on his St. Patrick’s Day US tour. “At the White House, Gerry Adams is now regarded with the same sort of disdain as Yasser Arafat,” a senior administration official told the Daily Telegraph. In the 1990s, the US was drawn into the same moral morass in northern Ireland as in the Middle East. Terrorists were treated as acceptable partners in hopes of cajoling them into chaning their ways. Instead, the terrorists decided that terrorism pays. Now suddenly the Bush doctrine is arriving in Ireland – and Irish people are massively turning against the IRA and its Sinn Fein accomplices.

And read Mark Steyn here and here

PG outearns R

Nice to see: PG titles grossed $2.3 billion domestically, compared to $2.1 billion for R-rated films...PG-13 movies did the most business with $4.4 billion. Five of 2004's top-10 moneymakers were rated PG...Out of the top 25, only four carried R ratings, which prohibit those younger than 17 from attending unless accompanied by an adult. It's also encouraging as a parent to see the quality of G and PG rated movies. I've watched Finding Nemo about a gazillion times (only slightly less than Toy Story 2), and it's still good each time. My only complaint is that the rating system seems to be sliding a bit, with more language and inappropriate content sneaking in to PG movies...but still, I'm happy R-rated movies are making less money. Especially considering the sheer number that are made.

Social Security Reform

David Brooks doesn't think it is going very well, and he's probably right. But he thinks the strategy has been the problem, not the idea itself. John Zogby has an interesting analysis of the 2004 election, the investor class, and what's really at stake with SS reform. Both are worth reading. And in a further body blow to Democrats, Alan Greenspan again endorsed reforming the entitlement program. Finally, for those that think Bush might just give up:

"I'm just getting started on this issue," Bush said from the Oval Office Tuesday.

Good for him.

Marriage in CA

A judge in California has ruled that that heterosexual marriage is unconstitutional. Apparently there is "no rational purpose" for denying marriage to gay couples, and in his ruling he cited Brown vs. Board of Education. The left coast strikes again!

Enron accounting in Social Security

Why doesn't everyone realize what a mess it is?

Positive signs in the Islamic world

Spanish Muslims have condemned Osama Bin Laden in a fatwa, the first of its kind. It's very good to see

The fatwa said that according to the Quran "the terrorist acts of Osama bin Laden and his organization al-Qaida ... are totally banned and must be roundly condemned as part of Islam...Inasmuch as Osama bin Laden and his organization defend terrorism as legal and try to base it on the Quran ... they are committing the crime of 'istihlal' and thus become apostates that should not be considered Muslims or treated as such." The Arabic term 'istihlal' refers to the act of making up one's own laws.

France

You have to love the French. Just when an Olympic committee arrived in Paris to evaluate a bid to host the games, French unions staged a massive strike in the streets to protest government plans to make the 35 hour work week more flexible (whatever that means). Oh, and French unemployment is at a 5 year high: 10%.

Restoring my faith

I guess I had really low expectations, but the public funeral for the 4 RCMP officers gunned down last week was an uplifting and thouroughly Christian event. The commissioner read scripture, and the father of one of the officers, a pastor, shared the gospel and his son's testimony. After the tepid 9/11 ceremony in Ottawa, I expected a lot of empty but nice sounding words. I'm glad I was least partly wrong. Tom Jackson sang an empty and emotionless Amazing Grace. And the chaplain's eulogy was typically vague and empty of any real meaning. But all things considered, the service reflected very well on the RCMP and the country.

It's always great when we make the national news

The most recent apology spawned this article which recounts the recent history of political insults in SK

Great line on Crossfire

They were talking about Dan Rather, and the guest on the left (Bill Press) said Rather should have stuck to his guns "the docs were false but the substance was true", and the guy on the right said:

"That's the standard on the left for news: fake but accurate"

Italian incident

I haven't had much to say about the shooting in Iraq of an Italian security agent at a checkpoint, but David Frum makes all the important points here.

Credit where credit is due

"What if Bush ... has been right about this all along? I feel like my world view will not sustain itself and I may ... implode." - Jon Stewart This whole article is a must read, summarizing what has changed in only a few months. He makes a number of great points and asks a very important question: Why now?

Matched against tyranny at its point of maximum cruelty, people power is useless...Because until now the forces of decency in the region were alone and naked, cynically ignored by an outside world content to deal with their oppressors. Then comes America, not just proclaiming democratic liberation as its overriding foreign policy principle but sacrificing blood and treasure in the service of precisely that principle. It was not people power that set this in motion. It was American power. People power followed.

Age of consent

Who actually thinks that 14 year olds can make informed decisions about sex with an adult? Our age of consent is among the lowest in the world, and the consequences are evident in this case where a texas man lured a 14 year old boy to a motel. He's being charged with abduction, but no sex crimes.

If the accused had been charged in Texas, where the age of consent is 17, ... [the accused would] likely face charges of indecency or sexual assault with a child, which carry a jail sentence of two to 20 years and five to 99 years respectively. The maximum penalty in Canada for abducting a child under 16 is five years in jail. Sexual assault carries a maximum of 10 years.

The Liberals refuse to address the issue, but their reasoning is weak at best. We should be a country that protects kids through every means possible. And we aren't.

UN votes to ban all cloning

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day right? I'm hard on the UN, and for good reason, but this is nice to see even if it is non binding. The vote split with Catholic countries and the US on one side, and countries (incl. Canada) already doing cloning on the other side. Muslim countries mostly abstained for lack of consensus (and because there was no blanket condemnation of Israel and the Zionist plot to rule the world written in to the foot notes). The vote breakdown is here.

NK

Interesting post on HughHewwit.com re:NK, and the "puff piece" that the LASlimes ran. I wish there was an easy answer to the severe problems that NK poses to it's own people, to the region, and the world. But there isn't.

Shocker: BMD decision driven by politics

"I must tell you that the decision by the prime minister and cabinet on missile defence will make the task easier for us to rebuild and regain ridings in Quebec" - Jean Lapierre, Minister of Transport

The battle for CA

If the charismatic Schwarzenegger and his reform agenda are defeated, California will belong to the spending machine in Sacramento and its public employee union allies. If Schwarzenegger wins, voracious government will be tamed, the economy unshackled and California's citizens, not the permanent political class, will rule.  Great article via RealPolitics.com

Sideways sucks

I don’t know how so many people can be so wrong, but they are.  Kelly and I went to it tonight, and it’s awful.

 

Korn guitarist finds religion

Why is it that when a famous person finds Jesus and becomes a Christian, the media pussyfoot around it and talk about “religion”?  The guy has clearly had a massively life changing experience, has completely turned away from his old life, and it was “religion that helped him quit”.  I realize it’s uncomfortable for some, but let’s be honest: the guy has been changed by getting to know Jesus Christ, who he is and what he has done for all of us.  That’s something to celebrate.

 

Mark Steyn - the right side of history

This is a great article, from my favorite writer:

The other day I found myself, for the umpteenth time, driving in Vermont behind a Kerry/Edwards supporter whose vehicle also bore the slogan ‘FREE TIBET’. It must be great to be the guy with the printing contract for the ‘FREE TIBET’ stickers. Not so good to be the guy back in Tibet wondering when the freeing thereof will actually get under way. For a while, my otherwise not terribly political wife got extremely irritated by these stickers, demanding to know at a pancake breakfast at the local church what precisely some harmless hippy-dippy old neighbour of ours meant by the slogan he’d been proudly displaying decade in, decade out: ‘But what exactly are you doing to free Tibet?’ she demanded. ‘You’re not doing anything, are you?’ ‘Give the guy a break,’ I said back home. ‘He’s advertising his moral virtue, not calling for action. If Rumsfeld were to say, “Free Tibet? Jiminy, what a swell idea! The Third Infantry Division go in on Thursday”, the bumper-sticker crowd would be aghast.’

But for those of us on the arrogant unilateralist side of things, that’s not how it works. ‘FREE AFGHANISTAN’. Done. ‘FREE IRAQ’. Done. Given the paintwork I pull off every time I have to change the sticker, it might be easier for the remainder of the Bush presidency just to go around with ‘FREE [INSERT YOUR FETID TOTALITARIAN BASKET-CASE HERE]’. Not in your name? Don’t worry, it’s not.

Funny Guy

"We offered a plan to help Canadians seize their potential. And we have delivered on our word. Time and again, we have sent the same message to Canadians: Promise made, promise kept." - Paul Martin Upon further review, it seems:

• health care isn't fixed for a generation
• federal-provincial relations are a mess
• US-Canada relations have deteriorated
• there is no national childcare program (thankfully)
• the "democratic deficit" is alive and well
• power is still concentrated in the PMO
• Adscam is unresolved
• Martin was named Mr. Dithers by the Economist

I'm no expert, but there might be some room for improvement here...

Don't blame Canada

Interesting perspective on BMD: Bush asked for a blanket endorsement, when all he need to ask for was cooperation on specific parts. Not sure I fully agree, but worth reading.

Internet free speech crackdown

This is actually quiet unbelievable. The US Federal Election Commission is trying to extend the horrendous 2002 campaign finance law to the Internet. It's unclear how they will proceed, but after U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (of Microsoft fame) ruled that the Internet is no longer exempt, it looks like any campaign related activity on the Internet will fall under the FEC's jurisdiction. I think that means if you are located in the US and forward a campaign's mailout, link to their site, blog about a candidate or party, or who knows what else, that activity would count as a contribution and you could find yourself over the rediculouly low $2000 limit. (Note to new readers: rediculous is an intentional mispelling; you're smart people, figure it out). I don't think I can overstate the seriousness of this. It means the government can tell bloggers and heck even grandma's with email what they can and can't do, and potentially levy fines. As a Canadian, we have our own problem in the area of campaign finance law, but I don't think we've even gone this far. Where's the outrage?

Frank McKenna rules

I really like our new ambassador to the US, Frank McKenna. He is such a straight shooter and apparently doesn't care if it gets him in to trouble; remember when he said we are already a part of ballistic missile defense? That was less than 2 weeks ago. Now he's linking BMD with what's happening on trade issues, asserting that Canadians aren't big fans beacuse of the softwood lumber and other trade disputes. Leaving aside the fact that his assertion is only partly true - BMD isn't real popular becuase there is so much disinformation and because the idea doesn't have a champion (see here) - it is amazing that McKenna is willing to link the two issues. It's apparently never been done before. But it get's better. He moved on to US frustration with Canada: "I think, with some justification, the United States of America has looked at us and felt that we have not been carrying our full share of the load in terms of defence. In some ways, as Canadians, we have been sailing our ship in yesterday's wind...We have lived off our reputation as peacekeepers and we haven't put our resources where our mouth is." That is a money quote if I've ever seen one. He's saying his own government is full of crap. And this is his first day on the job. You've got to love this guy.

Flat tax

I've always been attracted to the idea of a flat tax - the simplicity and fairness of the scheme just makes so much sense to me. So I really enjoyed reading this article on NRO. Did you know that eight different countries in the former Soviet bloc that have adopted some form of flat tax in recent years? Russia, Slovakia, Romania, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Serbia, and Ukraine. And Poland and the Czech Republic will likely join them soon. Some of the other key benefits:

• it's far more effective at raising revenue than progressive rates
• there is less incentive to engage in tax avoidance or tax evasion
• it is the revenue-raising system that is most compatible with human freedom

I realize that we would have to give up the exemption for charitable giving and a whole host of other things, but so what? If the system was fair and at a reasonable rate, it would be sooo worth it. So let's put all the beaurocrats and tax lawyers out of business, and make life easier for everyone.

UN update

Not only did the UN know about the mismanagement of the Oil-for kickbacks and palaces program, but Kofi's #2 (a canadian) blocked audit reports from going to the security council. There were numerous audits at all levels, but the secretary general prevented the findings from becoming public at every turn. Annan must resign.

Setback in Iraq

Amidst the good news in the middle east lately, comes news that one of 60 judges in Saddam Hussein's trial has been assassinated; but it may not have been related to the trial.

More fallout

Apparently Martin phoned Bush to say "no thanks, sort of..." on missile defense. Bush didn't take or return the call. Lots more good stuff on this subject at AndrewCoyne.com.

Leftward in Latin America

Uruguay's tilt to the left marks the fifth time a Latin American country has moved leftward in recent years. But it may be that as in the case of Brasil, the leftward move is more in rhetoric than in practice, at least economically. While it is discouraging to see voters embrace failed policies and ideas, it is at least reassuring to know that with the exception of Venezuela the elections are relatively free of interference, and the will of the people is being expressed.

Coyne on missile defense

I'm a day late on this one, but it's still more than worth it:

It would be sad, if it weren't so silly. We weren't being asked to do anything, the system doesn't depend on us doing anything, and we've already done whatever it was they needed us to do, through NORAD, though that in itself amounted to doing what NORAD does anyway....

It was a free throw, a layup, a cost-free gesture of solidarity that might repair some of the damage done by our refusal to participate in Iraq (although in fact we did, we just said we weren't). But there is a rule in Ottawa: you can say you are doing something without doing it, or you can do something without saying it, but under no circumstances is it permissible to say and do the same thing at the same time...

We could have taken our place alongside the United States, Great Britain and Australia, that historical alliance that fought two world wars and to whom literally dozens of countries owe their freedom. Instead, we have chosen to side with our new best friends, the Chinese, the Russians, the Germans and the French, who between them have never liberated a single country, including their own. How very sad. How preposterously silly.