Saturday, April 17, 2004
U.N. in Iraq
Nice summation here by two former Justice Department lawyers about why giving political control of Iraq to the U.N. is a terrible idea. In short, the U.N. has shown itself to be wholly unreliable and untrustworthy in these situations. I'm surprised more fuss isn't being made by the conservatives in the Bush administration about this, particularly given the personal history of Lakhdar Brahami, Kofi Annan's envoy in Iraq. Brahimi is an old guard Arabist type who was a top official of the Middle East Dictator Society, um, I mean Arab League. Brahimi won't put in place the kind of caretaker government in Iraq that is needed if real democracy and freedom is to take root there.
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Nice summation here by two former Justice Department lawyers about why giving political control of Iraq to the U.N. is a terrible idea. In short, the U.N. has shown itself to be wholly unreliable and untrustworthy in these situations. I'm surprised more fuss isn't being made by the conservatives in the Bush administration about this, particularly given the personal history of Lakhdar Brahami, Kofi Annan's envoy in Iraq. Brahimi is an old guard Arabist type who was a top official of the Middle East Dictator Society, um, I mean Arab League. Brahimi won't put in place the kind of caretaker government in Iraq that is needed if real democracy and freedom is to take root there.
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Sober second thoughts on Svend
I decided not to write anything substantive about the Svend Robinson bombshell until I had a chance to think about it. I didn't want to say anything rash or regrettable. Well, it's been two days, and I still don't have much to say. Svend Robinson is one of my least favourite MPs. I think he has done a great deal of damage to Canada and has hurt our image abroad. Jonathan Kay had it right: Svend is a total narcissist. I also think he is a shamelss sympathy hound: he did not have to do a press conference with the sobbing and the melodrama. He could have just released a written statement announcing his intention to not seek re-election. He could have, just this once, decided not to look for pity by playing the victim card. But no. Svend has to be the story, and the media eats it up.
If he really does have stress problems, fine. I do hope he gets better. But is it really possible that stress from a hiking accident that occured way back in 1997 -- yes, that is seven years ago -- caused him to steal a piece of expensive jewelry? I find it hard to believe.
Anyway, I'm sure he'll be back running in the 2008 election.
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I decided not to write anything substantive about the Svend Robinson bombshell until I had a chance to think about it. I didn't want to say anything rash or regrettable. Well, it's been two days, and I still don't have much to say. Svend Robinson is one of my least favourite MPs. I think he has done a great deal of damage to Canada and has hurt our image abroad. Jonathan Kay had it right: Svend is a total narcissist. I also think he is a shamelss sympathy hound: he did not have to do a press conference with the sobbing and the melodrama. He could have just released a written statement announcing his intention to not seek re-election. He could have, just this once, decided not to look for pity by playing the victim card. But no. Svend has to be the story, and the media eats it up.
If he really does have stress problems, fine. I do hope he gets better. But is it really possible that stress from a hiking accident that occured way back in 1997 -- yes, that is seven years ago -- caused him to steal a piece of expensive jewelry? I find it hard to believe.
Anyway, I'm sure he'll be back running in the 2008 election.
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Friday, April 16, 2004
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Oh, this is just too rich
Svend Robinson's reason for not running in the next election is that he shoplifted some jewellry. I guess he is crying out for help. Canada's most discredited MP has just become a little more discredited.
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Svend Robinson's reason for not running in the next election is that he shoplifted some jewellry. I guess he is crying out for help. Canada's most discredited MP has just become a little more discredited.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2004
The head terrorist at Tehran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, annual has launched a website. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the mad mullah's decrees and fatwas page appears empty. Looking forward to seeing some online content there soon.
A few nuggets from his scintillating Friday sermon:
Commenting on the Zionist regime's policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the U.S. government, which is using its so-called campaign against terrorism as a pretext to exercise force and power, approves such acts through its overt and official support of the Zionist leaders' crimes.
...
He referred to the occupation of Iraq and the oppression of the Iraqi nation as an international crime and said that the occupiers justify their act by saying it is in defense of human rights, democracy, and freedom.
...
Stressing that the U.S. threats backed by the Zionist capitalists target the entire Islamic world and the vast wealth of the region, he said that the greater Middle East initiative was also formulated within the framework of that objective.
This is what we are up against.
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A few nuggets from his scintillating Friday sermon:
Commenting on the Zionist regime's policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the U.S. government, which is using its so-called campaign against terrorism as a pretext to exercise force and power, approves such acts through its overt and official support of the Zionist leaders' crimes.
...
He referred to the occupation of Iraq and the oppression of the Iraqi nation as an international crime and said that the occupiers justify their act by saying it is in defense of human rights, democracy, and freedom.
...
Stressing that the U.S. threats backed by the Zionist capitalists target the entire Islamic world and the vast wealth of the region, he said that the greater Middle East initiative was also formulated within the framework of that objective.
This is what we are up against.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004
National Post hits the blogosphere
Today the National Post, my newspaper of employment, becomes the first Canadian daily to go live with a blog. It is now up here. Check it out. I'll be splitting my time between here and there from now on.
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Today the National Post, my newspaper of employment, becomes the first Canadian daily to go live with a blog. It is now up here. Check it out. I'll be splitting my time between here and there from now on.
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Monday, April 12, 2004
On the Masters
My piece regarding the Masters is up now at NRO. The theme is that it was a week of emtional extremes -- from the death of caddy Bruce Edwards, to the retirement of Arnold Palmer to Mickelson's big win.
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My piece regarding the Masters is up now at NRO. The theme is that it was a week of emtional extremes -- from the death of caddy Bruce Edwards, to the retirement of Arnold Palmer to Mickelson's big win.
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Sunday, April 11, 2004
Farewell to the King
I've decided to essentially avoid all hard news this whole weekend and focus entirely on golf and relaxing. (I even hit a few range balls Friday before going home to Peterborough for the weekend.) One of the most emotional moments in modern golf history happened Friday, when Arnold Palmer walked up the 18th fairway at Augusta for the last time at the Masters. So far this tournament has been one of emotional extremes, and if Phil Mickelson wins today it will truly be the icing on the cake. I'll have more to say about the Masters in a planned piece for NRO tomorrow morning.
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I've decided to essentially avoid all hard news this whole weekend and focus entirely on golf and relaxing. (I even hit a few range balls Friday before going home to Peterborough for the weekend.) One of the most emotional moments in modern golf history happened Friday, when Arnold Palmer walked up the 18th fairway at Augusta for the last time at the Masters. So far this tournament has been one of emotional extremes, and if Phil Mickelson wins today it will truly be the icing on the cake. I'll have more to say about the Masters in a planned piece for NRO tomorrow morning.
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