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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
All is well
This is the first time I've been online since Friday. Looks like not much has happened, although I was sad to learn of the death of Benoit Sauvageau, who I know was personally quite liked by some Conservative MPs.
I'll try to post some pics of this trip I'm on next week. So far the highlight has been whale-watching in Tadoussac: a whale went right under our little boat and we actually saw a school of about 60 belugas. This part of the country is so beautiful.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 10:45 AM
Friday, August 25, 2006
Gone fishin'
Well, I'm off for a little séjour in the eastern part of Québec for the next week for a pre-back-to-school holiday. Expect anything from from zero to one or two blog posts from now until Labour Day. Enjoy the rest of the summer. Things will be back to normal on September 5.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 4:09 PM
The Borys thing goes south
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Steyn unplugged
Noticed this profile of Mark Steyn in Austalia's The Age, which includes a rare photo of the genius himself.
I miss Nealenews.
UPDATE: In case anyone missed Andrew's comment, Steyn is guest-hosting for Limbaugh today. That is quite an honour, as Rush is extremely discriminatory regarding who is allowed to sit in his chair in his absence. (And please spare us the Viagra jokes in comments.)
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:12 AM
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Who your daddy is helps
Have never been more in agreement with Zerb, and probably never will again.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:30 PM
This story should be getting more attention
With Borys resigning from the shadow cabinet, time to move on to the next:
Windsor West MP Brian Masse believes Canada should consider dropping Hezbollah from its list of banned terrorist organizations, and compared the group’s political wing to the Bloc Quebecois.
‘’Canadians in Quebec have elected those members,'’ Masse said Monday. ‘’I don’t like it. They’re dedicated to a separate state in Canada. But would we then extract them from the Canadian government?
Well, he is from the NDP. But still.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 2:56 PM
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The CBC "regrets"
If you haven't done so yet, check this out. Shows that if enough people make enough noise, even the CBC will correct the record. Chalk up another victory for the blogosphere. Great work, Stephen Taylor.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:53 PM
The Borys firestorm
Wow, that Borys story has really caused a lot of damage. The blogosphere went ballistic, and now there's more being uncovered.
The Tories, savvy as they are lately, are exploiting this wedge as much as they can. And rightly so: this issue provides one of rare occasions where the irreconcilable internal contradications of the Liberal Party can be brought out to hurt them. (There are just as many, if not more, on the Conservative side.) The Liberals will hereafter no longer be able to continue being the home to the majority of the Jewish vote and the Muslim vote at the same time. The Grit powers-that-be -- aside from a few contrarian voices -- simply added up the numbers and figured out where the greater number of votes lie.
By the way -- now we know why the Tory MP from Peterborough backed out of the trip! Smart move.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 11:49 AM
Monday, August 21, 2006
Hezbollah's useful idiot
Etobicoke-Centre Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj is championing removing Hezbollah from the list of banned terrorist groups. Wrzesnewskyj made the suggestion as he and a group of MPs travel through Lebanon as part of a National Council on Canada-Arab Relations trip. Says the MP, lapping up the Hezbollah line:
"Hezbollah has a political wing. They have members of parliament. They have two cabinet ministers. You want to encourage politicians in this military organization so that the centre of gravity shifts to them."
Given Wrzesnewskyj's heritage -- he is very active in the Ukrainian-Canadian community -- one would think he'd be familiar with the concept of the useful idiot.
UPDATE: The retraction has arrived. With people like Cherniak calling for his head, it was inevitable!
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:36 AM
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Sunday stuff
-I still can't get over that Alexandre Trudeau piece in the Star. It's a week later and people are still talking about it. Rightly so. It has been a long time since I've seen such effusive, obsequious, complete hagiography with such a reckless disregard for facts and truth in a serious publication. Does this speak to the moral bankruptcy of Mr. Trudeau, his family, or the modern Left in general? Who knows. Fidel Castro -- a Communist dictator who kills political opponents, throws journalists in jail, persecutes gays and whose citizens die every year attempting to flee the country on makeshift rafts -- is a hero? Don't his actions represent an affront to liberalism? I don't understand.
-I enjoyed the comments in the post about Barbara Kay's article. I learned a lot from some of the statistics presented and I encourage everyone to read them if you haven't yet. I still think anti-semitism in Quebec is a problem -- especially in the separatist movement -- but it is a problem in a lot of places.
-I had to laugh at being taken to task by the "Progressive" bloggers about the Lieberman stuff. I laugh because in almost 40 years the Left has still not learned any lessons about foreign policy in American elections. The damage of the McGovern candidacy is still being felt by Democrats today, yet they keep going back for more. (It's fine by me.) I didn't just call them the insane wing of the Democratic Party for rhetorical reasons: it's because one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:38 PM
Friday, August 18, 2006
Quebecistan?
Barbara Kay's controversial National Post op-ed of last week about Quebec and support for Hezbollah has provoked an intense reaction, even garnering comment from the Quebec premier. In a rarely-seen move, André Pratte, chief editorialist of Montreal's La Presse, has been exchanging missives in the letters-to-the-editor section of the Post with Mrs. Kay.
Today Mrs. Kay announced she is standing by her original comments, which is sure to provoke further discussion and debate.
Debate is a good thing, of course. But why has the reaction to this article been so visceral?
Most Quebecers are not anti-semitic. But anti-semitism has historically been a serious problem in francophone society, and Barbara Kay has touched a nerve by raising this topic. Quebec seems to have this hangup about raising certain touchy issues. It can be quite an un-introspective society. If you dare bring up one of these taboo subjects, you are roundly castigated and immediately ostracized. The Kay article and the fallout from it is an example of that: everyone gangs up on the offender. Another of these "out-of- bounds" topics is the partition of Quebec in the event of a YES vote. Quebec's bien pensants have deemed it a closed issue, so even daring to question the conventional wisdom (that Quebec is indivisible) is considered heresy in many circles.
As Whittaker Chambers once observed, people don't get mad when you tell lies about them -- they get mad when you tell the truth. Perhaps that phenomenon is at play here.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 11:22 AM
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Not all of Hollywood sympathizes with terrorists...
...and some are even willing to take a stand about it.
Read it yourself.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 8:50 PM
Sunday, August 13, 2006
And now for today's essential reading
Alexandre Trudeau on the virtues of Fidel Castro:
I grew up knowing that Fidel Castro had a special place among my family's friends. We had a picture of him at home: a great big man with a beard who wore military fatigues and held my baby brother Michel in his arms. When he met my little brother in 1976, he even gave him a nickname that would stick with him his whole life: "Micha-Miche."
And that's just the first paragraph. Later on we get gems like:
Combined with a Herculean physique and extraordinary personal courage, this monumental intellect makes Fidel the giant that he is. He is something of a superman.
I just checked the calendar, and no, it isn't April 1.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 8:45 AM
Friday, August 11, 2006
Home safe and sound
Boy, did I ever pick the wrong day to travel yesterday. When I arrived at Washington Reagan Airport at 5:15 am, it was organized chaos. Everyone had just been informed of the new "no liquids on board" regulation, so there was a massive scene of everyone dumping their cologne, shampoo, hand cream, etc... into the garbages. It took so long to get through security I missed my flight, and then I missed two subsequent connecting flights. So, in total it took nearly 12 hours to get to Quebec City from Washington. Never felt in danger though, and the extra security measures, while a complete pain in the ass, were necessary given events. I also felt better about my flight as we had a VIP on board, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was going to Montreal along with many others on board for a conference. I'm just glad to be back.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:34 AM
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
On Lieberman
Lieberman lost. The George McGovern wing of the Democratic Party has flexed its muscle, giving the Republicans a nice little political gift for the November elections. The fallout from this will be very interesting indeed.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:01 AM
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Armani out to kill Savile Row?
(Since my last post about menswear elicited such a good response, I'm going to try it again.)
An ugly pissing match (or a "row," as our British friends would say) has erupted over some nasty arrogant comments made by fashion king Giorgio Armani about Savile Row tailors. Armani compared traditional British tailoiring to "a bad English comedy" and plans to open -- this month -- a new made-to-measure suit service:
Each suit will be hand-made in Armani’s new men’s studio in Milan and hand-fitted either there or in one of his select Giorgio Armani boutiques. No man will choose an identical combination of fabric, silhouette and detail, so no two suits will be the same. The label of each will be signed by Armani and bear the customer’s name. The starting price will be about £5,000, but could rise to £30,000. “If the customer wants a particularly luxurious, rare fabric, say a double cashmere with a particular wash, and a specially dyed silk lining, he can have it — provided he can afford it,” said Armani. Customers will also be able to order hand-made shirts and ties and bespoke gold, crystal and sapphire cufflinks. There will be customised watches and aftershaves, made from Madagascan pepper, bergamot, Virginia cedar and bourbon vanilla. The Times article goes on to state that George Clooney, Samuel L. Jackson and David Beckham have already requested the suits.
Bully for them. But with a starting price of about $10,000CAN, I don't think Armani can expect folks to be breaking down the door for his new suits. You can get a great new custom-made suit on Savile Row for less than half that.
I also find it a sad reflection on current nouveau riche attitudes that Armani is openly boasting about his courting of the "snob" market for these new wears. Acording to Armani himself, “A bespoke Armani suit goes with a limited-edition watch, a vintage Maserati or a house on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia.”
As the (clearly ticked-off) tailor Tom Mahon put in on his blog:
We English tailors have been offering the complete sartorial package on the Row for over two hundred years, advising our customers on shoe makers, shirts, ties and jewelry. The difference is between us and Armani is, we direct them to other professionals in their particular field, we don’t pretend to be the best at everything. That way we help maintain the crafts, and also our clients get real authoritative service from the people who matter. We do it for reasons of heritage and tradition, we do not do it for the opportunity to be part of the "snob" group of customers that Mr. Armani so desperately desires. "Snob" by the way, is Mr. Armani’s word choice, not mine.
We will have to see where all this goes. I'm sure Armani will do well, at least at the start when it will become faddish to own one. But in the end, I hope the Savile Row guys clean Armani's arrogant clock. If and when I can ever afford a bespoke suit, I will head to one of the old Row shops -- even if it's the last one operating -- before I go to Armani.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:04 AM
Monday, August 07, 2006
An eye on Connecticut
One of the hottest topics in Washington for months has been: Will Joe Lieberman survive? The Connecticut senator and former V-P candidate is in the fight of his life in a Democratic primary tomorrow, and it is apparently not looking good. Challenger Ned Lamont has received tremendous support for the blogosphere and anti-Iraq war Democrats from across the country. If he does knock off Lieberman, he'll have the DailyKos people to thank.
I'm torn on this one. On one hand, I like Lieberman for his principled stand on foreign affairs and his sometimes support of smart ideas like school vouchers (Lieberman has backed off that one and others in recent years.) So I'd kind of like him to win because he's a (mainly) conviction politician who takes principles stands.
But on the other hand, Lieberman being picked off would signal the official death of the non-insane foreign policy wing (aka the "Scoop Jackson" wing) of the Democratic Party, which has been in a death spiral since, realistically speaking, the Dem's nomination of Hubert Humphrey for President in 1968 (and exacerbated greatly by the subsequent nomination of George McGovern in '72 and Ronald Reagan's presidency.) That strain of thought is today represented by people like Howard Dean, and it is still very much in control of the grassroots. Joe Lieberman doesn't fit in, so they probably don't want or deserve him.
A Lieberman loss would also be a huge victory for the Web and in particular the blogosphere, as it would signal the first time (I think) that a website has been directly responsible for defeating a candidate. And if he does lose, there's talk he'll run as an independent, which would be a fascinating thing to see.
Keep your eye on Connecticut tomorrow.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 7:33 AM
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Sunday morning in America
Washington DC is a fascinating city for so many reasons. One of them is that you can you can see everything that is great and bad about America all at once. This morning I jogged around the area where I'm staying -- Dupont Circle -- and up through Kalorama and Adam's Morgan. I saw many great things: black women decked out in their Sunday best getting into a taxi for church, a large Latino family walking to a restaurant for breakfast, kids playing in the park, merchants setting up their kiosks for the day. But I also saw some of the ugly side of America: a drunk old man lying in his stench on the side of the street, beer bottles on the ground, boarded up old apartments. Perfectly fine apartments with jail bars on the first-floor and basement windows. Another thing that struck me is how much an area can change from just one block to the next. You can go from a luxury gated apartment to a virtual slum in a matter of seconds. Having been away from Washington for about three years and now being back, this trip has given some new perspectives on the city. I still love it, but something feels different this time.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 3:03 PM
Friday, August 04, 2006
The Middle East War and the Liberals and why Heather Reisman supports the Tories
Never thought I'd see the day when the King and Queen of the Toronto Liberal cocktail circuit would make the switch. But obviously, the Tories' stand is paying off. Good for them. It's about time, actually.
This is spectacular news for the Conservatives for two main reasons: one, it will give them a new "in" into prestigious Toronto social circles. While most of these people are not Conservative and will probably never vote for Harper, this can't hurt. It may make them think or twice, or some may even stay home next election day. That's still better than voting Liberal. But two, and very much more importantly, it highlights again the internal divisions with the Grit ranks over this war.
I was forwarded an email from a good Liberal source (I cannot post it here for confidentiality reasons) that demonstrates that the Ignatieff campaign is tearing itself apart over this crisis, with some senior supporters up-in-arms over Ignatieff's wishy-washy stance and lack of support for Israel.
To crudely paraphrase from Lord Durham, on this issue the Liberals are two camps warring within the bosom of a single party.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 7:07 PM
Tarek Fatah quits
Tarek Fatah, one of the few Canadian Islamic figures with the courage to speak out against extremism, has stepped down as spokesman for the Canadian Muslim Congress, citing death threats:
"I'm just exhausted, it's too much," he told CBC. "I'm physically drained and fatigued and disappointed by how much leverage these extremists have," he said. Fatah said he has been assaulted both verbally and physically, including an incident in which he was attacked at an Islamic conference in Toronto by dozens of young Muslim men. He also said that an associate informed him of a discussion she overheard in which young men were discussing how Fatah should be killed.
Let's hope this story gets wide coverage, as it demonstrates the nature of the problem we are dealing with.
I have never met Fatah, and while I don't agree with everything he says, I've been impressed with his comments on TV panels recently.
It's a bad day when someone like Fatah, who has essentially committed his life to fighting Islamism, is throwing in the towel. It's sad and worrisome -- even frightening.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 12:03 AM
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Stephane Dion in fundraising trouble?
None of the Liberal leadership contenders seem to be raising astronomical sums of cash. But this is a bit surprising:
Mr. Rae's $384,795 in donations is the highest, followed by Michael Ignatieff, with $293,896 and Joe Volpe with $210,170.
...
Though Liberal MP Stéphane Dion's name has been mentioned increasingly of late as a top-tier candidate, his fundraising numbers are near the bottom of the pack. Mr. Dion's team has listed 65 donors for a total of $32,250. The two candidates who have so far received less are Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua with nine donations totalling $26,650 and Liberal MP Hedy Fry, with 15 donations totalling $15,150.
I would have thought Dion would have done much better.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:50 AM
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Be happy to be Canadian
We have a Prime Minister who does the right thing in criticial situations, even if it proves to be politically unpopular, and the temparature isn't 38 c -- although I hear it's pretty darn close!
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 10:20 PM
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