Martin takes trademark purposelessness on tour

Paul Martin is apparently being dogged with questions about his trip around the tsunami-ravaged countries of Asia, and the main one seems to be, “Why did he go?” The answer is very clear. Paul Martin went as a representative of “Team Canada”, and played a “very important geo-political” role, as he was “totally focussed on transactions.”

There’s an episode of The Simpsons where the creators of ultra-violent cartoon show “Itchy and Scratchy” are having a focus group to come up with a new character. As one writer opines during the meeting: “Aren’t those just buzzwords that stupid people use to try and make it look as though they’re intelligent? … I’m fired, aren’t I?”

Exactly. Paul Martin felt the need to do something in the wake of the tsunami as an exercise in the accumulation of political capital. Correction: he felt the need to be seen to be doing something, and this is exactly what the trip was, a show put on for the world and for Canada, in which the only noteable achievement was the wasting of quite a lot of taxpayer dollars (that could, ironically, have gone to tsunami relief) and a slight rise in the average Canadian IQ while Paul Martin was out of the country.

Martin wraps up 9-day mission to Asia parrying questions about why he went

Prime Minister Paul Martin’s weeklong visit to four countries and six cities in southeast Asia was bookended by a central question: Why was he there?

The seemingly straightforward querie tied the prime minister and his officials in knots from the first time it was asked 11 days ago to the final day of the marathon trek, which wound up late Sunday night with Martin’s 20-hour return flight to Ottawa from Hong Kong.

Duncan Cameron fails, again

It was my recent misfortune to come across a column by Duncan Cameron entitled Capitalism fails again. However, this column is so full of glaring errors and economic ignorance that I feel my title sums the piece up far better.
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Beware the immigrant deserter

Apparently, there may be an exodus of US military deserters coming across to Canada in the near future. Unwilling to fight a war, they are hoping for asylum in Canada. A word to a wise, though: if you’re ever in the position to do any kind of business with one of these deserters, don’t!

It’s not his war

Hundreds of American soldiers are preparing to come to Canada if this country again opens its doors to war resisters.

Toronto lawyer Jeffry House, who is representing Jeremy Hinzman’s landmark refugee case, said 200 have contacted him alone, mostly since George W. Bush was re-elected in November, looking for a way out.

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Right Side of the Same Sex Debate

What seems to be the problem here? Harper’s position on gay marriage falls well within the position of a majority of Canadians, yet we continue to have a barge of news articles claiming different?

Tory gay stand backed

Nationally, the poll shows 42% back the Conservatives’ position while 35% agree with the prime minister.

The numbers for Ontario are nearly identical to those for the GTA, with 57% of those polled siding with preserving the traditional definition of marriage compared to 38% who believe same-sex couples should be included.

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The Beginning of the End for the Conservatives?

This is the first in what will be a long string of events which will lead to the eventual collapse of the Conservative party of Canada. Not that the party was that cohesive – former Alliance members and the old PC guard were never on the same page when it came to policy or party organization; however, the thin bond that held this party together over the months since the merger will slowly crumble and collapse under the strain of poor leadership and lack of direction.

Reynolds quitting as Conservative House leader

John Reynolds, the Conservative Party’s House Leader, is about to step down from that position.

He will stay on as an MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country until the next election, but will not run again after that.

Sullivan’s Over-dramatic Graner Comment

Charles Graner, for those of you who haven’t been paying attention to the news, is the former Army prison guard who was caught abusing Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Andrew Sullivan has this to say about Charles Graner,

It would be hard to find or invent a more graphic example of evil than that perpetrated by Graner in Abu Ghraib. And yet, he received only 10 years, rather than the maximum fifteen. Why? [link]

I’ve got to agree with James Taranto over at “Best of the Web Today” when he said,

How about flying planes into buildings? Suicide bombings? Beheading hostages?

Clarkson won’t attend Lois Hole Funeral

The Queen of Canada will not be attending the former Albertan lieutenant governor’s memorial service later this week. She has “a prior commitment that is part of her personal schedule,” by which Clarkson’s minion means that Adrienne is either getting her hair done or accompanying John Ralston Saul during his address to the Humanist Society of Wilmer B.C..

Governor General to be a no-show at service for Hole

“My God, that’s incredible,” said St. Albert MP John Williams, when told that Clarkson won’t attend the Tuesday service.

“A prior personal commitment? She’s paid to be on the job. She has a budget of $20 million. (Lois Hole) is her own representative in the province of Alberta – I’m ashamed,” Williams said.

Paul Martin will not be in attendance either, as he is busy being useless in SE Asia.

Politically Correct Tsunami Signage

It took a few weeks, but you knew it was going to happen. The overly sensitive politically correct crowd has started in on anything named Tsunami.

Row over ‘tasteless’ tsunami food

South African restaurant customers are complaining that the use of the word tsunami by local eateries leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

The Mugg and Bean chain has been selling its spicy tsunami chicken burger for over a year but will rename it in April, its managers say.

Blossoming of failure on a bushido tree

As was typical in the 1980s and early 1990s, the 1993 movie Rising Sun regarded Japan as a culture of success, economically all-conquering, busily fulfilling the hypothesis made by historian Paul Kennedy in The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987): Japan would be the next superpower, inheriting the mantle from the USA, who had in turn inherited it from Great Britain after WWII.

At one point, writers Michael Backes and Philip Kaufman have Capt. Connor (Sean Connery) admonish Lt. Smith (Wesley Snipes) with the pearl of wisdom, “Americans like to fix the blame. The Japanese fix the problem… Their way is better.” However, Capt. Connor had it backwards. Not only does Japanese culture indeed play the blame game, it also tends to ignore problems altogether, which hamstrings the Japanese even today.
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The Big Heart of Immigration Canada

A Somali man who has lived in Toronto for 15 years and raised four children is facing deportation to Berbera, Somalia, devastated by the recent tsunami. Of all the stories about the generosity of the Canadian government in disaster relief and humanitarian aid, don’t forget this one. As the man’s lawyer has stated, it makes no sense to fast-track immigration applications from tsunami-ravaged countries while deporting those already here right back there.

On a related note, those who have already started applauding the efforts of the Canadian government need a reality check.