FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jan 19

Race Relations Still Have a Ways to Go in Both Canada and the U.S.

by bcurry

Saturday Night Live did a brief satirical piece on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., where his ghost returned to comment on the advances that African Americans have made in the last 47 years since his death.  The comic portraying him kept referring to the ever elusive climb to the top of the mountain alluded to in one of Rev. King’s many memorable and inspirational speeches.  The mountain seems to have gotten higher and the climb harder.  Indeed, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day the nation and the President are still struggling with issues of race and discrimination.

Although in Canada, I lived through the sixties’ civil rights movement as covered extensively by American and Canadian media on television and in news print.  As a teenager in High School, I remember the coverage of the now famous Selma march, the assassination of Rev. King and subsequent civil rights’ activity by the American federal government.  The images of police brutality against peaceful demonstrators and the resulting public outrage are burned into my memory.  I knew then as I know now that race relations in both countries would never be the same.  Testimony to this was the election of a black President.  African Americans today have the right to vote.  Their civil rights are protected under law.  All of which can be largely attributed to Rev. King and his calls for justice, action and civil disobedience in the 1960s.

However, President Obama has had to tread a fine line when it comes to matters of race relations.  His game plan is one of seeking steady progress within the system, most often with calls for restraint, lawful demonstrations and commissions of inquiry.  Following the fatal police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, he deployed the U.S. Attorney General to investigate whether a young black’s civil rights had been violated.  The President also wants to work with law enforcement officials to improve race relations, often incurring the wrath of black constituents.  Sometimes the President is caught between a rock and a hard place, damned if you do and damned if you don’t.  No easy task, especially for a black President — so give the guy a break!

Here in Canada, race relations are a bit better largely due to our history and laws.  However, when it comes to our native population that’s another matter.  Just as blacks make up a disproportionate number of inmates in U.S. prisons, so do native males and females make up a disproportionate number of inmates in Canadian prisons.  Crimes against native women far outweigh those against Canadian women in general.  Canadians have a ways to go to improve native relations.  There is also a need to deal with the higher number of visible minorities living below the poverty line in both countries.  While access to higher education has improved, access to better paying professions is still a concern for visible minorities, in particular recent immigrants.  Much more work needs to be done on improving race relations in both countries in order to more quickly climb that intangible mountain.

Canada Race Relations

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Nov 16

Letters to the Editor Tell Us a Lot About Ordinary Folk and Ourselves

by bcurry

Every morning like so many North Americans, I read the local newspaper while sipping my favourite blend of coffee. However, I must confess that the regular news has become rather distressing. Stories abound about war, diseases, crime, racism, acts of intolerance, natural disasters, etc., etc. For sure, there are good feel stories, but they are few and far between. It’s not that we should ignore unpleasant realities, for they are what helps to sell newspapers and other news media. It’s not that politicians say one thing and then do the opposite when governing. It’s not that journalists and editorialists are far from being as objective as they claim. It’s simply that at times all this negativism can be bad for the soul.

More recently, I’ve been paying more attention to the paper’s letters to the editor. These are written by people who feel compassionate enough to express their views on a variety of topics. In most cases, they are ordinary folk just like you and me. I have come to see that their views are more often than not upbeat, insightful and to the point. Since editors limit the number of words allowable, their views on everyday issues are usually expressed concisely and clearly. Contrary to news articles and columns which can ramble on — often causing the reader to get lost halfway through the piece — while the composition of letters are far easier to follow.

News coverage is often about so-called “extraordinary” individuals and their exploits. Yet, it is ordinary people that really understand the realities of everyday life. When they reflect on issues, it is from a personal and down-to-earth perspective. Extraordinary people are primarily concerned about maintaining images and politically-motivated causes. For this reason, they say and interpret what they think we want to hear. Their ramblings have been cleansed and sanitized for public consumption several times over. Politicians and bureaucrats are normally the worst offenders when it comes to “public-speak”. In the end, it can be difficult to comprehend actually what it is that they are saying on any given topic.

Ordinary people on the other hand are not appealing to any particular constituency. They tend to call it like they see it. Whether one agrees or not with their viewpoints, the straightforward honesty is both refreshing and revealing. Indeed, this demonstrates why we need more forums through which ordinary citizens can speak out. In a truly democratic society it’s critical that citizens can express their hopes, concerns and viewpoints without fear of censorship or retribution. I trust that good editors fully understand and support this forum. For these and other reasons, I will continue to dutifully read letters to the editor. I hope that you will too.

Canada US

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Nov 10

Why Should Canada’s Small Air Force Help Bomb ISIS in Iraq?

by bcurry

In case you weren’t aware, the Canadian government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent half a dozen CF-18s to help bomb targets in Iraq held by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISEL). As Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau noted, the government whipped out our CF-18s to show them how big they are. He rightfully asked why Canadians aren’t talking more about the kind of humanitarian aid that Canada can and must be engaged in. Besides thousands of civilian deaths, the previous Iraq war also created hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing that country’s on-going civil war. With the onset of ISIS, thousands more Iraqis have fled to neighbouring countries and safe havens within Iraq. They are desperate for food, shelter, clothing, medical supplies and other essentials to survive the coming winter conditions.

Let’s take a step back to clarify Canada’s historical position vis-a-vis the first American incursion into Iraq to dispose of Saddam Hussein. The Iraq War began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The government of Canada did not at any time formally declare war against Iraq. The then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said in 2002 that Canada would, in fact, be part of a military coalition to invade Iraq if it were sanctioned by the United Nations. However, when the United States and the United Kingdom subsequently withdrew their diplomatic efforts to gain that UN sanction, Jean Chrétien announced in March 2003 that Canada would not participate in the pending invasion. As it turned out, this was one of the best decisions that Prime Minister Chrétien ever made during his government’s term of office.

Recently, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien defended Justin Trudeau’s controversial decision to oppose Canada’s air combat mission in Iraq. He believes that the fighter planes deployed by the Harper government are a “very marginal” response to the crisis caused by ISIS militants. He concluded that the best ‎contribution Canada can make is by engaging in massive, not token, humanitarian assistance. The leader of the official opposition, Thomas Mulcair of the New Democrats, has also stated that Canada’s first contribution should be to use every diplomatic, humanitarian, and financial resource at our disposal to respond to the overwhelming human tragedy unfolding on the ground. We should also help to strengthen political institutions in both Iraq and Syria.

Let’s face it, the U.S. has been in this conflict for well over 10 years and has been fighting ISIS under one name or another. While ISIS has renamed itself several times since 2004—al Qaeda in Iraq, the Mujahideen Shura Council and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Syria—it is literally the same insurgent group that U.S. forces have been battling for over a decade. The Americans propped up a corrupt Iraqi regime under Maliki, which favoured the Shiite population at the expense of the Kurds and Sunni. With the evident inability of the Iraqi security forces to fend off ISIS militants, the Americans once again have had to step in militarily to defend the Iraqi government through air strikes and provision of thousands of military advisors.

President Obama has already warned that American military and financial support will be needed for a long time in this new campaign. The Canadian contribution is but a mere token of some sort of support. The danger is always that such policies can go quickly from mission creep to mission leap. As in the case of Canada’s contribution to the Afghan mission which started out with only a few dozen soldiers and ended up with many casualties, when will this mission end? Canada’s international credibility as a country with an extensive history of humanitarian achievements is in jeopardy. Unfortunately, ISIS is not going away anytime soon. In a year’s time, there is little doubt that the Canadian government will have to seriously rethink its policies!

Iraq Iraq and ISIS Iraq Today

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Oct 23

Micro-terrorism Has Come To Canada, Much Like That Recently Occurring In The U.S.

by bcurry

In the week starting October 20th, two tragic incidents occurred in Canada whereby a Canadian soldier in uniform was targeted and died following attacks by a lone assailant. One attack even took place on the grounds of Canada’s Parliament. Suspects in both cases were young Canadian-born men who at some point had converted to Islam.  Unfortunately, both were very troubled individuals who turned to jihadist or radical causes.  They perceived such causes as providing answers to everything, moral certainty and ultimately a way of striking out at a society with which they seem to have been quite upset.  Such events are very similar to recent ones in the U.S., including that of the Boston marathon bombings by two individuals.

Some are now referring to such attacks as a form of “micro-terrorism”.  This is in contrast to larger terrorist plots involving one or more cells of terrorists with well-organized and financed plans to destroy big targets such as subways, airplanes, key installations, etc.  However, “macro-terrorism” in North America and Europe has become much more difficult to undertake following 9-11.  Governments have put into place sophisticated security measures, including the monitoring of communication among terrorist cells.  However, as exemplified by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL), the era of social media Internet usage has made it easier to find like-minded people online and connect up with them.  Using social media, terrorists are able to reach out to Canadians and Americans who feel excluded for whatever reason from society.  Some may be going through personal stress, or may even have serious mental-health issues.  The process has come to be known as “radicalization”, similar to what happens to people who join cults.

The main problem with so-called micro-terrorism is that it is very difficult for security forces to detect and prevent, often involving random attacks by one or more “lone wolves”. With virtually hundreds of potential suspects in both countries, there are just not enough resources to realistically monitor their activities.  In addition, simply expressing radical views is frequently not enough to detain and charge such persons with terrorist-related activities.  Social media may help to put them on the authorities’ radar, but not much more.  Living in a democratic society with certain inalienable civil liberties, one has to be cognizant of respecting certain rights and the “due process” of laws.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of such heinous acts of violence. No one can justify the use of terrorism, whether promoted by ISIS or not. Radicalization is real cause for concern.  Societies must take as many steps as possible to combat radicalization.  On-going initiatives can include intercultural dialogue and the remedial counseling of individuals who may feel excluded and marginalized.  Through constant dialogue and inclusion efforts, hopefully we can greatly reduce any support for extremist ideologies within our communities.

Anti-Terroism Canada

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Oct 1

Iraq – America’s Biggest Blunder Could Become Canada’s

by bcurry

Well, why don’t they just bomb Iraq once again! The U.S. is flying armed missions across Iraq, only this time bombing sites occupied by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). All under the pretext that somehow ISIS represents a direct threat to the West. However, as far as we know, ISIS has no weapons of mass destruction (like Saddam Hussein), but only tactics of mass terrorism. Once again, the U.S. has assembled a “coalition of the willing”, including Canada this time, to fight the perceived menace of some estimated 3,000 ISIS fighters in Iraq. A menace that the heavily armed Iraqi government security forces couldn’t stop, but instead fled from battle. Only the Kurds appear willing to stand up to this foe with appeals for heavier weapons from the West and further humanitarian aid.

President Obama has promised that no American boots will be on the ground in this latest struggle. A new Iraqi government has replaced Maliki’s corrupt Shiite-backed government which had carried out its own form of terrorism against the Sunni population. Otherwise, we continue to have one big political mess in Iraq, creating instability and insecurity. The Americans overestimated the capabilities of Iraqi security forces and underestimated the resolve of ISIS. Thus, conditions ripe for the effective entry of a terrorist bunch like ISIS.

All the so-called Middle Eastern experts forecast that defeating the likes of ISIS is no short-term deal, air strikes or no air strikes. The battles can only be won through winning the hearts and minds of all Iraqis, and by Iraqi successes on the ground. Otherwise, you just have another stalemate and one more human disaster, in terms of Iraqi refugees and civilian casualties.

So why is the Canadian government even contemplating providing fighter jets to participate in a decade-old war that it had never been involved with from the outset? Does this small bunch of fanatics represent a real threat to Canadians, or is the Government’s hype just a ploy to gain support for more military action? Just as the senior Bush had warned his son, there’s appears to be no clear cut exit plan for this Iraqi campaign.  Canada is not in a position to fight in another long-term war after a decade of fighting in Afghanistan at tremendous costs in both human and monetary terms.  ISIS is largely a result of disastrous long-standing U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Iraq being the worst case scenario. Needless-to-say, Prime Minister Harper will have to shoulder full accountability for any further Canadian military involvement in Iraq.

Foreign Policy Iraq Today

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Aug 26

Don’t Point Finger at U.S. for Poor Race Relations – Just Look in Your Own Backyard

by bcurry

The recent tragic shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri has once again raised the spectre of race relations in the U.S. However, there is little reason for Canadians to point holier-than-thou fingers at the Americans. If anything, it should encourage Canadians to really examine the state of our own race relations. 

Case in point, take the situation of our aboriginal populations and the fact that rates of violence are so much higher than in the rest of the population. Aboriginal women now make up more than 20 per cent of all female murder victims, twice the proportion of 30 years ago, and five times their share of the female population. The murder rate among aboriginal men is more than twice as high as it is for aboriginal women. Last year’s Idle No More movement provided a valuable lesson in why so many aboriginal Canadians remain so chronically destitute — why progress has been so frustratingly elusive, and why it is likely to remain so. Native children are the least likely of Canadian children to complete a high school education, and even less likely to go on to post secondary schooling. When aboriginal persons move to larger Canadian urban centres, they often find themselves unable to find affordable housing, good paying jobs and applicable community services. Instead, substance abuse and prostitution become the only means of escape and survival. As a result, our prisons have an inordinate number of incarcerated aboriginals compared to the population as a whole. 

Canada prides itself on being a diverse, tolerant and multicultural society. How tolerant white, middle-class Canadians really are is up for debate. More and more are sending their kids to private schools, sometimes to avoid the influx of new immigrant children into the public school systems. Listen to some local radio talk shows and one gets a pretty good idea of how older white Canadians view our current liberal immigration and refugee policies. Like the U.S., Canada opened its doors to welcome families and individuals for a whole slew of reasons, some being primarily economic in nature. All fine and dandy. However once here, are they being treated fairly and without bias? Many arrive with post-secondary degrees, but still find it difficult to obtain approval to work in their professions. These persons are often treated like second-class citizens. Many temporary workers are brought in to work in agriculture, retail and domestic services sectors due to a lack of interest on the part of Canadian workers. Temporary workers do not have the same benefits under our laws, including labour and health and safety laws, as do other workers. Don’t even address the longstanding English and French relationship in this country — or the “two solitudes” as Hugh MacLennan once wrote. 

When it comes to race — sorry Canada — poverty, unemployment and underemployment, violence, and lack of access to education and professional opportunities remain significant issues. Call it systemic discrimination or whatever, but it still exists. We can’t afford to be too smug!

Canada Race Relations US

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Jul 31

Stephen Harper – the George W. Bush of the North!

by bcurry

OK. We have the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, reiterating his government’s hard line on Hamas in Gaza, Russia’s involvement in Ukraine and Chinese cyberattacks on Canadian government computers. Now, no one would blame any Western leader for expressing his or her government’s position with respect to foreign policy. However, if one is going to continuously take such forceful stances in opposition, then you better have the force and accompanying strength to back up your tough words. Such is not the case for Canada.

Unlike some other countries directly affected by recent regional events, Canada has little to loose in taking such a hard line stance. Canada’s dealings with Russia and the Middle East are minimal when compared to the U.S. and the Europeans. Cyberattacks by China and other countries are not all that unusual and more common then we think. Just think of the American spying on many of its own allies, most notably Germany. Maybe Canadian authorities and security agencies aren’t all that innocent as well.

So what does Canada have to back up its harsh words? The military, while very professional and dedicated, is among the smallest in the West in absolute numbers. The military is also dealing with aging and inadequate equipment in all its services, and is totally reliant on NATO to service most missions abroad. The Canadian economy is very reliant on external trade, especially for markets of the country’s natural resources — with 70% of trade still being carried out with the U.S. All said and done, Canada can huff and puff all it wants, but it won’t blow anyone’s house down.

Unless Mr. Harper plans to do standup comedy at Yuk Yuks in Moscow, Beijing or Tel Aviv, he and Foreign Minister John Baird might want to tone down the rhetoric somewhat. Let’s not make Canada’s international reputation suffer any more than it already has. Once, Canada was viewed as a moderate voice on the world scene, ready and trusted to help bring conflicting parties to the table. Canada has lost its non-alignment status which served it so well during the Cold War and past world conflicts. Now it appears that Mr. Harper would like to become the George W. Bush of the North! Needless-to-say, this is no laughing matter.

Canada Foreign Policy Foreign Policy

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Jul 7

Why Are We Acting To Refugees In Such A Belligerent Way?

by bcurry

In recent months, we have seen in both Canada and the U.S. belligerent reactions directed at refugees. In the U.S., some American politicians and citizens have lambasted the Obama administration over the influx of Central American illegal refugees, especially children, across their southern border. White House officials have insisted that extreme poverty and an epidemic of gang violence in certain Central American countries were the main causes of the unanticipated spike in illegal migration. Meanwhile, in Canada, the Supreme Court ruled that recent federal policies to limit the kinds of medical care that refugees would be entitled to were overly cruel and unusual treatment. Indeed, such policies are contrary to Canada’s Charter of Rights. However, recent polls have shown that Canadians, like many Americans, appear to support the tightening up of rules governing the treatment and deportation of illegal refugees.

Whatever happened to the fundamental edict opening our borders up to those persecuted, the ill and the impoverished? Have our values as nations changed that much? Both countries were built on the sweat and hard work of immigrants, including refugees escaping all forms of persecution in other countries and seeking to better their lives and that of their children. Just as a nation is judged by how well it cares for those citizens requiring assistance and the less fortunate, it must also be judged on how it treats outsiders seeking refuge within its borders. The fact that the state may view their entry as legal or illegal does not matter. These refugees are desperate, often taking enormous personal risks to travel to our countries.

The very definition of a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster. Today, one can further add conditions attributed to poor economies, drug cartel violence, extreme poverty, lack of affordable medical care, etc. As two of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is only natural that persons would seek refuge in the U.S. and Canada. Until conditions improve in their native countries, the constant influx of refugees, legal or otherwise, will only continue. Simply deporting desperate people and their families is surely not the only answer. Instead of knee jerk reactions, both countries should look at new and more effective internal and external policies to accommodate the needs of these less fortunate.

I know that the majority of Canadians and Americans are much more humane and caring than any polling would show. As societies, we both share similar values when it comes to fairness, equality and openness. Hopefully, we can be more understanding and better demonstrate our humanity by opening our hearts and resources to those who are less fortunate. I know that I will.

Canada US

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Jun 9

Are Our Cities Becoming War Zones?

by bcurry

A team of camouflaged and masked men, armed with M-16 rifles, grenade launchers, silencers and more, briskly enter a building. In front sits a 9-foot tall armoured and mine-resistant combat vehicle, ready to charge in on a second’s notice. Is this a scene from a military onslaught in some Afghan village? No. This is actually a police SWAT team entering the premises containing alleged illegal activity.

In both the U.S. and Canada, the number of heavily-armed SWAT teams has skyrocketed since the 1980s. Police departments are arguing that they have no choice but to be better armed to stay in step with the criminals who are arming themselves more heavily every day. This despite the fact that, today, crime has fallen to its lowest levels in a generation. The drug gang wars have wound down, and despite current fears, the number of domestic terrorist attacks has declined sharply from the 1960s and 1970s.

What is more worrisome is that SWAT teams are increasingly being employed for what once were routine police activities, such as domestic disputes and liquour inspections. In addition, local departments are choosing to employ armed officers and equipment more frequently in order to justify any impact on their budgets. More and more, recruiting material and videos are fixated on clips of officers storming into homes with smoke grenades and firing automatic weapons. Is this really the image of policing that one wants to convey to potential new recruits?

In Canada, SWAT teams are found mainly in larger cities and among federal and provincial agencies. However, in the U.S., they can even be found in towns with fewer than 25,000 people. This is primarily because of the federal military-transfer program started in the early 1990s. The program makes free surplus military equipment available to municipalities which they could not otherwise afford. Even some local police chiefs are questioning the need for such heavy-duty equipment, noting the negative impact it very likely has on the department’s image and relationship with the public.

Unfortunately, recent shooting events surrounding tragic police fatalities in both the U.S. and Canada have again naturally raised the issue over the safety of police officers. Yet, I think it highly unlikely that police chiefs would want to have their officers regularly patrolling in armoured vehicles through their neighbourhoods. SWAT teams have a legitimate purpose to serve, but not at the expense of the local beat cop. After all, with all due respect, we’re hopefully not living in war zones!

Canada US

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Jun 3

Coal, Oil and Gas Are All Very Nice, But ……

by bcurry

Well, it looks like we’ve got a conundrum. On the one hand, everyone is increasingly concerned about climate change, while on the other hand cheap sources of coal, oil and natural gas keep popping up. However, while a hearty supply of coal, oil and natural gas provides cheap energy sources for now, eventually even these sources will become depleted. And then what? By the looks of it, certainly not renewable energy sources! What about seriously dealing with the ongoing impact of fossil fuel usage on the climate?

North Americans aren’t the only ones in this boat. Europeans, the Chinese, the Indians, and the rest of the developed world are rowing to the same tune. Much of the prognosis is being attributed to new technologies in drilling, in particular the recovery of shale oil and gas through a contentious process called “fracking”. In addition, new pipelines are expected to pop up all over the world, including those planned for between Russia and China and the U.S. and Canada. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities are also expected to expand in the U.S. and Canada in order to export natural gas to Asia and Europe. But at what environmental risks?

Oil and gas extraction and production is responsible for about a third of all carbon emissions, while the combustion engine releases about another third of pollutants. Alas, by 2030 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to cut power plant emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels. The EPA is particularly going after power plants, notably those electrical generation operations powered by coal — coal still producing almost 40 percent of electricity generation in the U.S. The new EPA proposal, if approved, will most likely force power plants to switch to natural gas or to seek out renewable or nuclear energy resources. Remember, the U.S. is currently the second largest contributor to global warming on the planet.

As for Canada, Environment Canada predicts that the country will fail to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, primarily because of the oilsands projects whose emissions are expected to triple. Regulations on Canada’s largest oil and gas emitters have yet to be released, seven years after they were first discussed. The federal government talks a good talk, but has failed to walk the walk.

The problem is that President Obama has to convince the states and the fossil fuel industry to reduce carbon emissions in line with national targets. Despite states such as Missouri and Illinois for example which continue to produce at least 80 percent of their electricity from coal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that Canada doesn’t get enough credit given how hard it is to cut emissions from a system where much of the energy is already clean — namely hydroelectric power. The PM completely ignores the predicted increases in greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands and the potential environmental issues surrounding the expansion of pipelines to carry oilsands crude oil across Canada and into the U.S. Between Obama and Harper, when it comes to urgently dealing with fossil fuels, one gets a feeling of witnessing — excuse the expression — the blind leading the blind.

Canada Coal Keystone XL Oil and Gas Oil and Gas Transport of Oil US

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