FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Mar 20

Does Quasi-Isolationism Really Work?

by bcurry

Who is it that once said? “No man is an island unto himself”.  According to Wikpedia, this originally was a famous line from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, a 1624 prose work by English poet John Donne.  Moreover, the gist of the saying is that human beings do not thrive well when isolated from others.  One has to ask whether the quasi-isolationism adhered to by Trumpism will really work in the era of globalization?

Since the start of the industrialized age, the world has become an increasingly smaller planet. What affects one region of the world can affect most regions.  Technological advances in communication, transportation, cybernetics, medical fields, agriculture, energies, etc., etc. have brought continents together.  As for trade among countries, years ago it was recognized that there are advantages to having freer trade.  Most economists argue that everyone benefits from promoting freer trade because each country produces or provides cheaper goods and services by creating economies of scale and greater efficiencies in output and costs.  Such freer trade promotion is also supported by numerous international oversight forums which emerged post-World War II.

For some time now, we have lived in a world of commerce involving multi-national corporations operating in several regions. Besides providing greater access to investment capital, technical expertise and business savvy, multi-nationals develop local labour markets and service industries.  To be certain, their primary goal is to increase their profits by taking advantage of local markets, natural resources, cheaper labour and government assistance.  Multi-nationals out the U.S. have greatly benefited from access to overseas markets. Recognizing however that there are also regional socio-economic costs involved — be they environmental, political or social.

Who has certainly benefited from increased trade is the American consumer. Next time that you go to a Walmart or Target, think about the variety and quantity of affordable goods available.  “Buy American” is a nice slogan, but would be an expensive one to act upon.  To effectively compete on the international stage, American businesses have to continue to develop knowledge-based products and services and promote greater innovation wherever possible and cost-effective.  Backing ‘quasi-isolationist’ doctrines will not only backfire economically and politically, but will cause the rest of the world to minimize their trade dealings with the U.S.  Countries have formed more-and-more regional trade blocs and will continue to do so, often out of necessity.  After all, no one can afford to become isolated on an island.

Foreign Policy US US Politics

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Mar 14

A Letter to Precedent Trump

by bcurry

C/O Trump Tower, New York, N.Y., LOL999XOXO

Dear Precedent Trump:

Hi. Big fan here! I think that you are doing a tremendous job.  I don’t read or watch the fake news media which are always totally negative and the enemy of the American people according to your left-hand man Steve Bannon.  Instead, I rely on Brietbart and Fox News which gives us the real insight and alternative facts.  As for all those nasty terrorists, I fully support your ban on Moslums wanting to travel to our wonderful country and do harm.  These are bad dudes and need to be stopped.  Don’t let a bunch of supposed judges stop you.

As for your tweets, please keep them coming. I find them so informative and precedential. It’s important to get information right from the horse’s mouth.  Don’t let those late night TV shows discourage you, because they’re only concerned about ratings.  The American people need to know firsthand what you’re thinking, just like when you were on the ‘Apprentice’.

As for the Washington establishment, keep giving them the boot. Keep the campaign going.  Most good Republicans will continue to back you no matter what.  There are a lot of government agencies that we could do without, like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Labor Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Agency.  They just get in the way of businesses wanting to create good paying American jobs.  Chinese businesses don’t have to put up with all those environmental and health and safety regs.  Oops, that reminds me to fix my made-in-China glasses.

I am fully supportive of enlarging our brave armed forces, especially our ability to nuke other countries. It’s not enough that we already outspend Russia and China for defense by double and triple the amounts. Good for you telling those so-called NATO partners to contribute more to their own defenses.  They’re all a bunch of loafers.  Besides, Russians love you and Putin is really the nicest guy.  Nevertheless, it’s always good to have those nukes in your back pocket, just in case.

As for the planned wall with Mexico, I’m going to adorn it with good old American graffiti. If you need more bodies to patrol the border, I know a few fellows who would be more than happy to help out.  They’ll even bring their military-grade rifles and equipment.  Know what I mean?

Precedent Trump, keep up the terrific work. As we saw from the election, there are millions and millions of Americans behind you, given that you won the popular vote.  Keep on tweeting.

Sincerely, a fan.

Donald Trump US US Politics

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Mar 5

George W. Bush is an Enigma in Many Ways as a President and a Person

by bcurry

The other day, former president George W. Bush was on the Ellen Show.  He was promoting a book containing portraits of American veterans that he had painted.  Apparently, he took up painting as a past time some five years ago.  Ellen Dejeneres is a friend of the Bush family, including Bush senior.  President Bush stated his admiration for vets, particularly those wounded in battle.  As always, he displayed his known sense of humour during Ellen’s polite interview, noting that historians will inevitably judge his presidency.

Having lived through the period of his presidency, nine-eleven and the invasion and occupation of Iraq, I have mixed feelings about the former president. I remember seeing him standing at the site of the destroyed twin towers in New York, giving warm thanks to first responders and those who aided them. The event was to change the direction of his presidency toward a commitment to wage war on terrorism.  Indeed, this was to be his legacy to the American people.

However, after that tragic event, a number of wrong turns were taken by President Bush and his administration. Remember that this was an administration that included the likes of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell — the first two who were definitely ‘hawks’. Suddenly, the U.S. was to take on the so-called axis of evil, unfortunately including Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. The administration perpetuated the belief that Hussein had ‘weapons of mass destruction’, which of course was never true.  I firmly believe that President Bush was goaded into accepting this assertion by his immediate advisors – despite intelligence to the contrary.  However, no one in the administration had a viable ‘exit’ strategy once the Iraq occupation was over — something even George H. W. Bush had warned his son was a crucial consideration. Following the speedy fall of Hussein’s regime, Bush junior declared ‘mission accomplished’ aboard an American aircraft carrier.  The rest is the sad history of over a decade of American military actions in Iraq, amid corrupt and incompetent Iraqi governments and sectarian fighting among various religious factions. Thousands of Americans and many more Iraqis loss their lives or became refugees during the decade.  Once U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq, this led to the re-emergence of Al Qaeda and eventually the spin-off terrorists who formed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Otherwise, the whole region became a bigger mess with even more explosive potential among the warring factions.

President Bush was the puppet on a string for a hawkish administration that used American military might for all the wrong reasons. Subsequent presidents have and will have to deal with the consequences of such tragic mistakes.  American troops returned home from Iraq as amputees, many having incurred the loss of limbs, brain trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. Iraq continues to be embroiled in ugly urban guerrilla warfare, this time involving ISIS. Sorry President Bush, although you may be a somewhat likeable person, the heartbreaking outcome of your administration’s decisions is no laughing matter.  I believe that history will judge it so.

Iraq and ISIS Iraq Today Syria and ISIL US US Politics

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Mar 2

Trump is Now Being Called the ‘Blamer-in-Chief’ President

by bcurry

Apparently, former President Harry S. Truman kept a plaque on his White House desk that noted that the “buck stops here”. He was also quoted as saying: “If you can’t convince them; confuse them.” This latter quote appears to be Trump’s primary modus operandi.  As Commander-in-Chief he blames others, including former President Obama, and inanimate objects, like microphones, for problems that he is having or events that took place during the first month of his presidency and during his campaign.

Well, Mr. President, the buck stops with you. You wanted the job, now you’ve got it.  Deal with it.  I know that it’s hard for you — especially being an ‘extreme narcissist’. Blaming others rather than taking responsibility for your actions, including your administration’s mistakes, has a lot to do with narcissism.  In your previous life, you could control and manipulate the tabloids.  However, trying to blame mainstream media won’t work and inventing something referred to as “fake news” doesn’t hold water.  You need to take responsibility for the failure to get the facts right.

I pity your advisors who have to regularly interpret to the Press and the American public just what it is that you have said or have tweeted. It’s gets all very confusing and is not very presidential to say the least.  I suspect that following the recent resignation of your national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the use of “you’re fired” in the Oval Office will be heard loudly once again. Furthermore, there will be the continuing tendency to blame indiscretions by appointed advisors and Cabinet members on leaks for federal departments and agencies.

Mr. President, you need to get on with the job at hand, that of the nation’s highest elective office, and to stop whining. This is not a TV reality show called the ‘Blame Game’.  This is reality itself.  A president will make mistakes or have problems arise within and under his or her administration, just as a CEO incurs in any business.  Along with the high profile and perks, the president or CEO must accept accountability, whether personally justified or not.  It’s not enough to acknowledge successes, one must also take responsibility for failures.

Donald Trump US US Politics

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Feb 21

Is There a Difference Between a Failure to Tell the Truth and a Lie?

by bcurry

As a student of the English language, I find that the use of certain phrases and words is becoming somewhat confusing. This is particularly true within the “bafflegab” found in political speeches, government pronouncements and social media.  For example, decorum dictates that one should suggest that the person wasn’t exactly truthful or had misrepresented the truth.  We never imply that the person lied, as lying is considered disreputable in societal terms, except apparently when applied to politicians.

A “fact” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a thing that is indisputably the case”. A “lie” is defined as “an intentionally false statement”.  Usually facts are founded on science-based investigations or the results of thorough studies.  Yet, now we hear about something referred to as “alternative facts”.  I suppose it is O.K. to cherry pick and manipulate the facts if it can be rationalized.  However, wouldn’t such actions border on encouraging “lies”.

Then there is the new phenomenon referred to as “fake news”, which appears to alter facts in order to better reflect one’s preconceived ideas or opinions. Editorialists are known to interpret events and facts to support their views and opinions on issues.  Journalists on the other hand are supposed to base their reporting on the facts as they are known.  How reliable the facts are is in turn based on the dependability and accuracy of their sources.  Thorough fact-finding requirements do not occur in the case of “fake news”, which has increased with the growth of ‘social media’.  Recent studies have shown that about half the population depends on social media for their daily news, including fake news.

We also have individuals who, after being interviewed or speaking, declare that they “misspoke” at the time. Otherwise, they did not mean to say what they said at that time.  This gives the impression that they didn’t think before their mouth uttered certain statements.  Politicians apparently misspeak a lot nowadays.  However, they never lie!  All any of us can do is obtain our information from as many ‘reliable’ sources as possible.  We will then hopefully be in a better position to discern what are facts, lies, opinions or fake news.  Good luck, you’ll need it.

Canada Donald Trump Federal Government Justin Trudeau US US Politics

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Feb 20

Just How Open Is Canada to Accepting Refugees?

by bcurry

In recent months — especially since the start of President Trump’s administration, his travel ban involving seven predominantly-Muslim countries and indications of plans to increase the deportation of illegal immigrants — a substantial number of people have crossed into Canada via the Manitoba and Quebec borders with the U.S. They are doing so in order to claim refugee status, despite having entered the U.S. as refugees or illegal immigrants. A number come from predominantly-Muslim countries such as Somalia. They are crossing at open border points to avoid being turned around at Custom’s land crossings due to the ‘Safe Third Country Agreement’ with the U.S. This agreement has been in effect for more than 12 years.  The agreement’s premise is that the U.S. is a perfectly good place to claim asylum, and people have to apply in which country they arrive in first.  So far, we are not talking about thousands such as is the case in Europe, but hundreds.

Already, there are some Canadian politicians, such as Michelle Rempel and Tony Clement of the federal Conservative Party, who are demanding that the federal government act to stop the flow of people illegally crossing the United States border into Canada. Just how you do this is not easy given the length of the open border!  Unlike President Trump, Canada has no intention of building a wall along the border. The resources necessary to police the entire border are simply not there.  These refugees, including women and children, are not seen as a security threat and normally present themselves to Canadian authorities in order to apply for refugee status.  The easiest way to stop the illegal border crossings is to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement and allow people to request refugee status at official border crossings without endangering the lives of these people.

Public opinion in the past has been favourable as to the number of refugees coming to Canada. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that close to half of Canadians polled say the government has hit the mark with 40,000 total refugees (Syrian and other nationalities) expected to be entering the country this year. However, 41 percent say that the total is too high in what has become a notable split of opinion.  The reports of an increasing number of refugees crossing into Canada could influence future public opinion on the matter. The above poll also found that one-in-four Canadians believe that this country should have responded to President Trump’s executive order by adopting the same policy – including a temporary ban on Syrian refugees.

While legal immigration is important to Canada, the acceptance of refugees and their numbers is contentious, especially those that come from predominantly-Muslim countries where terrorism is a concern. There is a segment of the Canadian population that wants to restrict their entry and increase security vetting.  Whether or not you agree, there is no question that the refugee issue has become a touchy one.  Hopefully, Canada will not fall into the same illogical and ideological trap that occurred in the U.S.  However, there is little doubt that the question of how open Canada is to accepting more refugees will be severely tested in the coming months.

Canada Immigration Refugee Policies Terrorism U.S. Canada Border US

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Feb 12

President Trump, Please Keep Your Immigration Ban On

by bcurry

As a Canadian, I’m hoping that the President can keep some form of ban on the entry of people from certain countries. Why?  Simple, it may help Canada to fill a shortage of ‘knowledge workers’ in several industries. Needless-to-say, such a ban will hurt a number of sectors in the U.S.  A Canadian study in 2016 concluded that there will be as many as 182,000 high-paying technology jobs up for grabs in Canada by 2019. However, the country’s school systems aren’t producing enough high technology expertise to fill those positions.  Close to a million people are working in information and communications technology jobs in Canada, and almost half of all technology workers are employed in the professional and technical services industry. They also have a significant showing in health care, the public sector and in manufacturing.

The U.S. is also experiencing shortages of ‘knowledge workers’ in several sectors, forcing companies to recruit and bring in skilled labour from other countries. This includes countries such as the seven predominately Muslim countries listed in the immigration ban.  Let’s consider a couple of facts.  A recent research report by Goldman Sachs estimates that 900,000 to a million H-1B visa holders (highly skilled foreign workers) now reside in the United States, and that they account for up to 13 percent of U.S. technology jobs. Technology giants like Microsoft and Google, among some 97 American companies, have pressed for increases in the annual quotas, saying there are not enough Americans with the skills they need. The high tech sector is only one of several that will suffer because of such restrictions.  Reports are coming out of persons on visas now working in the medical field, university research and financial services.

Several American tech companies already keep satellite offices in Vancouver, British Columbia. A number of these firms are looking into the possibility of expanding their operations in Canada.  Immigration lawyers are reporting a steep uptick in inquiries from foreign-born tech workers worried their U.S. visas may disappear.  Canada is a country that welcomes immigrants with open arms, especially those with much needed skills.  Canadian entrepreneurs also have programs to help Bay Area immigrants and others relocate to Canada, particularly the hundreds of persons on temporary H-1B work visas affected by this temporary travel ban.

Canadian companies, hospitals and universities are not the only organizations ready to capitalize on Trump’s immigration executive order should it remain in place. A number of European firms and organizations are also in the market for ‘knowledge workers’, no matter what their countries of origin. Whether or not one agrees with such a travel ban, there are always those who will benefit from its shortfalls and short-sightedness.  After all, as is the case for trade and commerce, we live and work in a global labour market.

Donald Trump Immigration US US Politics

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Feb 9

Don’t Compare the Position of U.S. President to Canada’s Prime Minister

by bcurry

Recently, there was a poll taken in Canada comparing approval rates by Canadians for President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau. The poll looked at everything from the handling of policies related to the economy, security, immigration, foreign policy and health care — to name a few. However, such a comparison is really like comparing apples and oranges.  The role of the executive branch in the two governments varies greatly and the constitutional powers are significantly different.

Canada follows the Westminster system based on ‘parliamentary sovereignty’ and ‘responsible government’. The Prime Minister represents the political party with a majority of seats in the House of Commons, and the Cabinet is chosen from among the party’s elected sitting Members of Parliament.  For this reason, the PM depends on the support of his/her party to make policy and to pass laws in Parliament.  The President on the other hand is elected separately and chooses his/her cabinet usually from non-elected persons who support his/her policies.  While the PM sits in Parliament, the President must work to gather support from Congress to implement his/her policies.  The PM must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons to continue to form the government.  Otherwise, loss of a confidence vote in the House would mean that he/she must dissolve Parliament and usually call an election.  Moreover, the PM’s ability to formulate policies is very much dependent on the support of his party in Parliament, thereby limiting the PM’s ability to independently issue executive orders.  The President, unless he/she is impeached, normally resides comfortably for a four-year term.

The President is the civilian Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He has the authority to command them to take appropriate military action in the event of a sudden crisis and certain circumstances.  In Canada, the Queen is the head of state, and the Governor General officially represents her in the country.  The Queen is therefore the Commander in Chief, although through the Governor General as her representative.  The PM and the Government is somewhat limited in what military actions can be undertaken without Parliamentary approval, especially where new funding is required.  None-the-less, in domestic or foreign crisis, the PM and the Cabinet can react as needed under certain circumstances.  However, as in the U.S., there can be political consequences and negative electorate reactions to such actions.

Let’s face it, President Trump does not reflect all the views and positions of Republicans in both houses of Congress, especially when it comes to matters of free trade and immigration. Prime Minister Trudeau has no choice but to reflect the majority wishes of his party, which in this case is the governing Liberal Party.  Therefore, to compare the policies of a President and Prime Minister isn’t really a fair comparison, especially when you have a President issuing so many ‘executive statements’ without any direct Congressional involvement.  Furthermore, there appear to be a substantial amount of overt differences of positions between President Trump’s policies and the Republican Party.  Such overt differences could not happen in Canada given the need for Party solidarity to continue governing under the Parliamentary system. Thus, forget any irrelevant comparisons between the two and polls like the one by the National Post.

Canada Donald Trump Justin Trudeau Leadership US US Politics

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Feb 5

Trump Doesn’t Get It – You Can’t Go Backwards When It Comes to Job Creation!

by bcurry

About 97 percent of clothing sold in the United States is imported, according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association. In developed economies like the U.S. and Canada, manufacturing and mining is giving way to the service and high tech sectors.  For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1960, 1 in 4 Americans had a job in manufacturing.  Today, it’s fewer than 1 in 10. The industrial age is over and the information age is here.  U.S. coal mining declined 25 percent since 2008, which resulted in 50,000 jobs being lost over a four-year period. The mining industry, in general, lost more than 191,000 jobs since 2014.  Trying to resuscitate coal mining is a costly waste of time and resources.  Today, renewable energy is where the growth in the U.S. is, as evidenced by the solar industry’s growth rate of 20 percent annually.  It’s noteworthy that China aims to spend at least $360 Billion on renewable energy by 2020.

How we manufacture has also dramatically changed primarily due to the impact of automation. In order to be competitive and cost-effective, companies have little choice but to automate their processes, thereby requiring fewer employees.  In addition, they require better educated, trained and skilled workers.  Moreover, U.S. and Canadian manufacturers cannot and need not compete with emerging countries which have an abundance of cheap labour. In order to be competitive, they need to innovate and increase their productivity.

Innovation is the name of the game. The tech industry employs millions of Americans and Canadians. Practically all new private sector jobs have been created by businesses less than five years old. In the digital age, the U.S. and Canada have a major advantage, especially when it comes to the growing service sector.  Consumers are increasingly looking for the provision of good, timely and more localized services.  This includes more efficient modes of communication.

Investment in new technologies and people is what drives economic growth and the creation of new jobs. We need to focus on our new, innovative industries that will put us ahead of our global competition, not on the implementation of protectionist policies. You can’t turn the clocks back to an earlier period.  Globalization and new technologies have changed all that.  Whether President Trump likes it or not, tomorrow’s transition in job creation is already happening regardless of his unrealistic promises and ineffective policies.

Coal Protectionism US US Politics

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Jan 31

Quebec Mosque Shooting Is a Sad Reflection of Our Times

by bcurry

Tonight I grieve for the families of those men killed and injured at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada. It will take a good deal of time and investigation to discover why a young white Quebecer would take it upon himself to murder people while in prayer.  Call it a hate crime, an act of terror or a lone wolf-attack, it makes no difference to those unfortunate families and communities.  Answers may only bring more questions.  Is this a sign of our troubled times?

I am also outraged that a spokesman for the Trump administration would use this horrendous crime to justify the recent ban imposed on persons from seven predominantly Muslim countries with respect to entry into the U.S.  If anything, Trump’s actions are inciting certain ultra-right wing groups, including white supremacists, to act against persons of other religions.  Trump’s actions are the epitome of islamophobia.  He is playing into the hands of not only radical Islamic groups, but also white supremacists in North America, Europe and elsewhere. For this reason, one cannot justify what Trump did in terms of protecting national security.

As described in Wikipedia, Islamophobia refers to fear, prejudice, hatred or dislike directed against Islam or Muslims, or towards Islamic politics or culture. There is no place in Canada for promoting such hatred, as evidenced by the sympathies sent to and the support for the families of this tragic event coming from Canadians representing all walks of life, religions and regions of the country.

I may not be a practicing Christian, but I believe in Christian values, especially that of loving one’s neighbour. Ours is a society that values tolerance, respect and inclusion.  Today, Trump cannot in all sincerity call himself a Christian by turning his back on refugees and immigrants from these war-torn countries.  Let’s hope that he and others will turn off their propaganda machines.  Otherwise, such tragedies as that in Quebec City will continue to be a sad reflection of our times.

Canada Donald Trump Terroism and the Media Terrorism US

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