FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Sep 9

Something Went Very Wrong Happened in Iraq!

by bcurry

Over a year ago, I begged the question as to why the American media had almost completely abandoned its coverage of Iraq after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Most coverage was focused on events in Syria and Afghanistan. At the time, fighting among insurgent groups had increased in Iraq and the Iraqi government and security forces appeared unable to contain their activities. As the army faltered, Shiite militias were playing a growing role in the conflict, nudged toward the fight by the corrupt government of Mr. Maliki. As the militiamen faced radical Sunni jihadists, the threat of a wider sectarian conflagration grew. Then entered the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Too radical even for Al Qaeda, ISIS proceeded to take over numerous key towns and infrastructure in Iraq as Iraqi security forces abandoned their positions and American-supplied equipment. 

All of a sudden, Iraq once again has become the main center of attention, notably in the fight against the brand of Islamic terrorism practiced by ISIS. Without the opposition of such groups as the Kurds and the use of American air power to target ISIS initiatives, Maliki’s government would probably have floundered even more. Even with a new more inclusive government in place, there is no assurance that Iraq’s situation will improve anytime soon. A longer-term internal political solution is definitely required. The West can’t provide this. 

In the meantime, the U.S. has invited its allies to provide military assistance to the Iraqi forces. Low and behold, Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, has agreed to send a hundred or so “military advisors” to Iraq. Now, for a brief historical note. Canada did not join the original U.S.-led coalition of willing countries when Iraq was first invaded to oust then dictator Saddam Hussein — under the pretense of destroying his non-existent “weapons of mass destruction”. Subsequently, Canada had very little to do with the resulting Iraq governments and American military actions over the following ten-year period against the insurgents. So why now? What about finishing what we did to help the Afghans? What can military advisors do without becoming involved in actual military actions? Remember, Vietnam was never declared by Congress as a war, but was done through executive action by the U.S. President. Originally, Americans were only supposed to be military advisors to the South Vietnamese armed forces. Over 70,000 young Americans were killed in that tragic war, and for what? Yet, President Obama reiterated that there will be “no boots on the ground” in Iraq. 

I’m not saying that Iraq could turn out to be another Vietnam. Obviously the circumstances are different. Yet, history should have taught us something by now. External interventions into the internal affairs of other countries can lead not to political solutions and stability, but can have serious consequences for both the interveners and the affected countries. After all is said and done, something very wrong happened in Iraq. Let’s not pursue never-ending bandage solutions!

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 28

Israel and the Palestinians – A No Win Situation

by bcurry

Well, here we go again! Israeli troops are inside Gaza and Hamas continues to fire its weapons of terror — its somewhat useless rockets — toward most of that country’s major cities. Palestinian militants fired rockets deep into Israel, prompting Israel to resume an offensive aimed at destroying rocket launchers and cross-border attack tunnels used by Hamas. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians are caught in the Israeli onslaught in Gaza resulting in many fatalities and injuries, including women and children. All referred to a collateral damage!

Unfortunately, such outbreaks will not resolve the basic issues surrounding both parties’ positions and political agenda. Gaza remains prison-like whereby Israeli cross-border security controls everything from food, medical supplies, worker movements, etc. Fear of militant attacks on civilian targets remains the prominent theme in Israel. The prime weapon that Hamas has is its ability to target such populations. This represents the pure definition of a no win situation for both adversaries. Unless something drastic changes politically, this intermittent conflict will continue on for years to come. Quiet one year, loud the next.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world sits helplessly by. There is little that the U.S., Canada, the Arab League, United Nations or other interested bodies can do to resolve the conflict. Imposing outside temporary solutions like ceasefires may buy time, but will do nothing to deal with the underlying causes. Only the adversaries have that ability in their own hands. It doesn’t help that outside supporters of the two sides are parading around and fighting in the streets of North American and European cities. While the PR and politics plays out by each side, people are still being killed and injured in the region.

Peace is a nice and bold word which politicians like to use in such circumstances. Former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson had exclaimed: “The grim fact is that we prepare for war like precocious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies.” Remember, he had won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to establish the use of UN Peacekeepers in regional conflicts. I suspect that he’s rolling over in his grave right about now.

Israel

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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 18

Why Government Whistleblowers Are So Fearful of Retaliation

by bcurry

A 2013 U.S. government survey, conducted by the Office of Personnel Management, reported that nearly 20 percent of federal employees fear retaliation for reporting agency wrongdoing. A 2010 survey from the Merit Systems Protection Board showed that nearly 30 percent of workers feared reprisals. This was more recently followed by charges that 37 Veterans Affairs employees, who blew the whistle on serious mistreatment of injured veterans by the agency, were being threatened or had experienced retaliation. The Office of Special Counsel, which protects federal whistleblowers against reprisals, is investigating alleged retaliation against the affected VA workers, though not all of it apparently related to the agency’s scheduling scandal.

President Obama appears to support protecting the rights of whistleblowers. Firstly, there was the recent passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, which Obama supported. Next was his directive providing protection for national security whistleblowers. However, the President has also shown a willingness to allow the Justice Department to prosecute whistleblowers on somewhat tenuous grounds.

In Canada, at the federal level, there is no comprehensive whistleblower protection legislation or processes similar to those found in the U.S. The only mention of such protection exists within specific laws, such as those covering the environment or occupational safety and health. Even this protection is somewhat limited, and most agencies are still free to retaliate against whistleblower employees without any sanction. Government whistleblowers are then left with no option but litigation through the courts, which can be both an expensive and lengthy process. For this reason, Canadian whistleblowers are even more fearful of agency retaliation, including firings, demotions and continuous on-the-job harassment.

On the one hand, where fiscal or monetary abuses are uncovered, whistleblowers are most likely going to be rewarded. After all, uncovering funding misallocations can save the government money and possibly lead to individual criminal charges — making for good news stories. On the other hand, whistleblowers who openly reveal policies or government practices that are contrary to the public good will open themselves up to agency retaliation. Such revelations enter the realm of politics, senior mismanagement and the blatant misuse of policies and practices. God help those who uncover anything that may have implications for “national security”! In such cases, the first thing one experiences is the stripping of one’s security clearance, whithout which future government employment is virtually impossible in most agencies. Rightfully or wrongfully, there are more ways that governments can punish their whistleblowers than reward them. No wonder a good number of public sector whistleblowers are so fearful of retaliation in both countries.

Government Whistleblowers

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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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May 19

Climate Change Is No Laughing Matter

by bcurry

Who are we kidding! It’s time that we stop denying the current and future potential impacts of climate change, and get on with figuring out how best to adapt to it. Furthermore, we can argue until we’re blue in the face about the primary causes — man-made or natural. The fact of the matter is that climate change is here to stay and has major implications.

There are few areas where the climate doesn’t have a major impact. Various elements of our economies and daily lives depend heavily on stable climates, including agriculture, tourism, communications and transportation. We’ve seen what extreme weather events can do to our everyday lives. Numerous major coastal cities are most at risk of rising sea levels as a result of polar melt, especially of a large section of the West Antarctica ice sheet. Although there has not been a big increase in the number of hurricanes, warming ocean trends are intensifying the strength of the storms. Severe droughts from Australia to the American south are negatively affecting major agricultural crops, and influencing the growing number and severity of forest and brush fires. Warming trends in the northern hemisphere will lead to movement of certain insect populations further north, and potentially introduce more diseases such as the West Nile virus and lyme disease while affecting local ecologies.

Are we well prepared to deal with the impact of climate change? Clearly the answer is a resounding “no”. Our aging and neglected infrastructures are crumbling even faster under the weight of severe climate events. Resources needed in the event of weather-related emergencies are hardly adequate to minimize the negative impacts on communities and regions. New technologies will have to be introduced and resourced to help cope with such emergencies.

We will have to pay a lot more attention as to where we are planning and building communities, be they near oceans or wilderness habitats. We have recently seen the dire risks of flooding, fires, landslides, etc. on numerous North American communities. Despite the obvious facts, governments continue to ignore such major and unreasonable risks by allowing such development to occur.

All throughout history, man has had to adapt to his environment. At this point in history, there is the evident need for serious and timely action. The time for words and debates has long passed. Denying the inevitable is no longer a choice. Indeed, climate change is no longer a laughing matter.

Climate Change

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May 9

When It Comes to the Public Service – Politicians Always Look to the Easy Answers

by bcurry

Well, here we go again. In both Canada and the U.S., certain political factions are continuing to treat public servants as “costs” rather than as “assets”. They believe that all one has to do to get deficits under control and to balance budgets is cut public service jobs and freeze public servants’ wages. Even better, let’s just make the public service operate more like private corporations — a crazy notion that I previously had blogged on.

However, the fact of the matter is that many of government’s human resource problems have arisen from changes in the nature of the public sector workforces and a lack of political will. While clerical jobs once dominated the bureaucracy, professional occupations do today. Governments need to recruit and keep employees to fill those posts. Current job classification systems prevent agencies from aligning compensation with what comparable occupations in the private sector pay, undermining government’s ability to attract top performers. Political motivated attacks on the public service only help to increase what have already become stressful working conditions. This in turn has increased concerns over the mental health of senior managers and public sector employees, and subsequent lost of productivity.

Cuts in operating budgets of various departments/agencies often lead to program and service delivery becoming “dysfunctional”, no longer able to effectively serve their respective clients. Since this primarily is a consequence of token cuts, one has to ask oneself why a government would continue to support the existence of reduced programs and services. Maybe it’s time that politicians bite the bullet and make some hard choices. Governments need to do their evaluations and eliminate programs and services that they believe are no longer essential. There will no doubt be an outcry by affected interest groups, including unions, and various supporters of such programs. However, governments will just have to have the political will and stamina to face such opposition, something that hasn’t been too much in evidence in the past.

Moreover, governments will no longer be asking public servants to do more with less and to undertake the near impossible. While such program elimination will result in a “leaner and meaner” public service, it will also lead to ensuring adequate resources and support are provided to ensure the effectiveness of the essential programs and services. After all, is it not the role of government to make the hard choices? Once done, politicians must stop simply attacking public servants, get on with modernizing the public service to meet its future challenges, reduce unnecessary contracting out of services, and improve government’s ability to attract top performers.

Canada Federal Government Federal Government Public Service Public Service US

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