Cars used as deadly weapons, stabbing rampages, stones thrown at civilians by bloodthirsty hooligans - all of these have become hallmarks of what looks like a third Palestinian Intifada. So how do you think the international community has responded to these recent acts of terrorism? By blaming Israel, of course! Actually, some countries in Europe are doing more than just blaming Israel. They're rewarding the terrorists by according more recognition to a Palestinian "state" that promotes and incites terrorism on a regular basis. Sweden has recently given official recognition to the state of Palestine, and the parliament of the United Kingdom passed a resolution calling for the recognition of such a state if it ever comes to fruition. Similar resolutions are expected in the parliaments of France and Spain in the coming weeks.
So basically, as Israelis are dodging the cars, stones and fireworks being used by Palestinian terrorists, Europe is rewarding these same terrorists with more recognition of their proposed state. In the meantime, the Europeans are also condemning Israel for wanting to build homes in its own capital and in part of its Biblical homelands in Judea and Samaria. Obviously, this isn't the first time Europeans have tried to tell Jews where they can and can't live. Ghettoizing Jews has been a European tradition for centuries, from medieval times, right up until World War II, when the Nazis established ghettos to concentrate the continent's Jewish population before systematically murdering them. And now they are trying to ghettoize us in our own country! I guess some things never change. Clearly, Israel needs to respond to the ludicrous actions of the Europeans. But how?
My suggestion: let Israel recognize the right of various European peoples to their own independent states. So the British parliament passed a resolution calling for the recognition of a future Palestinian state. Let Israel's Knesset pass its own resolution calling for recognition of an independent Scotland, an independent Wales, and the reunification of Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic. If France and Spain decide to reward Palestinian terrorism by calling for recognition of the so-called state of Palestine, let Israel recognize and support the independence of Corsica and Brittany in France, and Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain. As a lot of people say, what goes around comes around.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
My Remembrance Day Rant
So tomorrow is Remembrance Day here in Canada. At the 11th month, on the 11th day, at the 11th hour, we all pause and remember those who fought for our country and our freedom - or at least we're supposed to. For too many of us, the 11th hour will just pass us by tomorrow like it does on any workday simply because no one is going to tell us that it's time to stop and remember. This is the reason I like the way we observe our own "Remembrance Day" in Israel, which we call Yom Hazikaron - literally, the day of remembering.
When Yom Hazikaron comes around, our air raid sirens sound, prompting Israelis everywhere in the country to observe a moment of silence for our men and women in uniform, past and present. In a way, it's too bad that we don't do this in Canada, because if we did, almost everyone would feel compelled to observe that important moment of silence as they do in Israel. Now of course, I'm very happy that here in Canada, we don't need air raid sirens. But it would be nice to see everyone on the busy streets of downtown Toronto come to a complete standstill to remember Canada's soldiers. Half of the time, traffic in Toronto's downtown core doesn't move anyway, so they might as well stay still for a good reason, right?
When Yom Hazikaron comes around, our air raid sirens sound, prompting Israelis everywhere in the country to observe a moment of silence for our men and women in uniform, past and present. In a way, it's too bad that we don't do this in Canada, because if we did, almost everyone would feel compelled to observe that important moment of silence as they do in Israel. Now of course, I'm very happy that here in Canada, we don't need air raid sirens. But it would be nice to see everyone on the busy streets of downtown Toronto come to a complete standstill to remember Canada's soldiers. Half of the time, traffic in Toronto's downtown core doesn't move anyway, so they might as well stay still for a good reason, right?
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Haredi Extremists: Israel's Enemy Within
For years, my father has had a saying: "The worst enemy of the Jews is the Jews." He says this in reference to the efforts of some Jews to undermine the State of Israel - in other words, anti-Zionist Jews. Now of course, anti-Zionist Jews can be found all over the world. For those of us who live outside of Israel, the ones we usually hear about are the kind associated with left-wing movements that decry the existence of the State of Israel as an embodiment of Jewish fascism that wrongly persecutes non-Jews, specifically those who identify as Palestinians, and functions as a state similar to apartheid South Africa. But there is another group of anti-Zionist Jews that gets a lot more press time in Israel than it does anywhere else: Haredi extremists. The Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jews, as they are often called in English, are the community that many other Israelis love to hate. Why? Because most of them don't work and therefore don't contribute to the Israeli economy. In fact, they're a drain on the Israeli economy because they get handouts from the government that enable them to do nothing but study the Torah all day. Moreover, since the Haredim have a penchant for bearing many children, it's getting more and more expensive to support them as their numbers grow larger and larger. And quite frankly, other Israelis who do work and contribute to society are getting sick and tired of their hard-earned tax dollars going to support these welfare bums. Yet, the Haredim continue to insist that Israeli taxpayers subsidize their medieval way of life and even seek to impose that way of life on the rest of Israeli society.
Every Israeli knows about the weekly Shabbat routine in which crowds of Haredim gather to swear, spit on, and throw stones at other Israelis who dare to drive cars near or in Haredi-dominated neighbourhoods. "Shabbos! Shabbos!" they keep chanting. Actually, the fact that they say "Shabbos" instead of the Hebrew word Shabbat is just one minor example of their subversive attitude towards the state, because many of them prefer to speak Yiddish rather than modern Hebrew, which they consider to be an abomination, just like the State of Israel. These are the same kind of people who burn Israeli flags on Independence Day. They're the same people who verbally and even physically assault women for dressing "immodestly". I can still remember the story of that poor little girl in Bet Shemesh who was spit on and pelted with insults as she walked home from school. By the way, this girl belonged to a modern Orthodox Jewish family. But of course, even those Jews who most people would call religious are not religious enough for some fanatical Haredim who might as well be a Jewish version of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda or ISIL. These extremists have no respect for individual rights, women's rights, or rights of any kind. And if they had their way, not only would there be no freedom, democracy or human rights in Israel; there wouldn't be an Israel. Period.
Every Israeli knows about the weekly Shabbat routine in which crowds of Haredim gather to swear, spit on, and throw stones at other Israelis who dare to drive cars near or in Haredi-dominated neighbourhoods. "Shabbos! Shabbos!" they keep chanting. Actually, the fact that they say "Shabbos" instead of the Hebrew word Shabbat is just one minor example of their subversive attitude towards the state, because many of them prefer to speak Yiddish rather than modern Hebrew, which they consider to be an abomination, just like the State of Israel. These are the same kind of people who burn Israeli flags on Independence Day. They're the same people who verbally and even physically assault women for dressing "immodestly". I can still remember the story of that poor little girl in Bet Shemesh who was spit on and pelted with insults as she walked home from school. By the way, this girl belonged to a modern Orthodox Jewish family. But of course, even those Jews who most people would call religious are not religious enough for some fanatical Haredim who might as well be a Jewish version of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda or ISIL. These extremists have no respect for individual rights, women's rights, or rights of any kind. And if they had their way, not only would there be no freedom, democracy or human rights in Israel; there wouldn't be an Israel. Period.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Canadians Need to Complain Louder and More Often
If there's one thing that I can't stand about Canada, it's the "shut up and take it" mentality that many of us seem to have. What do I mean by this? I mean that whenever a government or private interest in this country tries to screw us, we usually take it lying down. This is especially true when it comes to how often we get dinged in the wallet because a government or private company sees fit to make another cash grab. But I'm not too surprised that we behave like this. After all, Canada was created on the basis of not rising up in revolt like our American neighbours, who did so in part because they refused to pay taxes without representation in the British government. "No taxation without representation!" was one of the slogans that America's founding fathers used to justify their revolt against the British. Here in Canada, however, we're used to governments and private interests reaching for our wallets, no matter how unjust it may be.
Is it any wonder, for example, that Canadians pay some of the highest rates in the world for wireless services? How about those ridiculous fees that the banks charge for you to get access to your own money? Perhaps I should also mention the ludicrous charges that we have to pay whenever we need to fly somewhere - you know, the kind of fees that send thousands of would-be travellers in Toronto running to the airport in Buffalo so that they can avoid being gouged at Pearson Airport? I could go on about how many dumb charges Canadians swallow every day, but I don't think I have to because those of you who are reading this and live in Canada know exactly what I'm talking about. In fact, CBC's Marketplace has recently done a program on what Canadians believe to be Canada's Dumbest Charges.
Unfortunately, it is very likely that Canadians will continue to get dinged with dumb charges because most of us just grin and bear it. But it doesn't have to be this way if we would simply start standing up for ourselves.
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
The truth is that some Canadians do complain louder and more often than others. And it is these Canadians who ultimately pay less. It often depends on the province you happen to live in. In British Columbia, for example, when the government there tried to harmonize the GST and PST taxes to create a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), residents of the province rose up in revolt because they didn't want extra taxes put on nearly everything. Eventually, a referendum was held. The people of the province resoundingly rejected the new tax and forced the government not to implement it. Contrast this with what I like to call Status Quo Ontario, the province in which I reside. Ontario's provincial government introduced the same HST tax that its counterpart in British Columbia tried to implement. But there were no mass demonstrations, nor was there any referendum on the matter. Instead, people in Ontario just shrugged, "oh well" and accepted the new tax. As a result, nearly everything in this province is more expensive, including necessities like electricity and gas. Yes, anyone who lives in Ontario knows how expensive powering their homes has become after the HST was smacked onto their hydro bills.
Indeed, Ontario is the worst example of Canadian complacency when it comes to another important expense: university and college tuition. Paying for post-secondary education has gotten a lot more expensive in most of Canada over the years, but especially in Ontario, where students pay the highest tuition fees in the country. So what do students in Ontario do about it? Well, almost nothing. Maybe a demonstration at the provincial legislature once or twice a year that's so quite and orderly that you can still hear the birds chirping over the chants of heavily indebted students. But don't expect the same lackluster response to tuition increases in Quebec. Back in 2012, when Quebec's provincial government proposed allowing tuition fees in the province to rise to levels at which they would still be the lowest in Canada, Quebec's students poured onto the streets in loud and sometimes violent protests. The efforts of these students not only delayed the planned tuition increase, but were also instrumental in the fall of then Premier Jean Charest's government. If only Ontario's students would put in half the effort of their Quebec counterparts, then perhaps they wouldn't be paying the highest tuition fees in the country.
If anything, the British Columbians' revolt against the HST and the Quebec students' uprising against tuition fee increases should teach Canadians that they don't have to be sheep; they can be wolves. So my message to all of my fellow Canadians, especially those living in Status Quo Ontario, where "shut up and take it" seems to be the provincial motto, is essentially this: Complain more often and louder than you ever have before, until you see the change you want to see.
Is it any wonder, for example, that Canadians pay some of the highest rates in the world for wireless services? How about those ridiculous fees that the banks charge for you to get access to your own money? Perhaps I should also mention the ludicrous charges that we have to pay whenever we need to fly somewhere - you know, the kind of fees that send thousands of would-be travellers in Toronto running to the airport in Buffalo so that they can avoid being gouged at Pearson Airport? I could go on about how many dumb charges Canadians swallow every day, but I don't think I have to because those of you who are reading this and live in Canada know exactly what I'm talking about. In fact, CBC's Marketplace has recently done a program on what Canadians believe to be Canada's Dumbest Charges.
Unfortunately, it is very likely that Canadians will continue to get dinged with dumb charges because most of us just grin and bear it. But it doesn't have to be this way if we would simply start standing up for ourselves.
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
The truth is that some Canadians do complain louder and more often than others. And it is these Canadians who ultimately pay less. It often depends on the province you happen to live in. In British Columbia, for example, when the government there tried to harmonize the GST and PST taxes to create a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), residents of the province rose up in revolt because they didn't want extra taxes put on nearly everything. Eventually, a referendum was held. The people of the province resoundingly rejected the new tax and forced the government not to implement it. Contrast this with what I like to call Status Quo Ontario, the province in which I reside. Ontario's provincial government introduced the same HST tax that its counterpart in British Columbia tried to implement. But there were no mass demonstrations, nor was there any referendum on the matter. Instead, people in Ontario just shrugged, "oh well" and accepted the new tax. As a result, nearly everything in this province is more expensive, including necessities like electricity and gas. Yes, anyone who lives in Ontario knows how expensive powering their homes has become after the HST was smacked onto their hydro bills.
Indeed, Ontario is the worst example of Canadian complacency when it comes to another important expense: university and college tuition. Paying for post-secondary education has gotten a lot more expensive in most of Canada over the years, but especially in Ontario, where students pay the highest tuition fees in the country. So what do students in Ontario do about it? Well, almost nothing. Maybe a demonstration at the provincial legislature once or twice a year that's so quite and orderly that you can still hear the birds chirping over the chants of heavily indebted students. But don't expect the same lackluster response to tuition increases in Quebec. Back in 2012, when Quebec's provincial government proposed allowing tuition fees in the province to rise to levels at which they would still be the lowest in Canada, Quebec's students poured onto the streets in loud and sometimes violent protests. The efforts of these students not only delayed the planned tuition increase, but were also instrumental in the fall of then Premier Jean Charest's government. If only Ontario's students would put in half the effort of their Quebec counterparts, then perhaps they wouldn't be paying the highest tuition fees in the country.
If anything, the British Columbians' revolt against the HST and the Quebec students' uprising against tuition fee increases should teach Canadians that they don't have to be sheep; they can be wolves. So my message to all of my fellow Canadians, especially those living in Status Quo Ontario, where "shut up and take it" seems to be the provincial motto, is essentially this: Complain more often and louder than you ever have before, until you see the change you want to see.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
End the Arab Occupation
Ever since Israel became a state in 1948 and the Jews regained their independence after two thousand years, the Arabs and their allies have been crying about the so-called occupation of what they think is their land. How hypocritical can people be!? If there's any occupation that needs to end, it's the Arab occupation of all lands outside of the Arabian Peninsula, which as its name implies, is the original homeland of the Arab people. Every piece of land outside of the Arabian Peninsula that is now controlled by Arabs is controlled by them, not as a result of gradual migration, but as a result of conquest - conquest that was often brutal and led to the destruction of many different cultural and religious communities throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, I shouldn't even be talking about this conquest in the past tense, because as many of my readers will know, non-Arab and non-Muslim cultures in what is now called the "Arab World" are still under siege and some are facing extinction. The current campaign by the Islamic State to wipe out all non-Muslim populations in its midst is a prime example of this, but of course, there are other lesser-known examples. For instance, the Coptic Christians of Egypt - the direct descendants of the pre-Arab Egyptian population - are now a minority in their own country; consistently and relentlessly persecuted by the Muslim Arab majority. Similar persecutions are also taking place in other Arab majority states, such as Lebanon, Iraq and in territories now under the control of the Muslim-dominated Palestinian Authority and the terrorist group, Hamas. Some of these non-Muslim populations are actually considered Arabs because their native tongue is Arabic. But this assumption could not be further from the truth. Just as the Coptic Christians of Egypt are direct descendants of the original Egyptian population before the Muslim Arab conquests, so to are the Christian populations of other Middle Eastern and North African states. The Lebanese Christians are the descendants of the ancient Phoenicians, the Iraqi Christians are descendants of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, and so forth. In fact, some of these populations, though speaking Arabic as their native language, reject being called Arabs. Even amongst the Christian population in Israel, there is a growing movement to throw off the shackles of Arab occupation. See, for example: Israeli-Arab Christians take to the streets of Haifa for an unusual protest. Indeed, with the emergence of extremist groups like the Islamic State, who want to reinforce the Muslim Arab occupation and destroy the cultures of the remaining original inhabitants of the Middle East and North Africa, more and more members of the communities that preceded the Arab conquests of centuries past are seeing the need to fight back. To date, Israel is the brightest example of a pre-Arab population fighting against the Arab occupation and winning. Unfortunately, however, much of the world would rather support the Arab occupation instead of helping the persecuted original populations of North Africa and the Middle East fight to free themselves from it.
Aiding and Abetting in Arab Occupation and Conquest
Recently, the British House of Commons took a symbolic vote to recognize a Palestinian state. At the same time, the European Union is working to de-legitimize the Jewish re-population of Judea and Samaria. By recognizing a Palestinian state and attempting to prevent Jews from re-settling in their ancestral lands, the Europeans are basically aiding and abetting in the continued Arab occupation of lands outside of the Arabian Peninsula. They are saying yes to continued Arab occupation, because a Palestinian state would no doubt be just another country where Muslim Arab dominance reigns supreme and non-Muslims are relentlessly persecuted. Coincidentally, the refusal on the part of leaders in the West and elsewhere to recognize the Kurds' right to an independent nation-state also perpetuates the Arab occupation. To make a long story short, the continued Arab occupation of land belonging to Jews, Kurds and various other minorities is legitimized, while attempts by Jews, Kurds and other groups to regain their lands and their independence from the Arab conquerors is scorned. How does this make sense? Well, it doesn't, and for those of you who would rather support the Arab occupation instead of the people who are fighting against it, you do so at your own peril, because if the Arab conquerors can get away with wiping Jews, Kurds, Assyrians, Egyptian Copts, or any other non-Arab, non-Muslim population off the map, what's to stop them from wiping you off the map, too?
Aiding and Abetting in Arab Occupation and Conquest
Recently, the British House of Commons took a symbolic vote to recognize a Palestinian state. At the same time, the European Union is working to de-legitimize the Jewish re-population of Judea and Samaria. By recognizing a Palestinian state and attempting to prevent Jews from re-settling in their ancestral lands, the Europeans are basically aiding and abetting in the continued Arab occupation of lands outside of the Arabian Peninsula. They are saying yes to continued Arab occupation, because a Palestinian state would no doubt be just another country where Muslim Arab dominance reigns supreme and non-Muslims are relentlessly persecuted. Coincidentally, the refusal on the part of leaders in the West and elsewhere to recognize the Kurds' right to an independent nation-state also perpetuates the Arab occupation. To make a long story short, the continued Arab occupation of land belonging to Jews, Kurds and various other minorities is legitimized, while attempts by Jews, Kurds and other groups to regain their lands and their independence from the Arab conquerors is scorned. How does this make sense? Well, it doesn't, and for those of you who would rather support the Arab occupation instead of the people who are fighting against it, you do so at your own peril, because if the Arab conquerors can get away with wiping Jews, Kurds, Assyrians, Egyptian Copts, or any other non-Arab, non-Muslim population off the map, what's to stop them from wiping you off the map, too?
Monday, October 13, 2014
Why I Will Support John Tory for Mayor of Toronto
In two weeks, Toronto will vote for a new mayor and council. It's been a tumultuous four years in Toronto's municipal politics, to say the least. Four years ago, Rob Ford coasted to victory on a platform of respect for taxpayers' dollars, using the slogan, "stop the gravy train". I was one of the many people who voted for Ford because I was tired of the reckless spending, the pandering to unions and special interest groups, and the general inability of city politicians to solve the city's problems. I continued to support him well into his mandate because he seemed to be doing good things for the city. He contracted out garbage west of Yonge St.; he persuaded the province to declare the TTC an essential service so that riders would never again have to go through another transit strike; and perhaps most importantly, he didn't cave in to the relentless opposition of left-wing councillors, public sector unions and the myriad of special interest groups - you know, the folks that have been leading Toronto to ruin. But then of course came the videos - clips of our mayor smoking crack, being drunk, spewing racist and homophobic comments, and basically acting like a complete idiot - not something we want in a mayor. Eventually, Fords antics were too much for me and I decided that I would no longer support him. At the end of the day, Rob Ford had simply replaced the leftists' gravy train with a giant circus tent that enveloped the whole of Toronto, making it a laughingstock both here in Canada and around the world. Fortunately, the upcoming election gives us the chance to change this.
Olivia Chow and Doug Ford: Polar Opposites Who Will Both Steer Toronto in the Wrong Direction
Early on in the campaign, it seemed that leftist candidate Olivia Chow would win by a landslide. Thank goodness Torontonians have been thinking differently lately. Voting in Chow as mayor would basically mean a return to the gravy train - the train that Toronto voters sought to derail by voting in Rob Ford. Chow represents the culture of reckless spending and pandering to unions and other special interest groups that prevailed during the dark days of David Miller's mayoralty. Electing her would mean a return to those dark days, because the only thing Chow is good at is spending taxpayers' dollars. How would she spend them, you might ask? She would spend them on her friends of course - the unions, the starving artists, the unemployable professional protestors that frequent City Hall, and so forth.
In contrast, Doug Ford, who has recently taken Rob's place in the campaign after Rob was diagnosed with cancer, represents a continuation of the circus that has become Toronto politics. Yes, I understand that it wasn't him in those clips smoking crack or being drunk, but he has been the mayor's staunchest defender. He is the mayor's brother, after all. Still, if your own flesh and blood can't tell you that the way you're behaving is wrong, then who can? Moreover, Doug shares the same problem as his brother in being a very divisive politician who can't work with anyone who thinks differently than him.
John Tory - For Those Who Don't Want to Choose Between the Circus Tent or the Gravy Train
Toronto does not need a return to the gravy train, nor does it need to continue hosting the Ford brothers' circus act. What Toronto needs is a mayor that is going to unite the city; someone who doesn't just serve downtown or the suburbs; someone who is not a die-hard leftist or a hardcore conservative; and someone who can work with the city's other politicians, left, right and centre. I believe that John Tory is that someone - or at least, he's the closest person there is that has any chance of winning this election.
During the campaign, Tory has been the only candidate to win the support of politicians on both the right and the left, whereas only left-wing politicians have endorsed Chow and no major politicians that I can think of have publicly endorsed Ford. More importantly, polls show that John Tory has strong support from voters in all parts of Toronto, as opposed to Chow and Ford whose support comes mainly from downtown and the suburbs respectively. As Tory's campaign has gained momentum, so has criticism of him and his platform. His two main rivals have pointed out, for example, that Tory has no experience in municipal office. But I honestly think that's a good thing because many of the folks who do have experience in municipal office, like Chow and Ford, are not part of the solution; they're part of the problem.
My point is that Toronto needs someone new at the helm. Someone who will move Toronto forward rather than to the right or to the left (I believe Tory himself used similar words to describe his platform). I just hope that Tory can keep the momentum going for the last two weeks of the campaign. Unfortunately, he has a history of losing. He could have been our mayor in 2003, but Toronto voters rejected him in favour of David Miller. He could have been Ontario's premier in 2007, but lost that election as well. Poor John Tory has never been given a chance to lead. Too bad, because I think if he were given that chance, he would do a decent job. Fortunately, two weeks from now, we can give him that chance. Let's make up for the mistakes of 2003 and 2007 and give John Tory the opportunity to move Toronto forward.
Olivia Chow and Doug Ford: Polar Opposites Who Will Both Steer Toronto in the Wrong Direction
Early on in the campaign, it seemed that leftist candidate Olivia Chow would win by a landslide. Thank goodness Torontonians have been thinking differently lately. Voting in Chow as mayor would basically mean a return to the gravy train - the train that Toronto voters sought to derail by voting in Rob Ford. Chow represents the culture of reckless spending and pandering to unions and other special interest groups that prevailed during the dark days of David Miller's mayoralty. Electing her would mean a return to those dark days, because the only thing Chow is good at is spending taxpayers' dollars. How would she spend them, you might ask? She would spend them on her friends of course - the unions, the starving artists, the unemployable professional protestors that frequent City Hall, and so forth.
In contrast, Doug Ford, who has recently taken Rob's place in the campaign after Rob was diagnosed with cancer, represents a continuation of the circus that has become Toronto politics. Yes, I understand that it wasn't him in those clips smoking crack or being drunk, but he has been the mayor's staunchest defender. He is the mayor's brother, after all. Still, if your own flesh and blood can't tell you that the way you're behaving is wrong, then who can? Moreover, Doug shares the same problem as his brother in being a very divisive politician who can't work with anyone who thinks differently than him.
John Tory - For Those Who Don't Want to Choose Between the Circus Tent or the Gravy Train
Toronto does not need a return to the gravy train, nor does it need to continue hosting the Ford brothers' circus act. What Toronto needs is a mayor that is going to unite the city; someone who doesn't just serve downtown or the suburbs; someone who is not a die-hard leftist or a hardcore conservative; and someone who can work with the city's other politicians, left, right and centre. I believe that John Tory is that someone - or at least, he's the closest person there is that has any chance of winning this election.
During the campaign, Tory has been the only candidate to win the support of politicians on both the right and the left, whereas only left-wing politicians have endorsed Chow and no major politicians that I can think of have publicly endorsed Ford. More importantly, polls show that John Tory has strong support from voters in all parts of Toronto, as opposed to Chow and Ford whose support comes mainly from downtown and the suburbs respectively. As Tory's campaign has gained momentum, so has criticism of him and his platform. His two main rivals have pointed out, for example, that Tory has no experience in municipal office. But I honestly think that's a good thing because many of the folks who do have experience in municipal office, like Chow and Ford, are not part of the solution; they're part of the problem.
My point is that Toronto needs someone new at the helm. Someone who will move Toronto forward rather than to the right or to the left (I believe Tory himself used similar words to describe his platform). I just hope that Tory can keep the momentum going for the last two weeks of the campaign. Unfortunately, he has a history of losing. He could have been our mayor in 2003, but Toronto voters rejected him in favour of David Miller. He could have been Ontario's premier in 2007, but lost that election as well. Poor John Tory has never been given a chance to lead. Too bad, because I think if he were given that chance, he would do a decent job. Fortunately, two weeks from now, we can give him that chance. Let's make up for the mistakes of 2003 and 2007 and give John Tory the opportunity to move Toronto forward.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
My Message to Scotland: Vote Yes to Independence. Let the Sun Set on the British Empire
In just a few hours, Scots will have the chance to do what their ancestors at the Battle of Bannockburn did seven hundred years ago: Win their nation's independence. Fortunately this time, bloodshed is highly unlikely. In a great exercise in democracy, Scots have been granted the right to choose their country's fate. It's a right that most peoples seeking self-determination around the world can only dream of. The fight for Scotland's future is very reminiscent of a struggle that I know all too well about as a Canadian: the question of Quebec's status. Quebec has twice voted against independence. The last referendum was in 1995, when I was still a teenager. I can still remember my parents and I going to a massive rally in Toronto calling on Quebec to stay in Canada. In my high school, we were even asked by our homeroom teacher to sign a petition calling on Quebec to vote against separation. I signed that petition, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would not have signed it, nor would I have attended the rally in Toronto in 1995. Quite the opposite. I would have joined the campaign in favour of an independent Quebec, and I feel that should there be another referendum on the question of the province's status, I will definitely be on the side of the sovereigntists, which is why I am now on the side of those in Scotland who seek to regain their country's independence.
I have listened to the predictable arguments of those against Scottish independence. They are very similar to the ones always used by those who are against independence for Quebec and they are almost all about the economy. I'm not going to say that the "No" campaigners in Scotland are wrong about the economic consequences of Scottish independence any more than I would try to contradict the similar arguments of the federalist camp in Canada. The truth is that there probably will be significant economic consequences for Scotland if they choose independence, just as their would be for Quebec if they decided at some point to go it alone. But since when has freedom ever been free? Indeed, there is always a price to pay when a people seek freedom. It is usually paid in blood rather than money, and I would say that any economic costs borne by Scots after a "Yes" vote pale in comparison to the sacrifice made by their ancestors who bled on the battlefield of Bannockburn and the many other battlefields on which Scots gave their lives for their country's freedom. Moreover, I cannot think of too many examples in which a newly independent country did not struggle during its first years of sovereignty. So yes, in the short run there probably will be consequences for Scots to bear after they have voted for independence. But in the long run, they will find that they made the right decision.
The Tyranny of the English Majority
It is true that way back in 1707, the Scottish parliament at the time decided to dissolve itself and delegate legislative power over Scotland country to Westminster in what is now called the Union of the Parliaments, so there was a degree of choice involved when the country joined the emerging British Empire - but only to a limited extent. The Union of the Parliaments occurred well before universal suffrage; well before legislatures were elected by the masses rather than just by white male land-owners. Then again, Scotland's accession to the British Empire was much more legitimate than that of Wales or Ireland, both of which were countries conquered by the English. By the early 20th century, after centuries of bloodshed, most of Ireland managed to free itself from the yoke of British imperialism. But Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain part of the United Kingdom, and they are all politically and economically dominated by the English. Indeed, English domination has always been at the core of the British Empire and continues to be today.
Whatever Scotland gained from its domination at the hands of England will never make up for what it lost. Centuries of English hegemony have made Scotland's Gaelic language nearly extinct. The country's culture has become little more than a sideshow in the British melting pot. And although Scotland's economy has developed significantly since the emergence of the British Empire, the country remains poor compared to England, even as oil has been pumping out of the Shetland Islands. But instead of enriching Scotland, this oil has largely gone to where most precious resources in the U.K. have gone over the centuries: into the hands of the English. The fact that Scotland and the other countries in the U.K. have gotten the short end of the stick while England has taken the bulk of the wealth and power shouldn't be a surprise, however, because after all, the United Kingdom, though largely a product of conquest, is a democracy, and in a democracy the majority rules. So who is the majority in the U.K.? Why the English of course! So just as Quebec has been historically dominated by Canada's English-speaking majority, so too have the Scots, Welsh and Irish been dominated by the U.K.'s English majority. In fact, Scotland and the other smaller countries of the U.K. are in an even worse situation because even together, they don't make up a very large counter-weight against England, whereas Quebec is Canada's second-most populous province and has been able to use its population's voting power to force significant concessions from the English-speaking majority, giving the province more power over its affairs and allowing it to reaffirm its distinct French identity. It's time that Scotland said no to this tyranny of the English majority by saying "Yes" to independence.
Multinational Empires Have no Place in This World
The United Kingdom is what I often call a multinational empire - a country composed of two or more large ethno-national groups, but usually dominated by just one of them. The U.K. is composed of four main national groups, but controlled overwhelmingly by one - the English. It's story is the story of most multinational empires. It begins when one group of people become so powerful that they conquer the territories of other peoples to eventually form an empire. Rome, which was the greatest empire of the ancient world, began with the small Roman republic. But of course, that republic grew more powerful, swallowed the territory of its rivals, and became an empire that stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It contained countless ethnic, linguistic and religious groups, though control remained firmly in the hands of the empire's founders, the Latin speakers of the Italian peninsula. But of course, all empires eventually come to an end, as did the Roman Empire, which slowly lost control over the territories it had conquered until Rome itself finally ceased to exist as a state. Fast forward centuries later to when England began to grow in wealth and power until she took control of her neighbours to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, which in turn spread throughout the globe conquering other peoples and their territory to forge the British Empire. By the mid-20th century, the British Empire was a shell of its former self. The British no longer hold vast territories overseas. They have lost their empire. And now, just as Rome itself was erased as a state, I believe so too will the British state cease to exist. Whether this happens as a result of the Scottish referendum, or happens later on, it will almost definitely happen. In fact, I believe that eventually all multinational empires, be they Canada, the Russian Federation or even the great United States of America, will come to an end. It's just a question of when.
I have listened to the predictable arguments of those against Scottish independence. They are very similar to the ones always used by those who are against independence for Quebec and they are almost all about the economy. I'm not going to say that the "No" campaigners in Scotland are wrong about the economic consequences of Scottish independence any more than I would try to contradict the similar arguments of the federalist camp in Canada. The truth is that there probably will be significant economic consequences for Scotland if they choose independence, just as their would be for Quebec if they decided at some point to go it alone. But since when has freedom ever been free? Indeed, there is always a price to pay when a people seek freedom. It is usually paid in blood rather than money, and I would say that any economic costs borne by Scots after a "Yes" vote pale in comparison to the sacrifice made by their ancestors who bled on the battlefield of Bannockburn and the many other battlefields on which Scots gave their lives for their country's freedom. Moreover, I cannot think of too many examples in which a newly independent country did not struggle during its first years of sovereignty. So yes, in the short run there probably will be consequences for Scots to bear after they have voted for independence. But in the long run, they will find that they made the right decision.
The Tyranny of the English Majority
It is true that way back in 1707, the Scottish parliament at the time decided to dissolve itself and delegate legislative power over Scotland country to Westminster in what is now called the Union of the Parliaments, so there was a degree of choice involved when the country joined the emerging British Empire - but only to a limited extent. The Union of the Parliaments occurred well before universal suffrage; well before legislatures were elected by the masses rather than just by white male land-owners. Then again, Scotland's accession to the British Empire was much more legitimate than that of Wales or Ireland, both of which were countries conquered by the English. By the early 20th century, after centuries of bloodshed, most of Ireland managed to free itself from the yoke of British imperialism. But Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain part of the United Kingdom, and they are all politically and economically dominated by the English. Indeed, English domination has always been at the core of the British Empire and continues to be today.
Whatever Scotland gained from its domination at the hands of England will never make up for what it lost. Centuries of English hegemony have made Scotland's Gaelic language nearly extinct. The country's culture has become little more than a sideshow in the British melting pot. And although Scotland's economy has developed significantly since the emergence of the British Empire, the country remains poor compared to England, even as oil has been pumping out of the Shetland Islands. But instead of enriching Scotland, this oil has largely gone to where most precious resources in the U.K. have gone over the centuries: into the hands of the English. The fact that Scotland and the other countries in the U.K. have gotten the short end of the stick while England has taken the bulk of the wealth and power shouldn't be a surprise, however, because after all, the United Kingdom, though largely a product of conquest, is a democracy, and in a democracy the majority rules. So who is the majority in the U.K.? Why the English of course! So just as Quebec has been historically dominated by Canada's English-speaking majority, so too have the Scots, Welsh and Irish been dominated by the U.K.'s English majority. In fact, Scotland and the other smaller countries of the U.K. are in an even worse situation because even together, they don't make up a very large counter-weight against England, whereas Quebec is Canada's second-most populous province and has been able to use its population's voting power to force significant concessions from the English-speaking majority, giving the province more power over its affairs and allowing it to reaffirm its distinct French identity. It's time that Scotland said no to this tyranny of the English majority by saying "Yes" to independence.
Multinational Empires Have no Place in This World
The United Kingdom is what I often call a multinational empire - a country composed of two or more large ethno-national groups, but usually dominated by just one of them. The U.K. is composed of four main national groups, but controlled overwhelmingly by one - the English. It's story is the story of most multinational empires. It begins when one group of people become so powerful that they conquer the territories of other peoples to eventually form an empire. Rome, which was the greatest empire of the ancient world, began with the small Roman republic. But of course, that republic grew more powerful, swallowed the territory of its rivals, and became an empire that stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It contained countless ethnic, linguistic and religious groups, though control remained firmly in the hands of the empire's founders, the Latin speakers of the Italian peninsula. But of course, all empires eventually come to an end, as did the Roman Empire, which slowly lost control over the territories it had conquered until Rome itself finally ceased to exist as a state. Fast forward centuries later to when England began to grow in wealth and power until she took control of her neighbours to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, which in turn spread throughout the globe conquering other peoples and their territory to forge the British Empire. By the mid-20th century, the British Empire was a shell of its former self. The British no longer hold vast territories overseas. They have lost their empire. And now, just as Rome itself was erased as a state, I believe so too will the British state cease to exist. Whether this happens as a result of the Scottish referendum, or happens later on, it will almost definitely happen. In fact, I believe that eventually all multinational empires, be they Canada, the Russian Federation or even the great United States of America, will come to an end. It's just a question of when.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)