Eye on Canada: Canuckistan and Birmingham Students on the CBC

Amidst the current political crisis in Ottawa, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation decided to  have a look at how those outside Canada viewed the country.

The best place to go? The University of Birmingham's Department of American and Canadian Studies, with its Canadian Studies students and academic specialist  on Canadian history and politics, Dr Steve Hewitt (a.k.a. Enduring America's Canuckistan).

Given that Canada often rates no more than a footnote in British newspapers, Dr Hewitt noted --- with more than a bit of the smile --- that the sudden attention to the state of Canada made it "Christmas morning and his birthday combined in one":

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wA2AQwU6fVE[/youtube]

Bush's Successful War on Terror: The Elephant Story

Speaking at the US Army War College yesterday, President Bush declared:

While there's room for an honest and healthy debate about the decisions I made -- and there's plenty of debate -- there can be no debate about the results in keeping America safe. Here at home, we've prevented numerous terrorist attacks.

That keep-the-faith statement reminds me of an incident a few years ago:

I was walking on the High Street in Birmingham, and I noticed a fellow, seated on the ground, snapping his fingers. I had to ask him why.

"Keeping. The. Elephants Away. Keeping the Elephants. Away," he said in time to his snapping.

"But," I interjected, "there aren't any elephants within a 1000 miles."

He kept snapping, "See. It. Works. See. It. Works."

One could put the point that there are other reasons why there hasn't been a repeat of 11 September 2001. For example, it might be that Al Qa'eda --- given the massive upsure in US security measures --- went for "softer" targets from Indonesia to Morocco to Kenya. It might be that "terrorists" had far more lucrative campaigns, in publicity and in targets, in the US-fostered turmoil in Iraq. It might be that "terrorism", far from being a centrally-directed campaign against the US, was more a case of local and regional movements pursuing local and regional operations. And it might be because, with a range of co-operative measures --- measures that weren't necessarily led by the Bushian approach of rendition and torture --- other countries were able to curb terrorist planning.

Indeed, one might consider that Spain hasn't had a significant terrorist attack since March 2004: was this because Spain pursued illegal surveillance, detention, and torture? Or how about the UK since 7 July 2005? France, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, etc., etc. haven't had an attack at all during the Bush years: was this because they accepted his extra-legal  methods?

I doubt, however, that any of this will concern the President. Because the way he's framed his cause-and-effect argument, he's in a no-lose situation. Consider: if there was a terrorist attack on the US in the next 35 days, would Bush follow his logic and say that it was because his "any means necessary" approach had failed? Or would he and his remaining supporters simply assert that, in the wake of such an attack, the need for surveillance/detention/torture is only reinforced?

A Farewell Song for George Bush: "You Took Advantage of a World That Loved You Well"

For a long time, this was the unofficial anthem of our big-sibling website, Libertas. It's not as well-known as the artist's "Hallelujah" or his tribute to Judy Garland, but it's just as powerful:

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dUIsQo4K70Y[/youtube]

See all the Farewell Song contest entrants

Iraqi Ambassador Reassures Muntazar al-Zaidi: "These are the Fruits of Freedom"

The Iraqi Ambassador to the US, Samir Sumaida'ie, encounters CODEPINK activists and their signs ("Free al-Zaidi" and "Al-Zaidi Speaks for Me") during a presentation. He explains to them why the treatment and possible 15-year jail sentence of Al-Zaidi is justified.

It is because Al-Zaidi insulted George Bush. (No word from the Ambassador on whether any Iraqis might have felt "insulted" by George Bush over the last 5 1/2 years.) Thank goodness, the Ambassador added, he didn't do this when Saddam Hussein was around:

Everybody gets the fruits of freedom. Even those who don't know how to handle them.

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ElEN4i2V9v8[/youtube]

Meanwhile in Iraq: Showdown for the al-Maliki Government?

The New York Times reports:

Up to 35 officials in the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior ranking as high as general have been arrested over the past three days with some of them accused of quietly working to reconstitute Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.

Iraqi security officials asserted that those arrested were involved "in the early stages of a coup". Specificially, they were accused of affiliation with Al Awda, an alleged descendant of the Baath Party.

All this may be true but, assuming that all those arrested are Sunni, the Shi'a-led al-Maliki Government now faces a challenge that goes beyond plotters --- both political and military --- in its midst. Arrests in the past have sparked violence and reprisals throughout Iraq. Whether those reprisals occur again, and whether the Government can respond effectively to prevent sectarian conflict, will be a major test of the stability of the "new" Iraq.