Monday, November 28, 2005

Canada's Government Falls

Today, Canada's 38th Parliament finally ended its agony. With a final vote of 171 to 133, the Paul Martin Liberal government fell under a vote of no confidence from the other parties. This will result in new Parlimentary elections in the whole of Canada and Quebec that might reshape the nation.

But then again, it might not.

Canadians still gave Liberals a government to run in this past Parliament even with the inquiries that were proving corruption in the Liberal government.

Being from a country where corruption reigned (and still does), it surprised me that a First World country would allow the Liberals to stay in power. Nevertheless, support for the opposition Conservatives has continued to drop and no one really sees the Bloc Quebecois as a true national force to take over the Nation. Which leaves the left leaning New Democratic Party whose leader, Jack Layton, enjoys one of the best reputations out there.

So is Canada's path set further left?

Experts are predicting another Liberal led government after the vote with some of the same conditions as this past minority Parliament. So far from moving, Canada might stagnate and policies on immigration and health care might stagnate in their problems as they are now.

How long can Canada continue to have macro economic success with fears of dissolving Parliament coming again soon?

Read what others have to say:
- The Liberals are gone, but who will Canadians vote for?
- It All Rests with Ontario voters, again?
- Watching History Happen and interesting info on how the Canadian Parliament works.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Liberté, egalité, inconformité

An endless story of how the center is threatened by the borders...

Liberté

In 1789 July, revolutionary French decided to put stop to the indescribable oppression of the monarchy. The social structures were letting work, and nothing seemed to adjust to the new spirit of equality between the human beings. Then, guillotine was witness of end of those had been unfair beneficiary of privileges based on the ignorance and the power. Prisoners leave La Bastilla in flames, which symbolized end of the repression and the ignominy, and the start of a new era.

Nevertheless, flames of burning cars since October 27th illuminate Paris suburbs, have a scent to burned gas, and not to revolution. Think in urban revolt in France is a particular, exceptional and unique issue, would be a serious mistake: like other times through history, Parisian events seem to be the model to follow, an anticipation of which can happen in all Europe and other cities worldwide.

Egalité

Urban violence needs several factors to concur; entire generations of unemployed people coexist; children of diverse emigrations came from far away desert, who didn't find the promosed land dreamed by their parents. An universal market stimulates the migratory currents, but although just arrived, make its contribution to the general development remain in the borders, often without equivalent rights. Results? people not required as citizens in the real mean of the term. Segregation is reinforced therefore. It is truth which at least they survive there, thing would probably not happen in its places of origin, but in return they must accept the worse effects of the discrimination and the inequality: structural unemployment, minimum educative level, galloping delinquency, deficient services, generalized urban and environmental deterioration.

Crisis from marginal districts was announced by precise facts in that labyrinth where they came next xenophobia, established as ideology of population main sectors; always arranged to think of all its evils is in the others, black, poor, Arab, and the religious fundamentalism as default; "unadapted" people with rejection to share the lay State who prefers, in spite of everything, maintain them isolated in they own juice.

What we've seen is a social explosion, mainly youthful; with rage against nothing and everything, with no more end that be consumed in its own flames...

Inconformité

Most comfortable reason to the French political leaders and their western allies to explain the facts?

Rebels without reasons, opposed to a system wich offers options to be efficient, and of which they won't or not known to remove benefit. Youths without an empoloyee, 'cause they do not approach opportunities of the market. They're disagree with educative programs but they study little, or simply not. They unable to motivate by itself. They apostatize of virtues and scientist-technical fruits from progress and advances. They forgot how to read their codes, therefore feel in a nonplace, outside site. Suffering a nonexistent oppression. Still excluding by themselves.

That stews the arguments to explain the revolt are constructed to safeguard principles of progressive or preservative explanation which have allowed during last the 30 years. The project of a new social liberalism in their Social-Democratic slope.

This rebellion is a symptom of decomposition and atomizaton of a political order whose social cohesion is expressed in the logic of the responsible consumer like shared citizenship. Even in Europe is impossible to recompose the space of the policy and politicians within the market point of view. Dissolution of the subject —person, in this case— only leaves an alternative to the establishment: to repress, to deny, and an diplomatic international media tour with cleaning image purpuoses.

To save the market, its consumers, and private property, as opposed to the barbarism of youthful delinquency and the marginality of the self excludded ones who won't to participate in profits from world of responsible and "civilized" consumers...

La Bastilla burns in every flammed car. But global market has too many heads, and there are not enough guillotines. That's why it will seem like simple vandalism and misadjustment. Owners of carbonized cars, surely aren't guilty. But who says only main goverments in world can fight abstract enemies, like terrorism or the drug traffic?

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Monday, November 14, 2005

Mexico & Venezuela Break Diplomatic Relations

Only about an hour ago the showdown between our President Vicente Fox and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez ended in the breaking off of diplomatic ties between Mexico and Venezuela. This culminates a large deterioration of the relationship between these two countries since Chavez called Fox a US "puppy" at the American Summit.

Both countries had since then been attempting to resolve the diplomatic climate through their chancellors. Mexico had already been succesful in repairing the damage caused between Argentina and themselves but Venezuela had proven a bit tougher. Yet, work was being done until Chavez decided to continue his assault on Fox in his radio programme. You can also read about this in English here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4437024.stm

In this programme, Chavez taunts Fox for not being able to continue to push the FTAA at the Summit. He also responds to Fox's comments about his person again; this time by threatening Fox and saying that Fox "should not mess with him because he might come out hurt".

These comments destroyed all the progress that had been done before to heal wounds and (though sluggish) created an uproar in Mexico. Mexico formally demanded Chavez apologize for his comments or if not Mexico would cut diplomatic relations with Venezuela. The ultimatum was given until midnight tonight.

Venezuela then responded with their official posture which included no regrets and no apologies for what Chavez said. Furthermore, they considered the ultimatum an agression from Mexico to Venezuela. So Venezuela pulled their ambassador from Mexico and attempted to blame Fox for causing this "mayhem". Mexico then also responded formally and called their ambassador from Venezuela and formalized the rupture in diplomatic relationships.

And so, once more Chavez causes instability in the region. His rhetoric has stopped being about Bolivarian unity and revolution and has turned to childish insults. He continues to spin facts into propaganda and to blame everybody else for his country's and the area's problems. After all, how can you create a strong and united Latin America if you shun countries like Panama, Colombia or Peru who want free trade or insult Mexico? Simon Bolivar would have never thought that would make a good plan for our unity.

Read what others have to say about this:
- Thomas believes it was Good for Mexico to recall its ambassador from Venezuela.
- Rol presents a wonderful cartoon about Chavez's rhetoric.
- Molly Morrison hopes the tension between Mexico and Venezuela won't go too far.
- Edgar wishes unity for Latin America and agrees that Chavez's foreign policy is not the best way to get it.

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Tuesday, November 08, 2005

U.S. Used Chemical Weapons In Iraq War

The Italian television station RAI came out today with the worst accusations against the abuses of the US in Irak since the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo scandals.

In a report titled "Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre" , the US is blamed for using chemical weapons in its attack on Fallujah in November 2004. The chemical weapons in question are MK77 (a type of Napalm) and another weapon called "white phosphorus". This last weapon is generally used for lighting purposes for operations out in the field as it can light up to a kilometer. The side effect is where it gets the "weapon" as it can burn bodies & bones in the 150m radius that surrounds the initial "flare". It is also the weapon that is mainly blamed for deaths of civilians during the Fallujah offensive. Read the full report here (in Spanish): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/314804.html

Various reports, including one from deceased Giuliana Sgrena (you might remember her as the Italian anti war reporter who was kidnapped, released, and then killed at a US checkpoint as her convoy was going to the aiport), pick up on interviews from sunni civilians in Fallujah, reports from US marines that claimed to see burnt bodies in Fallujah, and official US Military reports.

These official US Military reports accept that "white phosphorus" was used but they claim it was used only as a light source and not as a weapon against civilians.

Yet, I am hard pressed to believe that it was used so innocently in Fallujah. After all, it is an open field light source and apparently has no place in city guerilla war and the US didn't report any civilian deaths in Fallujah. And it wouldn't be the first time the US lies on what it did in Iraq.

Read what others have to say:
- TalkLeft opens discussion on the Italian Documentary Claims U.S. Used Chemicals as Weapon in Iraq.
- Bare Knuckle Politics shows the video feed from RAI News.
- The Cultural Canaries think that it has been Enough already.
- This action is in breach of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons of 1980.
- Another in depth report on white phosphorus & how the US 'uses incendiary arms' in Iraq.
- Iraqi Explode details the documentary on the U.S. used chemical weapons in Fallujah.
- America's Chemical Burns. A US citizen sighs and remembers when the rumors of chemical weapons use started.

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Saturday, November 05, 2005

IV Summit of the Americas (Day 2)

Today, the IV Summit of the Americas ended and as we mentioned yesterday, the differences not only made it hard to move the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) forward but also kept the actual declaration from Mar del Plata from being written. Talks to finish this up had to be prolonged until they were finished. George W. Bush did not stay though and left much before hand which left Mexico's Vicente Fox in the lead. You can read further by checking the article (in Spanish): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/314289.html

At the end, the agenda to push the FTAA forward failed and only three points of it were included in the final Declaration from Mar del Plata. The points though are basically just a description of the division that was formed between countries at the Summit and that FTAA talks would resume once more after the World Trade Organization () talks of Hong Kong. You can read further by checking the article (in Spanish): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/314323.html

All of this is pretty much summarized with the fact that the disagreement on the FTAA overshadowed any other thing that was going to take place at the summit and also the commitment that was made to fight poverty and unemployment in the region.

Read what others have to say:
- Steve from the Tension says that Free Trade Agreement Delayed by Chavez and Others.
- Joel agrees that Latin America did well to stay out of the FTAA in the Americas Summit even with Chile's example.
- The 'Other Americans' say no to FTAA.

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Friday, November 04, 2005

IV Summit of the Americas (Day 1)

Today, the IV Summit of the Americas started in Argentina. And in the start of the Summit the focus went to fight two of the largest woes in Latin America: poverty and unemployment.

As is expected, all 34 nations will sign a document to fight these two ailments of Latin America and once again show "commitment" to reducing both in their countries. Nevertheless, as we all know, what really would help Latin America is if this "commitment" was actually implemented by the Latin American governments (since one would reckon the US and Canada might not be involved?). Read the full article here (in Spanish): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/314162.html

Latin America has been growing economically on average nearly 5 percent of GDP but the growth has not trickled down to the masses. Some economists say that this is because, Latin America would need to grow something more like 6 to 10 percent. Others say that there must be something done to strengthen political institutions and avoid election social tensions. Finally, there are others which point to improving infrastructure, education and corruption and in this way improve their competitivity. Personally, I tend to agree with the last two, specially in Mexico, where generally sound monetary and fiscal policy has seen economic growth despite unfavourable market conditions. Improving political institutions, fighting corruption and investing in makign Mexico more competitive, is the way to use market forces in our favour and seek to mirror the growth of China and India, while at the mean time, letting our least fortunate people have a better standard of life. There is actually a very interesting article in this month's international edition of Newsweek by Jeffery E. Garten where Latin America's troublesome place in the world is explained in the article "".

Which brings me to the other topic that starts to rear its head at the Summit: the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (ALCA in Spanish).

So far, ALCA has been in the background where leaders comment that one of the reasons that keep it from being drafted is the migratory policies of some countries. Others, like Vicente Fox of Mexico, have shown a larger and more important break in the talks. Fox clearly states that there are countries opposing the ALCA in which he names Venezuela specially. Venezuela, says Fox, is making the agreement surround its own interests and not of the whole region. There are also apparent rifts with the countries of Mercosur and possibly with the United States over the aforementioned, migratory policies. Other countries, such as Canada, allied themselves with Fox and took their own blow at the United States asking for free trade where "everyone played by the rules" & also to Venezuela's anticapitalist rhetoric. You can read about Fox's comments here (in Spanish): http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/314068.html and you can read Canada's Paul Martin in the article in the Toronto Star.

And that is how the first day of the Summit ended. It seems tough to believe that by the end of it (tomorrow), the ALCA will be accepted. We can then only hope that the commitment to create jobs and lower poverty are at least followed by our leaders.

Read what others have to say:
- Gretchen Gordon is on site at the Summit and she gives us her own review of Day 1 at The Democracy Center.
- Matt Rosenberg says that Bush must sell the FTAA (ALCA) to Willing Buyers and explores a bit more of the Latin American reality.

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