Ignatieff, there are many other people in it with him.

With today being the deadline for the second quarter of 2009, it is an opportunity to reflect on the changes that we are seeing as far as Liberal Party funding, as well as general party health.

The reality that seems to be developing is that the Liberal Party under Michael Ignatieff is finally showing some signs of being of a more grassroots nature. By this, I mean a greater ability to raise funds, and also a greater party membership. What is more is that increases in both these areas are happening at overwhelming rates.

In this Toronto Sun article , these improvements are outlined. The most significant statistics are that funds raised have tripled over the same period last year, and what's more, membership is up to around 90 000, up from 40 000 in January.

Clearly the Liberal Party is growing in significant ways. And, what's more, this can be linked to Michael Ignatieff. It would seem that Canadians are not as averse to cosmopolitan people as Mr. Harper. It would seem that Canadians embrace this, and are willing to see how Ignatieff can fare.

What is more, Canadians, when Harper started attacking Ignatieff's character, realized that if they wanted to avoid the disgrace of Dion style attacks, they had to enter the political scene in their way, and not only voting, but also giving money and getting memberships.

Faced with such massive change in his opponents' party, Harper must be shaking in his boots. He's just figured out that Ignatieff is not just in it for himself, and that there are many other people in it with him.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

Further Desperation Strikes in Iran: Revealing electoral fraud, perhaps?

Reports are now coming out of Iran that 5 British Embassy employees have been detained by the Iranian government amid sordid allegations that they have helped to incite violence surrounding the controversial elections. Rightfully, the European Union ministers have condemned this action.

What this reveals about the domestic situation in Iran is equally important. These ridiculous allegations help to construct a picture of desperation in Teheran, and Iran in general. Ahmadinejad, and in a veiled way Ayatollah Khamenei, are grasping at straws to save themselves from disgrace.

In fact, this desperation must have reached a peak. For, is it not rational to conceive of this as a rallying call for nationalist Iranians? If there are allegations of external influence, then many Iranians will cement their trust in their government. This is due to a dedication to the nation, and a deep aversion to US influence. By consolidating these Iranians, the government seems to be preparing battle positions for the long haul.

In addition, these moves smack of even greater desperation because of the targets chosen. It was predictable that the European Union would react in this manner to such allegations. Thus, the Iranians have knowingly caused antagonism on the part of nations that it seeks to have discussions with.

It is no secret that the EU and the US have great reservations as to Iran's nuclear program. In order to address these questions, talks between Iran and the EU have been planned. However, now that the Iranians have been making such allegations, the potential of these talks seems to be lessened.

It is in Iranian interest that these talks go well. For all his bluster, the Iranian President cannot think that he can dispense of talks with these nations.

For all these reasons, such allegations are further evidence, not only of desperation, but of what this desperation seeks to cover up: electoral fraud.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

Bring Mohammed Kohail home

Mohammed Kohail, a young Montrealer, faces execution by beheading in Saudi Arabia if Prime Minister Stephen Harper does not step in and speak on his behalf to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Whether or not Kohail is guilty or not of the charges facing him is irrelevant. The position of the Canadian government should be that the execution he faces is inhumane and condemned by them. If the government does not intervene in this manner, it is an implicit endorsement, or at the least, a recognition, of beheading as suitable judicial punishment.

The position which the Canadian government must take is clear. Nothing short of bringing Kohail home will do, as while in Saudi Arabia he still faces potential punishment, and not just on behalf of the Saudi government. The family of the victim he is alleged to have killed will very likely demand some sort of revenge if its government fails to do so.

Once Kohail is home, try him if we must. Put him in a Canadian jail, if we must. But bring him home, because we must.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

Historic US bill on climate change good, but nowhere near good enough

Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill on climate-change, sponsored by President Obama. This is the first significant piece of climate change action by government in American history. However, symbolic as it is, it is by no means a cause for self-congratulations.

The standards set forth in the proposed legislation is 17% reductions by 2020, over 2005 levels. That is significantly lower than Kyoto standards of 6% or so, below 1990 levels. Even more astonishing is that President Obama supported only 14% reductions.

Proponents of this bill will point to reductions of 80% by mid-century. This is much too late. It is symptomatic of government reaction to climate change, putting off significant change for latter, much latter.

In these two ways, although this is a piece of landmark legislation, it is by no means a final solution to the problem. In addition, the most concrete measures mentioned in the legislation are increasing energy costs. This is all well and good, but what about the cap and trade system that Obama has been touting?

One must hope that the Obama administration is not about to stall here in its work against climate change. One most hope that a bill of this nature is the result of compromise. After all, the vote was still narrow (219-214), and has yet to be voted on in the Senate. If not, then the Obama administration needs a wake up call on the environment.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

Fraud according to Iran's Guardian Council

Today, Mousavi, the reform presidential candidate in the Iranian election, announced that he would not yield to pressure to withdraw his claims of fraud. In fact, the Iranian Guardian Council claims that there were no instances of fraud in the recent election.

However, to the discerning observer this is ludicrous. If we are to take the assertions of the Guardian Council at face value, then more votes being cast than there are registered voters does not constitute fraud. I guess it must fall into the considerations of the Iranian system.

In all seriousness, this just shows how desperate the Guardian Council is to restore order, with Ahmadinejad at the helm. Indeed, rather than minimizing concerns of fraud, such a blatantly inadequate cover-up gives rise to more suspicions.

Faced with this concerted, and yet weakly based opposition, Mousavi is warranted in wanting examination into the fraud. It'll be interesting to see what governments do in reaction to such blatant fraud, as they will be toeing the line of interference and independence, all the while considering what is just.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

Canadians don't like elections: force them to have elections

Amid all the ado surrounding the potential election last week, one phrase kept being repeated: Canadians do not want a summer election. Come to think of it, Canadians never like elections. Fall is a bad time because the school year has just started, winter is bad because it's Christmas, spring is bad because who wants to think of politics when everything else is in bloom, and in summer it's quite difficult to vote when you'd rather hang around the barbecue.

It would seem that Canadians never want an election. This is paralyzing politics in this country as the reason constantly given for not going to the polls is that no one wants an election. Ignatieff's sad capitulation to Harper over EI and other issues was due to advice that centered around Canadians do not want election.

Now, this of particular concern to Liberals as whenever voter turnout is low, there is a greater probability of a Conservative majority. However, the facts remain that each party uses it, the Conservatives even to their advantage. In fact, this is integral to their attacks on the Liberal party.

So the solution is pretty clear. To avoid all this strategic pandering to Canadians' adversity to elections, we can eliminate that adversity, or rather, circumnavigate it. In other words, force Canadians to vote, by enacting such a law. Not voting would become an offence.

This is a system that is used in in other regions worldwide, to quite significant success. In such systems, voter participation, such as in Australia, exceeds 90%.

Maybe, if we had had this reform, we would have less strategic fear mongering in Parliament. And Ignatieff would have forced an election.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere

If only North America were like Iran

News of the protests over the latest election in Iran has been circulating the globe, horrifying the international community. However, there is one thing that these protests indicate that is to be desired: political engagement.

In Canada, there is clearly a political disengagement. The voter participation in federal and provincial elections of the last year tell us as much. In fact, many of the provincial turnouts have been under 50%. Whereas, around the world we see much greater participation and engagement with politics and the electoral process.

It would seem that this is a characteristically North American dilemma. In other parts of the First World, and much of the Third World, voters turnout in much more significant numbers.

So what is a characteristic of political life in North America that would seem to account for this disengagement that is greater than in the rest of the world. The answer may well lie in a typical belief in North America that the government is impotent. A particular phrase comes to mind: the government that governs best is the government that governs least.

Now, this is ridiculous, and Stephen Colbert showed as much at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2006 that according to this maxim the government of Iraq is the best. We are not Americans in Canada, it is true, and therefore we may not be as greatly affected. However, the case remains that at least some of us, notably those inclined to take the right-wing view of things, do seem to embody this.

Look at what Harper's done. Cut taxes, and the cut services, making sure government hardly lives up to its name. And what does this do in turn?

It ensures, purely and simply, that this belief is all the more cemented in parts of the public conscience.

So what do we need to do to be more like Iran? Believe in the power of government to be a force for change, instead of a constant source of failure.

Recommend this Post at Progressive Bloggers If you liked this post, please vote for my blog at Canadian Blogosphere