Wednesday, January 31, 2007

New York, New York and Other News

One thing I really noticed about New York was how polite people were. I don't know when that happened but it has. It was really cool.

Not sure I could handle living in a city that big, though. I don't really want to be around too many people all of the time.

Arrived home to read a hilarious story about a Quebec town that has passed a bylaw about the behaviour people who live there must be willing to tolerate including the consumption of alcohol, Christmas trees, equality for women and a ban on facial coverings except on Hallowe'en along with a ban on stoning or otherwise punishing wives. In Canada, this has been treated with all the gravity of the slavery debate as the PC crowd rushes to condemn the move and Quebec politicians distance themselves from it.

Since the law is unenforceable, it can only be viewed in one-way: as sarcasm. Nasty? A little bit. But, there's a ring of truth there. Canadians, regardless of their backgrounds and beliefs, should be willing to accept societal norms.

Not so funny was the assmonkey palestinian homicide bomber in Eilat. During the past months, the Israelis have been doing a pretty good job of keeping the terrorist assholes confined to their own areas and killing only one another which is always a benefit for the rest of mankind.

Sadly, one got through - the first in nine months - and killed three innocent Israeli citizens. He came through Gaza via Egypt.

It's yet another reminder that everytime Israel makes concessions to the palestinians, it is met with more violence and attempts at murdering the innocent. And, of course, it starkly serves to enforce the belief that the only state the palestinians want is the one called Israel. There hasn't been a Jew living in Gaza in more than year.

Abbas condemned the killing, as usual. Since his rhetoric has all the power of tissue paper, I hope the Israelis continue to build the fence and strengthen their defences.

The one other item that really caught my eye in the last few days was Hugo Chavez's grabbing of absolute power through his government's endorsement. He can now do pretty much whatever he wants as he drains Venezuela's oil-rich economy. There is a certain point at which a person becomes a dictator. Ruling a country by decree while treating its public purse as your personal bank account and silencing opposition is that point.

If he's still in power in five years, the country will be broke, he and his cronies will be exceedingly wealthy and his opponents will be dead or imprisoned. Not to mention, Cindy Sheehan and Harry Belafonte, among others, will still be kissing his ass.

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani positively dominated the headlines in New York. Personally, I don't think Giuliani will actually run for President or, if he does, see it through. I think he likes the adulation but doesn't really want the job. Hillary wants the job worse than her husband wants the newest intern but she's not going to get it. I've no idea who is, I just think Hillary's unelectable when crunch time comes.

2 comments:

Catherine said...

I still really like John Edwards for president, and was thrilled when he announced his candidacy. Sadly, I don't think he'll win the nomination, if the early poll numbers I saw last week are a good indication.

southfield_2001 said...

It sure is a wide open field.
I like Giuliani, a lot. But, I don't see him as President.