Thanks for your comments everyone. I wasn't too sure about the amount of interest in this election but seems to me like we have all got a piece and a half to say. Nice.
Vijay, thanks for taking the time and letting us know of your future plans. Your projects in India sound interesting, can we score some details perhaps? I'm looking forward to some more blogging from your end (whatever scraps you can put together are good enough!), to be fair it wasn't a Canadian political post that got me interested...your recent piece on Kashmir got me hooked. Kashmir is looked at as a brutal state of stalemate for most followers of the conflict here. Choosing to focus on an individual makes more sense to me than drawing out over-chewed arguments of India vs. Pakistan, Hindu vs. Muslim, etc. You are very right, stories like Mohammed Akram's could prove vital in spreading the word of peace (not to mention prosperity through peace). Instead, such lives and ambitions are stunted by short-sighted governments and largely ignored by the press, both within/surrounding the region in question as well as abroad.
As for Iggy...*swoon*. I appreciate his experience and his smarts especially when it comes to international politics. Since I started hearing his name and doing a bit of Googling around I have really warmed to his approach on some things. His article, last year, for the New York Times 'On Iraq' was honest and worthy of respect. Though I had very different views on the matter at the time I find our ideals becoming similar aftermath. This is about where my knowledge of all things Ignatieff ends. It doesn't surprise me that he has had a rough ride since his nomination dropped though a lot of it has been due to unnecessary controversy. Similar to Ananthan's comments, I too feel a little perturbed by his Non-resident Canadian persona. He isn't running in my riding but if he were you can be sure this is the first thing that would put me off. Basically, for him to do well in the position he would have to familiarize himself with all things Etobicoke-Lakeshore at lightning speed. This can't be easy, it takes some people *ahem* months to realize that Etobicoke has a 'coke' in it. Would one have to make a blind leap of faith to get over this unfortunate circumstance?
This is Ontario, we have award-winning rocket scientists from China and PhDs from India working at What A Bagels because they don't have any Canadian experience. Why would we have to make an exception for the Liberal party, especially for the position of MP? There is also a case for the dismal representation of women in the Liberal government. While I am not an advocate of gender quotas of any kind in Canada, I find it hard to swallow that of all the ridings out there the choice one had to be Jean Augustine's hood. I would have stepped down too if I had been offered a position as Special Advisor to my country of birth so good for her, it is our loss. Of all the Liberal-related news I have read today the sole news item concerning a woman was of Carolyn Parrish. That drama queen needs to make a hasty exit from my news.
There are many questions surrounding Ignatieff's campaign and I would love to meet him to see what he has to say...as would a few people reading this I imagine.
P.S. The title of this post has nothing to do with the post itself, it is just a great quote.
Vijay, thanks for taking the time and letting us know of your future plans. Your projects in India sound interesting, can we score some details perhaps? I'm looking forward to some more blogging from your end (whatever scraps you can put together are good enough!), to be fair it wasn't a Canadian political post that got me interested...your recent piece on Kashmir got me hooked. Kashmir is looked at as a brutal state of stalemate for most followers of the conflict here. Choosing to focus on an individual makes more sense to me than drawing out over-chewed arguments of India vs. Pakistan, Hindu vs. Muslim, etc. You are very right, stories like Mohammed Akram's could prove vital in spreading the word of peace (not to mention prosperity through peace). Instead, such lives and ambitions are stunted by short-sighted governments and largely ignored by the press, both within/surrounding the region in question as well as abroad.
As for Iggy...*swoon*. I appreciate his experience and his smarts especially when it comes to international politics. Since I started hearing his name and doing a bit of Googling around I have really warmed to his approach on some things. His article, last year, for the New York Times 'On Iraq' was honest and worthy of respect. Though I had very different views on the matter at the time I find our ideals becoming similar aftermath. This is about where my knowledge of all things Ignatieff ends. It doesn't surprise me that he has had a rough ride since his nomination dropped though a lot of it has been due to unnecessary controversy. Similar to Ananthan's comments, I too feel a little perturbed by his Non-resident Canadian persona. He isn't running in my riding but if he were you can be sure this is the first thing that would put me off. Basically, for him to do well in the position he would have to familiarize himself with all things Etobicoke-Lakeshore at lightning speed. This can't be easy, it takes some people *ahem* months to realize that Etobicoke has a 'coke' in it. Would one have to make a blind leap of faith to get over this unfortunate circumstance?
This is Ontario, we have award-winning rocket scientists from China and PhDs from India working at What A Bagels because they don't have any Canadian experience. Why would we have to make an exception for the Liberal party, especially for the position of MP? There is also a case for the dismal representation of women in the Liberal government. While I am not an advocate of gender quotas of any kind in Canada, I find it hard to swallow that of all the ridings out there the choice one had to be Jean Augustine's hood. I would have stepped down too if I had been offered a position as Special Advisor to my country of birth so good for her, it is our loss. Of all the Liberal-related news I have read today the sole news item concerning a woman was of Carolyn Parrish. That drama queen needs to make a hasty exit from my news.
There are many questions surrounding Ignatieff's campaign and I would love to meet him to see what he has to say...as would a few people reading this I imagine.
P.S. The title of this post has nothing to do with the post itself, it is just a great quote.
4 Comments:
BBC photo-essay: A lovely human perspective. It actually amazes me how people form this region of the world have come to be portrayed as uberviolent. Most of the hard labour in the city I grew up in was done by folks from North Western South Asia and my impression of them was always of immense physical strength combined with an incredibly gentle nature. We forget too quickly the legacy of Gandhi's great counterpart in the North West, the Pashtun Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
Ignatieff: to be frank I think Iggy is the right political candidate for the wrong country. The tendency to worship media/academic stars appears to have more political currency South of the border. I admire the man although I disagree vehemently with some of his recent stances on international affairs and find that his election strategy smacks of eliteness. I'm glad that the good citizens of E-L are not making this a cakewalk for him. I agree Neha, Augustine's leaving is really a loss for the party and the country.
Frontier Gandhi! He hadn't crossed my mind until your excellent reminder.
Someone once told me that kashmiris looked exactly the same as ol' Laden and so must have the same sort of bloodthirst or violence gene or cultural predisposition to kill whitey or something daft like that. When I looked shocked at this they said, "sorry but all it takes is one bad apple". Right. Way to dismiss millions of individual lives and their shared history that goes back to much before our puny add-riddled memories can fathom. I'm glad the Beeb published this story and thinks it is high time reporters turned their attention to Kashmiris, away from Mushy and Manny.
Which reminds me, have you read Shalimar the Clown?
Something I forgot to note about Iggy: He is a manly man. He is not an economic girly-man. I was surprised by this because he is rather soft-spoken on the tube. I've only read a few of his articles but the bold writing must surely mean that underneath his gentle academic, hot-doctor-on-er-type exterior there lies a redmeat eatin', whiskey drankin', cigar smokin', cowboy with pointy spurs! I should know, I am much quieter in person too.
Yet again, you've summed things up nicely, Iggy does seem like the right man for the wrong job.
i-thank-u-thank-i, for your perceptive political commentary. i, however, must refrain from visiting your blog until this fever subsides, for politicks me off.
get well soon.
:)
p.s.: eerie resemblance - you and gwen stefani. every time i see her, i'm reminded of you!
Oh, take that back, E.D., take that back! I don't own any mute Japanese slaves whatsoever...
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