Amigos, meet the elephant.
The so-called Three Amigos met in Ottawa this week. It was nothing more than a public relations exercise. Nothing substantive could be resolved. The American, Canadian and Mexican leaders simply…
World Politics
Scotland the brave will carry on.
You have to admit that there might just be more smarts in Scotland and Northern Ireland than in the rest of the United Kingdom. With a 62 per cent vote…
Is there life after Brexit?
While Babel-0n-the-Bay was urged to produce a morning line on the Brexit vote, the decision was made that it was far too close to forecast. And it was. Along with…
BREXIT is not a breakfast cereal.
It is supposedly friendlier to call it “Brexit” than it is to refer to it as telling the European Union to “Get stuffed.” Yet it is amazing how the polyglot…
Tried and found wanting.
If there was a God, would He not be looking down on us today in dismay. Would He be pleased with the state we are in? Would He be pleased…
Vote Reform Primer: Proportional.
The following is an up-dated version of the discussion on proportional voting in the Democracy Papers of 2007. This is the second of the series. There is no denying that…
When controlling media, look like you’re not.
The other day Lisa LaFlamme of CTV News was actually gushing when she said she was reporting from Northern Iraq. She was flattered and delighted to be reporting from just…
No honours for Elizabeth at 90.
If the Brits really get lucky, Queen Elizabeth might outlive her son Charles. It seems that the British monarchy is holding up better than the country’s membership in the European…
The snob appeal of Brexit.
Babel-on-the-Bay has decided not to do any Morning Line handicapping on the question of Great Briton voting to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum (commonly referred to…
Did Le Pen expect rose petals?
What did Marine Le Pen president of France’s Front National Party expect? Canadians are hardly about to strew rose petals in her path when she decides to come here and…
The Saudis are not Canada’s friends.
If you wanted to find opposites in the world of international relations, you could not find countries as contrary to each other as Canada and Saudi Arabia. When people refer…
COP21 falls short in addressing climate change for the South Pacific Islands
Research done for the Pacific Peoples Partnership, Victoria BC Vulnerability in the South Pacific Islands The South Pacific Islands are one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to…
“Justin, Justin, Where have you been?”
“I’ve been to London to see the Queen.” And that was it. Our fealty assured, Prime Minister Trudeau went on to Downing Street to meet the guy who really runs…
“Fear us,” said ISIL. But should we?
“Fear us,” said bin Laden’s al-Queda. And the Americans feared them. They involved the West in foreign wars that nobody has won. The people who call themselves an Islamic State…
Leave it in the ground says Obama.
President Barack Obama has finally let the shoe drop on the Keystone XL pipeline. His rejection of the partially built pipeline was expected. It is now the answer to many…
Is it the Trans-Pacific Profit Protection Pact?
There is a disquieting trend emerging in all these trading partnerships that are being negotiated around the world. Who do they benefit? The right wing talks about all the potential…
First-Past-the-Post debate ignites Brits.
A sudden influx of hundreds of readers can make any blogger’s heart go pit-a-pat. Since last week, Babel-on-the-Bay’s readership has reached new heights. It was not because of our sage…
ISIL: the cancer on contemporary Islam.
They call themselves the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. What they are is vultures tearing at the heart of modern Islam. They are brigands and murderers, thieves and…
Netanyahu buys into Harper election tactics.
If it was good enough for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to bring his election campaign to Jerusalem, why should Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not try it? The difference…
Scots, Wha Hae.
Even if your ancestors left Scotland more than 200 years ago, you can still rise to the skirl of the pipes, honour a haggis with other fans of Robbie Burns,…