Differences Between Bush And Obama Seen On The Streets Of Ottawa

One could write a novel's worth of differences between our new President and the previous Executive. No matter the topic, you are bound to find a split in opinion between the two. That also goes for how the world sees the two men. While we as "free" Americans were allowed to protest Dubya in specially designated First Amendment zones, countries around the world would meet President Bush with a flood of protesters holding all sorts of anti-Bush signs and the passion to back it up.

Now that Barack Obama is traveling to his first foreign country (directly north of us), the atmosphere has decidedly changed:

Already, there’s been a noticeable difference in the way the Canadian public has received the two presidents. Bush was wildly unpopular in Canada. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who supported the Iraq war (and later admitted it was a mistake), was lambasted by Canadians as supporting “Harper-Bush” policies. Not surprisingly, Bush’s visits to Canada spurred massive protests:

– “Thousands of protesters marched on Parliament Tuesday, rallying against President Bush’s visit and the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Twelve people were arrested after scuffling with police on the fringes of the peaceful demonstration.”[...]

“Early Crowds Await Obama,” the Toronto Star reads today. “American flags are being hung up around Ottawa in preparation” for Obama’s visit, reports the Ottawa Citizen. Some of the stories today:

– “Small groups of people gathered in the pre-dawn gloom on Parliament Hill in hopes of catching a glimpse of [Obama]. Not even a snowfall could deter diehard fans of the popular U.S. leader.”

– “With stars and stripes flapping in the wind, enamoured Canadians will line the streets of the capital today trying to catch a fleeting glimpse of U.S. President Barack Obama.”

Everyone had a hunch that Obama would be treated better around the world than Bush was, and now we have our first clear indication of that. Of course, it isn't some unexplained phenomenon. Barack Obama actually cares what the world thinks of us and is committed to being a nation among nations, unlike the Deciderer that came before him. "Change" wasn't just some empty rhetorical device that Republicans claim it was (since that is what they rely on to snatch up voters every two years). With an active citizenry pushing Congress and the President (that Obama encourages), we will see that change come to fruition in the next four to eight years, both here at home and abroad.

Canadian Court Rules US Troops Qualify As Refugees

Ever since Vietnam (and probably before that) a commonality among Americans who are anti-war is that in case of being drafted, they can flee to Canada. In today's globalized world however, things like extradition factors into that safety plan. However, once you have actually served and know that bad things are going down, can you go to Canada under refugee status? A Canadian court ruled that escaping a 2nd tour of Iraq for one soldier and running north is more than justified.

From CBC News:

In a decision that may have an impact on dozens of refugee claimants in Canada, Federal Court Justice Robert Barnes said Canada's refugee board erred by rejecting the asylum bid of Joshua Key. He ordered that a new panel reconsider the application.

Key was sent to Iraq in 2003 as a combat engineer for eight months where he said he was responsible for nighttime raids on private Iraqi homes, which included searching for weapons.

He alleged that during his time in Iraq he witnessed several cases of abuse, humiliation, and looting by the U.S. army.

When Key was back in the U.S on a two-week leave, he said he was suffering from debilitating nightmares and that he couldn't return. A military lawyer told him that he could either return to Iraq or face prison.

Instead, Key took his family to Canada and applied for refugee status.

While the immigration board concluded that some of the alleged conduct by the U.S military included a "disturbing level of brutality," it said the conduct did not meet the definition of a war crime or a crime against humanity.

Barnes said the board erred “by concluding that refugee protection for military deserters and evaders is only available where the conduct objected to amounts to a war crime, a crime against peace or a crime against humanity."

This is a tremendous status that gives our soldiers a way out (if they so choose) from the nightmares their superiors and the general attitude in Iraq inflict onto the civilian population. Too many of our young are coming back with battle scars that we can only begin to comprehend. War is hell I agree, but what we are doing over there is just plain wrong, and our troops know it, they just wish the American people would see how wrong it is so we get out as soon as possible.

Instead, our country must be shamed by a Canadian court that can justifiably decree that the United States commits war crimes and feels an obligation to help American troops that refuse to be a part of the chaos anymore.

Obama And NAFTA Still The Big Story In Canada

Thankfully CBC News is starting to sort out the facts in the story:

Who Has The Cutest Kitties?

America versus Canada, which side are you on?

Documents Prove U.S. Had Canadian Tortured

CBC News has the (not so) shocking report:

Wal-Mart High, Taco Bell Middle School?

If you think corporate naming rights were just for ballparks guess again. Officials in Canada are giving serious thought to offering their school names' to corporations like Wal-Mart and Taco Bell to raise funds for a system that is sorely lacking funds. The public is outraged that their school district in Ottawa would even consider such a thing.

From the AFP:

The Ottawa school board, for example, passed a 634.8-million dollar (595-million US) budget last week, but even after deep cuts, was left with a deficit of 6.2 million dollars (5.8 million US).

Ottawa trustee Riley Brockington told the Citizen in support of the plan: "I have no problem with the Loeb Library or the Cognos Centre of Performing Arts," invoking the names of a grocery chain and a software firm, respectively.

But Annie Kidder of the parents group People for Education countered: "The minute you end up with a Wal-Mart Public School ... you are taking away the notion of the importance of public education, which is to provide every child, no matter where they live or the income of their parents, with an equal chance at success."

Corporate names need to be kept as far away from public education as possible. Although there probably wouldn't be a mandatory class to learn about all the great things that Wal-Mart does for society, the effects would still be there. Increased marketing and a general push towards heavy consumerism would tend to be a given. Students need to learn about language, math, science and the arts, not how to get a good buy at the expensive of slave labor in a far away country.