In the spirit of reflection that descends upon bloggers at this time of the year Dexter offers the following observations:
Canadians of the Year
Richard Klassen
In 1991 Klassen and 15 others were arrested by Saskatoon and charged with child molestation. The accusers were three foster children who told stories of being forced to drink blood, eat eye-balls and feces, take part in sexual orgies and witness human sacrifices. Despite the improbabilities and contradictions of these stories the full force of the law was brought to bear on Klassen and his family causing humiliation, shame and disruption of their lives until the accusers finally recanted.
Not content with having the charges dropped Klassen went on the attack and sued the public servants responsible for his ordeal, alleging malicious prosecution by police and lawyers. In late December he won his suit and the public vindication he had sought for years.
Christopher Kempling
In another case of persecution by public officials, Quesnel teacher Christopher Kempling has been convicted by the British Columbia College of Teachers for "conduct unbecoming a member of the BCCT". His offence was expressing his opinion to the local paper on the question of gay rights and for this thought crime he was suspended without pay. Note that he did not express these opinions in school nor has he been accused of discriminatory acts – his guilt lay in holding certain views contrary to those held by his masters. He has appealed this manifestation of totalitarianism to the Supreme Court of British Columbia and awaits their decision.
Earthlings of the Year
The Odd Couple: George Bush and Tony Blair
The decision by George Bush and Tony Blair to wage war on the Saddamite regime in Iraq was the best news for the survival of civilization in years. The institutions of international order had demonstrated themselves to be flabby paralytics unable to deal with the modern challenges of cross-border terrorism, the proliferation of WMD and internal genocide. The defeat of the Baathists brought an end to a squalid tyranny, accelerated the peace process in the Middle East, frightened the handful of rational Saudi and Pakistani politicians into reformism, undercut logistical support for terrorism, induced Libya to join the mainstream of the international community and is, as we speak, causing nightmares for despots in Iran, Syria and Sudan.
Useless Excrescence of the Year
Bill Graham, Foreign Affairs Minister
For declaring Canada to be too morally refined to participate in a war against a regime whose leaders joke and laugh while they blow apart its dissidents with grenades or feed them feet-first into industrial shredders. Despite acknowledging the brutality of the Iraqi regime and its possession of weapons of mass destruction (!) the lantern-jawed twit informed the House of Commons on March 20 that Canada would not be taking any military action , a decision “based on our judgment about the interest of Canadians in accordance with our principles and our deep and longstanding commitment to the United Nations and multilateral system and to the Security Council process.” And so our slide into global irrelevance continued.
Trouble on the Horizon in 2004
Irwin Cotler
If Paul Martin's decision to keep Bill Graham in the cabinet was the new prime minister's most inexplicable choice, his pick of Irwn Cotler as Minister of Justice was his most ominous. A notorious "human-rights activist" (i.e., incorrigible meddler and social engineer) Cotler will make us look back on grass-happy Martin Cauchon as a model of judicial restraint and good sense.
Thabo Mbeki
Already accused of hampering his country's fight against AIDS, South Africa's leader returned from a visit to Zimbabwe with remarks that chilled those who hoped for a continuation of the social peace arranged by Nelson Mandela. Mbeki expresed the thought that perhaps Zimbabwe's approach to the question of land distribution (race war and mass starvation) might be applied to South Africa.
2004 Predictions
Federal Election: a Liberal landslide; the destruction of the Bloc Quebecois; a modest revival of the NDP (though Svend Robinson loses his seat); a diminution in the number of Conservative seats but a gain for the Right in terms of regional representation.
Canada's Military: more disasters ahead for the over-stretched and underfunded armed forces. We pull out of Afghanistan, reduce our commitment to the Balkans and take a deep breath before we venture out again. Our submarines will continue to leak, our Sea Kings will continue to plummet and there will another scandal connected with the acquisition of the new helicopters.
American Election: the Democrats implode handing the November vote to Bush and the Republicans in a cake-walk. Barbara Streisand sets fire to herself in protest outside the United Nations building. Alec Baldwin moves to Paris; the Dixie Chicks move to Halifax and rename themselves the Maritime Maids; Michael Moore moves to Toronto and is named president of the CBC.
Sports: Detroit wins the Stanley Cup, Boston finally overcomes the Curse of the Bambino and take the World Series, Saskatchewan with a rejuvenated Henry Burris at QB brings home the Grey Cup.
Names I don’t care if I never hear again in 2004
Paris Hilton
Hans Blix
Britanny Spears
Laurier Lapierre
Sorry to See Them Go 2003
Gregory Peck, actor
Neil Postman, social critic
Walter Sisulu, South African civil rights leader
The "Columbia" shuttle astronauts
George Plimpton, writer
Keith Magnuson, Chicago Blackhawk
William Steig, artist
Mr Rogers, sweater model
Death Becomes Them 2003
Idi Amin, cannibal
Leni Riefenstahl, Nazi film-maker
Uday and Qusay Hussein, Doublemint Twins
Best Reason to Bring Back Public Disembowelment in 2004
Robert Mugabe
Dominique de Villepin
Their 15 Minutes Are Up
Madonna
Scott Brison
Al Gore