As 2011 draws to a close, the issue of Wikileaks disclosures remains to be resolved – a breach of trust to some, the right to know to others.
However, if one examines the record, it’s pretty hard to see much of a  threat to American (or intentional) security, in the disclosures by Wikileaks that has embarrassed   more

It was the noted atheist Christopher Hitchens who remarked in a debate before his untimely death last week, that if indeed there was “all-seeing god” watching over us, “it would be like living in North Korea.”
And now the latest in the family of hereditary dictators of North Korea has died at age about 69 –   more

In recent days, bullying in schools has been a hot topic for condemnation, with little in the way of solutions being offered.
While everyone deplores bullying, a sorry reality is that many people who oppose it are bullies themselves, without realizing it. And bullying takes many forms.  more

With the race for the Republican Presidential nomination now seemingly down to two candidates – Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney – suddenly Romney is in the uncharacteristic role of underdog.
Astonishingly (to me), polls show Gingrich some 10 points ahead of Romney in the upcoming Iowa primary; 8.6 points ahead in South Carolina; 16.5 ahead in   more

A virtue of minority governments in Canada is that the ruling party has got to pay attention to its Parliamentary opposition, and must negotiate compromises. A negative is that legislation can get mired in debate and nothing happens.
A virtue of majority governments is that worthwhile legislation that couldn’t be passed in minority days, can get whistled   more

According to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the reaction to the Paris fire-bombing of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is another example of how fearful Western society is of offending Islamic extremists.
Hirsi Ali is the Somali woman who fled to Europe to escape an arranged marriage with someone in Toronto. She went to university and was   more

It’s understandable why Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou wants to hold a referendum before implementing draconian financial restraints that will cause riots, clashes with police, car burnings, acts of vandalism, and anarchy.
He knows what has to be done, but undoubtedly supposes that if a majority of Greeks support austerity measures, that will neutralize hostility on the   more

I’ve not read reviews of Conrad Black’s new book, A Matter of Principle, but it’s a remarkable work — unlike any of its kind that I’ve ever read. It tells the story of his Chicago trial and subsequent conviction.  more

The most noteworthy aspect of the rebellion in Libya and today’s death of Muammar Gaddafi is that it took so long.
When the rebellion started last February — catching the world by surprise, since it was spontaneous and without advance planning — it was initially expected to be quick and decisive.  more

Here we go again!
Another conspiracy theory – this time by a woman who has written a 600-page book (Me and Lee) claiming she and Lee Harvey Oswald were lovers and that instead of assassinating President John Kennedy in 1963, he was trying to save him. That might seem a stretch to some, but Judyth Vary Baker,   more

If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: Mitt Romney is the only sensible choice Republicans have for their presidential candidate in 2012. The exciting choice would have been New Jersey Governor Chris Christie who, in any debate or personal appearance, would have demolished rivals – Republican or Democrat.  more

The last time I was in Russia was 1982, communism was a fading but malignant power … Leonid Brezhnev was near death, and KGB boss Yuri Andropov was about to take over (and would die within a year).
At the time there was widespread, orchestrated paranoia over President Ronald Reagan’s supposed “Neutron bomb” that was depicted   more

Will the Liberals merge with the NDP? It ain’t going to happen.
Yes, there is speculation and there’ll be debate, but the likelihood of the leaderless NDP and the deflated federal Liberals merging into one cohesive party, seems as unlikely as … well, as unlikely as the NDP winning 59 of 75 federal seats in Quebec.
Still, it   more

Michael Coren’s inaugural show of The Arena on Sun TV was a tour de force featuring author-columnist Mark Steyn, the fearless Ann Coulter, a laid-back Juan Willams and Muslim moderate Tarek Fatah.
Most provocative was Mark Steyn, who cited an International Monetary Fund prediction that China will be the world’s dominant economic power by 2015.
What’s more, Steyn   more

It’s not necessary to have a conspiratorial mind, to be suspicious or cynical about Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the convicted Lockerbie bomber, still being alive–albeit not thriving–in Libya.
The guy was supposed to be dead within three months of being released to Libya and Moammar Qaddafi in 2009 from a life sentence in Scotland on curious compassionate   more

The funeral is done, the mourning crowds have dispersed, the media has turned to other things – but in the wake of Jack Layton’s too-early death at age 61, he has somehow become an icon, sanctified as a symbol for a better Canada.
By dying at the peak of his political career, before he’d achieved much,   more

From the widespread reaction, you’d think the collapse of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime in Libya was a World War II-type victory.
In fact it took six months of U.S., Canadian, British, French and NATO air strikes–most of the target practice with no return fire–before the “rebels”  broke through to Tripoli.  more

By dying before his time at age 61, at the very peak of his political career, NDP leader Jack Layton is assured of a certain immortality, if not mythology.
Political reality takes a back seat in light of the outpouring of grief and affection for the gritty socialist who broke away from his family’s conservative roots   more

Can there be anyone in the civilized world who didn’t feel a surge of empathy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he responded to the death of seven Israelis at the hands of terrorists from Gaza?
Most elected leaders would go on the air at such an obscenity and attempt to reassure their people. But   more

Some 30 years ago, my family and I went to the Galapagos Islands, rented a cabin cruiser and (sort of) followed the path of Charles Darwin, who had visited the islands in the 1830s and came up with his theory on the origin of species.
A fond memory is slogging deep into one of the islands   more