As IF Times

link Canada government defeated in non-confidence vote – Yahoo! News.

There’s an ancient anecdote about a movie that was made about the lives of an husband and wife team of brilliant scientists.  As they were watching the movie depiction, during a particularly steamy love scene, the real life wife leaned over to her husband and whispered, ” I don’t remember it being like this”.  The husband responded, “that my dear is because they are professionals and we are only amateurs”.  This stupid story reminds me of what has just happened in Canada.

The opposition parties have ganged up on the minority Conservative party to force the 4th federal election in 7 years.  Apparently, the opposition Liberal and NDP parties are expressing the mandate of  “the people” in pushing for a vote.  There is no anecdotal evidence that anyone wants another election, but hey, they are the professionals, so they must have some special insight.

If anyone has noticed, Canada at the moment is a bastion of calm both politically and economically in a world where everywhere else there is chaos and uncertainty.  There are no religious or cultural protests in the streets.  There are no burnings of effigies.  We are not at war with anyone.  There are no massive bank failures.  There is no imploding real estate sinkhole.  The currency is at an all time high versus the U.S. counterpart, our main trade partner.  The economy overall is strong with worldwide demand for our commodity products.  Thank goodness we have the Liberals and NDP willing to come to the rescue and save Canadians from all of this disaster.

The professional politicians are at it again.  The leaders of the opposition parties, Ignatieff and Layton,  both lack experience in any executive capacity; they are either academics or of some other crazed ideological bent that want to foist some tired notions of socialism upon the nation.  We know how that worked out just across the border to the south.  A handful of entitled people, otherwise unemployable, pushing their  mandate upon 35 million others who are living lives of relative tranquility.  For the benefit of these idiots, the way the  nation is running now is the way it’s supposed to be when things work.  The only thing they don’t like is that they’re not in charge.  These are people whose only role in life has been to suck on the nation’s political teat.  Let’s hope the amateurs rise up and make these ‘professionals’ pursue new professions in the next election.   I hear Cuba is looking for new leadership.

link Anti-government protests in Libya – Yahoo! News Photos.

Here’s a brilliant idea for a business and it’s amazing no one has thought of it sooner.  The effigy business.  In particular of political figures.  Naturally, the American figures will be the most popular since it’s pretty much expected that demand for them will be at a constant high level.  We can be sure of both domestic and international demand.  Someone could have a warehouse stocked with effigies of the current President at the ready, for immediate shipment to any hot spot in the world.  Imagine the money that could have been made during George Bush’s term in office.  It’s likely that he had more effigies and images burnt of him than even Ronald Reagan when he occupied the Presidency.   The fact that they are burning Obama effigies is a bit surprising given that his ascent to power was supposed to appease the masses.  But I guess there’s no pleasing some people. 

On the other hand, sensibilities aren’t what they used to be.  A president can be burnt in effigy now at the slightest of provocations.  Because of the volatile temperaments of many in the middle east, the President’s effigy could be burnt only because  he backed the wrong sports team, which by coincidence, he generally does.  The recent round of Obama burning was caused by Qaddafi loyalists unhappy over the U.S.’s recent bombing campaign in Libya.  Well, you just can’t win.  If Obama had bombed the other side, perhaps someone would have torched an entire airplane of people in real life, never mind effigies.

However, these impolite acts of disrespect shouldn’t faze this or any President.  Obviously, you can’t have all the people love you.  There are people who don’t like Ronald McDonald and he represents food and laughter.  What chance does a guy have who drops Prius-sized bombs on people?  They should take the perspective of the Chinese.  In that culture, images of consumer goods are burnt at the sending off of a deceased person so that they may receive them in the afterlife.  Imagine if this were to actually work.  When the Muslim martyrs arrive in heaven to receive their 24 virgins, they’ll also be met by the countless amounts of American Presidents they burnt during their protests.     Allah may be great, but hopefully he also has a sense of humor.