Conservatives and the Environment

Who called climate change "perhaps the biggest threat to confront humanity today?"  Was it David Suzuki?  Al Gore?  Pope Francis?  Greta Thunberg?  Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama?  Justin Trudeau?  Joe Biden?  If you guessed any of those names, you'd be wrong.  It was Stephen Harper, former Conservative prime minister of Canada.  Harper made that statement on June 4, 2007 in a speech in Berlin, Germany, just steps from the Brandenburg Gate.  In that speech, he called for an international consensus on climate change.  He declared that "Canada will be at the forefront, as a green energy superpower."  My, how times have changed!  I wonder if Stephen Harper would be emphasizing the importance of the environment if he were prime minister today.

April 22nd was Earth Day and I couldn't help thinking how conservatives have turned their back on the environment.  They have abandoned a basic principle of conservatism.  According to the Meriam-Webster Dictionary, the word "conserve" means to keep in a safe or sound state, especially to avoid wasteful or destructive use of, as in conserve natural resources, conserve our wildlife.  

There was a time when conservatives actually did something about the environment.  Former Canadian prime  Brian Mulroney, who died recently, is known for his environmental record.  His most significant environmental achievement was the integral role he played in bringing about the Canada-U.S. acid rain treaty.  In 1991, Mulroney and U.S. President George H.W. Bush committed to curbing acid rain by reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides through a cap and trade system.

It was the Progressive Conservatives, under Brian Mulroney. who convened a global treaty to save the ozone layer in 1987, and who composed the original Environmental Act that became Canadian law in 1988.  During Mulroney's tenure, eight new national parks were created and implemented.  To his credit, Mulroney called for collaboration with the United States to deal with global warming.  He stressed the need to work in tandem with Americans to reduce emissions.

Brian Mulroney

Let's look at Canada's carbon tax history.  It begins in March 2007 in oil-rich Alberta.  Ed Stelmach, a Progressive Conservative, was premier of the province when Alberta became the first jurisdiction to legislate greenhouse gas reductions from large industrial polluters by means of a carbon levy.  Imagine the current right wing premier Alberta, Danielle Smith and her United Conservative Party supporting such a levy!   Today's Canadian conservatives, including federal Conservative leader Pierre Pollievre, are determined to "axe the tax."

In April of 2007, British Columbia teamed up with five U.S. states to form the Western Climate Initiative-a market-based group with the purpose of combatting climate change.  Ontario and Quebec joined up later.  In May of 2008, John Baird, Canada's environment minister, and a member of the Conservative Party, described carbon trading as a "key part" of the governments emission plan in holding oil and gas producers and coal-fired power plants to account.  In July of that same year, British Columbia became the first province to implement a carbon tax, with proceeds returned to tax payers.

In the United States, it was then-president Richard Nixon, a conservative Republican, who proposed the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 9, 1970.  The EPA was launched on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order establishing the ERA.  The EPA was approved by committee hearings in the House of Representatives and the Senate.  Nixon also signed the National Scenic Trails Act in 1968.

       

Conservatives have changed their position on the environment so drastically because they have shifted further to the right.  In recent years, Canadian conservatives, along with their American counterparts in the Republican Party, have come to view ecological protection as an attack on freedom and affordability.  This includes not only climate change, but protection for forests, endangered species and the banning of single-use plastic bags.  They echo the voice of Donald Trump and his supporters who consider climate change to be a hoax and they refuse to listen to the warnings of  scientists.  Sadly, during Trump's four years in the Oval Office, the United States really lost ground in the fight to preserve our earth from environmental disaster.  Big Oil will certainly be pleased if he is returned to office in November, but it will a tragedy for our planet.  

This anti-environmentalism is not only happening among conservatives in Canada and the United States.  It appears to be occurring around the world.  Brazil's former president, Jair Bolosonaro, as well and India's government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi are prime examples. Unfortunately, anti-environmentalism has become a calling card of the global right.

As scientists have pointed out, humanity doesn't have the luxury of time on its side.  While wildfires rage, floods rise, and glaciers melt, conservatives turn a blind eye.  They are living in a la la land.  They don't want to believe it is happening.

SOURCES: Government of Canada archives, "Prime Minister Stephen Harper Calls for International Consensus on Climate Change," Transcript of Speech, June 4, 2007; The Walrus, :"Why Conservatives Turned against the Environment," by Arno Kopecky, January 1-, 2024; Wikipedia

- Joanne

Stanley Cup Quiz 2024

The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, so this is a good good time to test your knowledge of Lord Stanley's Jug. and the history surrounding it.  Are you ready?  Get set and good luck!

1.  The Vancouver Canucks have never won a Stanley Cup.  However, a team based in Vancouver did win he Stanley Cup in 1915.  Here is the team's logo.  What was the name of that team?

A.  The Vancouver Canadians

B.  The Vancouver Voyageurs

C.  The Vancouver Millionaires

D.  The Vancouver Miners

E.  The Vancouver Lions

2.   Who has won the most Stanley Cups as a player?

A.  Maurice "Rocket" Richard

B.  Henri Richard

C.  Gordie Howe

D.  George Armstrong

E.  Guy Lafleur

3.  What was the first American-based team to win the Stanley Cup?

A.  The Boston Bruins

B.  The New York Rangers

C.  The New York Americans

D.  The Seattle Metropolitans

E.  The Chicago Blackhawks

4.  When did the Boston Bruins win their first Stanley Cup?

A.  1932

B.  1929

C.  1933

D.  1938

E.  1928

5.  Why was the Stanley Cup halted in 1919?

A.  A labour dispute

B.  Too many players had not returned from World War I.  Many of those who had returned were not ready to play.

C.  Lack of funds to hold the event due the costs of World War I.

D.  The Spanish Flu

E.  The Stanley Cup championship was not halted in 1919.

6.  Who started the ritual of players skating around with the Stanley Cup over their head?

A.  Jean Beliveau

B.  George Armstrong

C.  Ted Lindsay

D.  Wayne Gretzky

E.  Phil Esposito

7.   Who was Lord Stanley of Preston, for whom the Stanley Cup is named?

Lord Stanley of Preston

A.  Governor General of Canada

B.  A British prime minister

C.  A British banker

D.   A Canadian prime minister

E.   The British High Commissioner to Canada

8.   How many times have the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup?

A.  10

B.  12

C.  15

D.  14

E.  13

9.  Who was the youngest NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup?

A.  Wayne Gretzky

B.  Sidney Crosby

C.  Jean Beliveau

D.  Connor McDavid

E.  Maurice "Rocket" Richard

10.  Who has captained the most NHL Stanley Cup teams?

A.  George Armstrong

B.  Jean Beliveau

C.  Wayne Gretzky

D.  Maurice "Rocket" Richard

E.  Sidney Crosby

11.  How many times have the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup?

A.  8 times

B.  7 times

C.  4 times

D.  6 times

E.  9 times

ANSWERS

1.  C

1915 Vancouver Millionaires

The Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) won the Stanley Cup on March 26, 1915.  They defeated the National Hockey Association's Ottawa Senators in a best-of-five series.  It was the first Stanley Cup championship approved by the Cup's trustees and played under a new agreement between National Hockey Association (NHA) the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.  To date, this is the only Stanley Cup victory for the city of Vancouver.

2.  B  

Henri Richard

Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens won an impressive 11 Stanley Cups, starting from the 1955-1956 season and continuing through the 1972-1973 season.  Known as the Pocket Rocket, Henri was the brother of Maurice Richard.

3.  D

The first American-based team to win the Stanley Cup was the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL).  They defeated the famed Montreal Canadiens to capture the best-of- five series in four games.

The New York Rangers became the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in 1928.  

4.  B

In 1929, the Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers to win their first Stanley Cup.  They did not win again until a decade later, in 1939.  The Bruins have won a total of six Stanley Cups.  They also won in 1941, 1970, 1972 and 2011.   

5.  D

The Stanley Cup competition was halted in 1919 due to the Spanish Flu pandemic.  The series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans was tied at two games each, but it was never completed.  The Stanley Cup was also cancelled in 2005 due to a lockout.

6,  C

Lindsay with Stanley Cup in 1950

The ritual of skating around with the Stanley Cup began in 1950, when Ted Lindsay, captain of the Detroit Red Wings, who won the Cup that year, skated around the rink, holding the Cup over his head.

7.  A

Frederick Arthur Stanley, Baron Stanley of Preston (1841-1908) was the Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893.  In 1892, he donated the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup with a message stating the following: "I have for some time been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion of Canada."

8.  E

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup 13 times in their stored history, in 1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967.  Only the Montreal Canadiens have won more Cups.  They have won the championship 24 times.

9.  B

Sidney Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup when he led the Pittsburgh Penguins to victory in 2009.  Crosby, born August 7, 1987, was 21 years, 10 months at the time.  The youngest captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy was Mike Grant of the 1895 Montreal Victorias, who was 21 years, two months at the time.

10.  B  

Jean Beliveau

Maurice Richard

Jean Beliveau took over as captain of the Montreal Canadiens after the retirement of Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1960.  As captain, Beliveau led the Canadiens to five Stanley Cup victories.  During his career, Beliveau played in 17 Stanley Cup playoffs for Montreal, winning the Cup in 1956-60, 1965-1966, 1968-1969 and 1971.

Maurice "Rocket" Richard won eight Stanley Cup championships (four as captain) during his career with the Montreal Canadiens.  Richard 18 seasons in the National Hockey league for Montreal beginning his career in the 1942-1943 season.  When he entered his 15th NHL season in 1956-57, his teammates named him captain.  As captain, he led the Canadiens to four of the five Stanley Cups that Montreal won between 1956 and 1960.  

George Armstrong won four Stanley Cups in 12 years as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Wayne Gretzky also won four Stanley Cups as the captain of the Edmonton Oilers during the 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87 and 1987-1988 seasons.  Sydney Crosby has won three Stanley Cups as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins - 2008-2009, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.  As of this writing, Connor McDavid has yet to win a Stanley Cup as captain of the Edmonton Oilers.

11.  D

The Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup six times in their history as a franchise - 1933, 1937, 1961, 2010, 2013 and 2015.

- Joanne

Trump vs. Biden

 

Trump mug shot.  He looks quite presidential, doesn't he?  Yeah, right!

Two peas in a pod

On November 5, 2024, the choice will be yours, America.  You will choose between democracy and despotism, freedom and authoritarianism, the rule of law and chaos.  Keep in mind, however, that your choice will affect the whole world.  Keep in mind what happened to Germany in the 1930s.  

The world will be watching, America. because American democracy cannot withstand another Trump presidency.  As Trump's  niece has stated, he is the most dangerous man in the world.  So many Americans are so brainwashed by Fox News and social media that they cannot distinguish between facts and conspiracy theories.  In their blurry eyes, those arrested for their actions on January 6th, 2021 are hostages. They are so blinded that they cannot see the difference between a man who led an insurrection to overthrow American democracy and the imperfect decency of President Joe Biden.  

Donald Trump is not fit to be president and he should be nowhere near the Oval Office.  The future of humanity rests upon the voters of America.

- Joanne

With love to Newfoundland and Labrador: The province joined Confederation 75 years ago

I live in Toronto.  As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians like to say, I come from away.   However, I have the greatest regard for the province and its people.  To me, Newfoundlanders are the salt of the earth.  I have only visited the province once, in the summer of 2001.  Due to time constraints, I travelled mostly within the Avalon Peninsula.  However, I was left with a lasting impression, and  I will never forget the friendliness and welcoming attitude of the people. Nor will and forget the beautiful lighthouses and the whale watching,  I hope someday to return and visit some more of the province.

I love the colourful houses in St, John's.  During my visit, I took a a boat ride in St. John's harbour, along with a black Newfoundland retriever.  On the boat, I kissed a cod, tasted some Newfoundland Screech (a local rum), and became an honorary Newfoundlander.  Of course, I toured Memorial University and Signal Hill.  

While I was visiting St. John's, there was an apartment fire in the city.  The community immediately got together and organized a concert of Newfoundland music to raise money for those whose property was damaged and destroyed.  My husband and I attended that concert at Mile One Arena, now known as Mary Brown's Centre.  

During my Newfoundland vacation, I also visited Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America.  I'll never forget the rugged cliffs and the strong winds.  I also spent time in Terra Nova National Park, Trinity Dungeon Provincial Park near Bona Vistas and Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve.  Cape St. Mary's is a great place to enjoy watching seabirds.  In addition, I went to Ferryland, where the first Lord Baltimore tried to establish a settlement.in the 17th century.  It is now an excavation site for archaeologists,  Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to visit Gros Morne National Park or Labrador.

Newfoundlanders are Canada's premier comedians.  One only has to list names such as Rick Mercer, Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones and Mark Critch.  Over the years, I have enjoyed watching 22 Minutes, and The Rick Mercer Report on the CBC.  I am a fan of Son of a Critch, Mark Critch's delightful ode to coming of age in Newfoundland.in the 1980s.

In 2001, the people of Gander, Newfoundland, displayed their generous and welcoming spirit to travellers stranded at the Gander Airport due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The story has been made into an uplifting musical called Come from Away, which I have seen.

Newfoundland joined Confederation at midnight on March 31, 1949, becoming Canada's tenth province.  Until then, it was a British colony.  Some portion of Newfoundland's  coast was one of the first parts of North America seen by Europeans.  About a thousand years ago, Vikings settled in a seaside outpost in Newfoundland known as L'Anse aux Meadows.  Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to visit L'Anse aux Meadows.in 2001.

In 1497, Italian explorer and navigator Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot)  landed in North America.  The exact location is disputed.  It may have been southern Labrador, the island of Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island.  Nevertheless, Cabot claimed the territory, which he had mistaken for Asia, in the name of Henry VII of England. 

From 1907 to 1949, Newfoundland was a British dominion in eastern North America.  In the 1920s, Newfoundland was in debt.  The Great Depression of the 1930s, exacerbated its financial problems.  In 1934, facing bankruptcy, Newfoundland's leaders decided to suspend responsible government.  They agreed to accept an unelected Commission Government directed by Britain.

During World War II, Newfoundland became an important military strategic base.  Prosperity returned to Newfoundland, due to miliary investment.  In 1946, an elected National Convention was established to consider Newfoundland's future.  There was a lively debate about whether to join Canada or to return to responsible government.  Convention members, especially Joey Smallwood, contended that living standards would improved if Newfoundland became a Canadian province.  The Confederation choice was even encouraged by Britain.

In a June 3, 1948 referendum, the responsible government option garnered 44.6 percent of the vote, while the pro-Confederation side received 41.1 percent and the Commission Government option received 14.3 percent.  Nevertheless, a run-off vote was held on July 22, 1948 between responsible government and Confederation, with Confederation receiving 52.34 percent of the vote and self-government 47.66 percent.  

By 1949, Newfoundland had erased its debts and recorded a surplus.  Joey Smallwood became the new province's first premier and a celebrated Father of Confederation.  Sadly, the province suffered the economic impact of the 1992 moratorium on cod fishing, imposed by the Canadian government.  This was done for the purpose of restoring cod stocks that had been depleted due to overfishing.  In 2015, two reports on cold fishery indicated that stocks my have recovered somewhat.  However, in June of 2018, the federal government felt compelled to reduce the cod quote because stocks had once again fallen after only two years of fair catches.

Thank you Newfoundland and Labrador.  This Torontonian appreciates all you have contributed to Canada.  Congratulations on the 75th anniversary of your entry into Confederation.

- Joanne

Easter Reflections in Troubled Times

 

Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let the earth her song begin;

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ the Lord is risen

Our joy that hath no end.

- Saint John of Damascenus, in The Congregational Hymn Book: Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship (1881)

It is Easter 2024 and humanity is at a crossroads.  The world seems full of atrocities and human suffering, and democracy is under assault.  With Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, war in the Middle East, the threat of climate change, and the possible election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the world seems engulfed in madness.  More than ever, people of all faiths need to find solace and hope.  

It is disconcerting that so many Evangelical Christians in the United States have lost their way.  Some actually believe that Donald Trump was sent by God to save America.  From what?  To me, this is blasphemy and sacrilege.  Trump is a con man and he is shamelessly hawking "God Bless the USA" Bibles for $60.  The former president faces expensive legal battles, and he is taking advantage of people's faith to raise money.  Not only that, but he is doing so during Holy Week, the most solemn period in the Christian calendar.  Evangelicals who support Trump should be reminded of the Biblical story of how Jesus drove the moneylenders from the temple.  

“It is a bankrupt Christianity that sees a demagogue co-opting our faith and even our holy scriptures for the sake of his own pursuit of power and praise him for it rather than insist that we refuse to allow our sacred faith and scriptures to become a mouthpiece for an empire,” 

- Rev. Benjamin Cremer, American pastor, writer, B.A. in Religion, M.A. om Spiritual Formation, M.A. in Theological Studies.

God is just and merciful, not Donald Trump.  Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, not Donald Trump.  Shame on Evangelicals and other so-called Christians who follow Trump as a false god.  There is a need to get back to to basic tenets of Christianity, which are clearly set out by Jesus in two commandments: Love God and love your neighbour as yourself.  I am ecumenical and I believe that ecumenicalism should be extended beyond the unity of Christian churches.   People of all faiths are required to live by the Golden Rule . . .Do unto others . . .  Christians, Jews and Muslims are all children of Abraham.  They all worship the God of Abraham.

People of faith should greatly respect adherents of non-monotheistic religions, such as Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.  They should also respect agnostics and atheists, many who behave in a more Christian fashion than those purporting to be Christians.  The spiritual beliefs of Indigenous peoples should also be greatly respected.  

Here is a Muslim view of respect for other faiths:

As Muslims, we ought to respect all religions in their pristine form as revealed by Allah.  The Quran reiterates the fact that God has blessed every nation by sending prophets and messengers proclaiming the perennial message of Divine Oneness: Worship one and only God and renounce false gods."

- Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario.

I am a Christian, but I am not a fundamentalist.  The Bible is not a history book, and it should not be treated as such.   Neither am a "Christian nationalist."   I don't believe that God favours one nation above all others, or that God favours a particular sports team.  Yes, I think that family is very important.  It is one of the backbones of society.  No, I don't think "anything goes."  I believe in God, but  I don't believe that God is an old man with a white beard and a baritone voice, who happens to speak English.  God is a mystery, and a Supreme Being does not have a gender.  

Yes, there is evil.  How else would one describe Nazi Germany?  The devil, dressed in red and wearing goat horns, is merely a figurative representation of that evil.  I  do not believe in a literal hell of fire and brimstone. I believe that hell is separation from God.  I do not believe in a literal heaven of pearly gates and harps.  I believe that heaven is a spiritual experience that is beyond human comprehension.  Finally, I also believe that no one has all the answers.  Be wary of those who refer to themselves as "true believers."

Happy Easter to all who celebrate.  Peace and joy to believers and non-believers alike, and to the Jewish brethren who will begin celebrating Passover on April 22nd, as well as the Muslim brethren during their holy month of Ramadan.

- Joanne

Why Justice is Blindfolded

Jimmy Kimmel

On Oscar night, Jimmy Kimmel read out a scathing review of his performance as host of the ceremonies.  He then informed the audience that the review came from none other than Donald Trump.  In response, Kimmel quipped< "Isn't it past your jail time?"  Jimmy was exactly right.  In addition to running for president, for which he should never have been allowed to do, Trump faces countless legal challenges and felony charges.  Why would he even have time to attack Jimmy Kimmel?  The answer is that he is so deranged that he has to attack anyone who criticizes him or does not support him.  In his world, you are either a Trumper or a Never Trumper.  Never Trumpers must be attacked and destroyed.  

It's more than past time for Trump to finally face accountability for his words and actions.  If found guilty by a jury, he should go directly to prison.  There should be no Jail Free Card for a sitting president or a former president.  Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer and "fixer."  He pleaded guilty to eight counts, including campaign-finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud.  Cohen claimed he broke campaign-finance laws, at Trump's direction, for the purpose of influencing the 2016 presidential election.  In December of 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison and a $50,000 fine,  He was also disbarred from practicing law in the state of New York.  In May of 2019, he reported to a federal prison.  In November of  2021, he completed his sentence.

Paul Manafort, a long-time Republican campaign consultant, chaired Donald Trump's presidential campaign from June to August 2016.  In March 2019, Manafort was sentenced to 47 months (almost four months) in prison for defrauding banks and the government, as well as failing to pay taxes on the  millions he earned as a consultant for Ukrainian politicians.  In May of 2020, due to the danger of COVID-19, Manfort was released to home confinement.  On December 23, 2020, he was pardoned by Donald Trump, his good buddy.  

Cohen aul Manafort are convicted felons.  They were sent to prison for crimes they committed in support of  Trump or to enrich themselves.  Yet Trump has managed to delay his day of reckoning.  That has been his grand strategy.  If he delays long enough, he hopes to evade justice through presidential immunity.  What gives hm the right to think he should be treated differently from anyone else?  No one, not a king, president, vice president or prime minister is above the law.  The United States Declaration of Independences states clearly, "All men are created equal."  It does not say that some are more equal than others.  Lady Justice is blindfolded for a good reason.

WHY IS LADY JUSTICE BLINDFOLDED?

Traditionally, justice has been depicted as a blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword. The scales represent a fair balance of arguments in a legal case.  The doble-edged sword signifies that judgements can go either way, depending on the evidence and circumstances brought forth by both parties in a dispute.  The blindfold is intended to show that justice is impartial and should be delivered without regard to wealth, power or social status.  In an ideal justice system, impartiality and objectivity are paramount,  Therefore, the American justice system should treat Donald Trump no differently from anyone else. 

In April of 2023, Trump became the first sitting or former president to appear in court to face criminal charges.  He was criminally indicted in a New York investigation into a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.  The payment, engineered by Michael Cohen, was made to protect Trump's presidential campaign from further scandal after his disastrous Access Hollywood  interview, in which he bragged about his ability to sexually abuse women.

Donald Trump claims that he has absolute immunity from being charged or jailed, even though he led a violent insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021.  He continually paints himself as the innocent victim of numerous witch hunts.  He contends that he has done nothing wrong, despite his criminal activities.  The fact is a large number of world leaders have been charged  or imprisoned, gong way back in history, including King Charles I  of England, who went on trial for treason against the state or "levying war against Parliament and the People."  Charles was found guilty and executed in 1649, so let's discuss some world leaders who have been imprisoned for crimes in more recent times.

SOME LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES AND IMPRISONED IN RECENT TIMES

Ivo Sanader

* In 2020, Ivo Sanader, the former prime minister of Croatia was found guilty of corruption.  He was sentenced to eight years in prison and is currently serving out his sentence.

Berlusconi

* On August 1, 2013, Silvio Berlusconi, former prime minister of Italy was convicted of tax fraud.  He received a four-year prison sentence and was prohibited from holding public office for two years.  Due to his age (he was 76), Berlusconi was exempted from direct imprisonment.  He served his sentence by doing unpaid community service.  Berlusconi died on June 12, 2023.

Jacques Chirac

Nicolas Sarkozy

* Two former French presidents were convicted of corruption.  In 2011, Jacques Chirac was convicted of corruption and given a two-year suspended prison sentence.  Chirac died in 2019.  In 2021, another former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, was convicted of corruption and influence peddling in two separate cases.  He received a sentence of three years in prison, two of them suspended and one in prison.  In May of  2023, Sarkozy lost his appeal against the conviction.  His three-year prison sentence was upheld, with two years suspended and the final year under home confinement with an electronic bracelet rather than in prison.

Moshe Katsav

Ehud Olmert

Netanyahu

* In 2011, Moshe Katsav, the former president of Israel, received a seven-year jail sentence for rape and other sexual offences.  Katsav served just over five years of his sentence.  In 2015, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert was convicted of fraud, breach of trust and tax evasion. The following year, Olmert was sentenced to 27 months in prison.  He served two-thirds of his sentence.  The current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is on trial for fraud, breach of trust and corruption.  He was indicted in 2019 in cases in which is charged with receiving gifts from wealthy friends and granting regulatory favours for media magnates in return for favourable coverage.

Jacob Zuma

* Former South African president, Jacob Zuma, was the the defendant in an ongoing corruption trial.  Zuma, who was president form 2009 until 2018, when he resigned under pressure  In December 2007, Zuma was chosen African National Congress (ANC)  president.  Later that month, he was recharged with money laundering, racketeering and tax evasion.  Despite many allegations of wrongdoing, which his supporters regarded as politically motivated, Zuma remained popular within his party.  In September of 2008, those charges were dismissed due to a legal technicality.  However, prosecutors vowed  to appeal the ruling, upsetting the ANC.  Weeks before the 2009 South African general election, the corruption charges against Zuma, as well as allegations of political interference, were spotlighted.  Nevertheless, the ANC won the election handily and Zuma became the country's president.

In June of 2021, Zuma was found to be in contempt of the Constitutional Court for refusing to take part in commission hearings.  He was arrested and sentenced to 15 months in jail.  He began serving his sentence in July, but in August underwent surgery for an undisclosed medical issue.  The following  month, he was granted medical parole and was permitted to serve the rest of his sentence from home.

Lee Myung-bak 

Park Geun-hye

* In 2020, former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 17 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement. In 2022, he was pardoned.  Another former president, Park Geun-hye, the first female to hold the position, was convicted in 2018 of charges related to bribery and coercion.  She received a 15-year prison term, but was pardoned in 2021.  

The conviction and imprisonment of a current or former president is not a novel event outside the United States.  The notion that any president or former president is absolutely immune to criminal prosecution is contrary to the impartiality which Lady Justice must upheld.  No, Donald Trump, you cannot shoot and kill someone on Fifth Avenue with impunity, even if your supporters won't hold it against you.

- Joanne

Warning Signs of a Cult

All the warning signs in this list apply to dictators such as North Korea's "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Un.  However, they also apply to Donald Trump and his political party, the former Republican Party.  It might as well be renamed the Trump Party.  It is a cult and Trump has complete control of it.

Trump ally, Michael Whatley, and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, have taken control of the so-called Republican National Committee (RNC),  Lara is the wife of Trump's son Eric.  She is now co-char of the Trump National Committee, while Michael Wheatly is the chair.  Donald Trump, of course, endorsed both of them.  Do you think they will dare question him or refuse to do his bidding?  If you do, you must be ready to buy some swampland in Florida.  

The fact is that Donald Trump has complete control and a total grip on the former Republican Party.  This, my friends, is a sad state of affairs for American democracy.  The hope is that someday a new conservative party, one that is democratic and respects the rule of law, will rise out of the ashes of this cult.

- Joanne

The truth about Mitch McConnell

 "There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day (January 6, 2021.) . . . A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name.  These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him."

Guess who said those words.  Nancy Pelosi?  Barack Obama?  Joe Biden?  Kamala Harris?  No!  It was not a Democrat who uttered those words about Donald Trump.  It was stalwart Republican Mitch McConnell, the current Senate Majority Leader.  Senator McConnell reprimanded Donald Trump in  February of 2021, in a speech on the Senate floor after the former president's second impeachment trial.  He made a blistering attack on Trump,, but then argued that it was unconstitutional to convict a president who was no long in office.  

In other words, McConnell believes that Trump was above the law, even when he no longer held the office of the presidency.  It is because of spineless Republican politicians such as Mitch McConnell and former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy that Donald Trump has become the Trump Party's prospective nominee for president.

McConnell was unequivical about Trump's responsibility for the uprising on January 6th.  Nevertheless, he has announced that he will be supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential election.  How can McConnell in good conscience endorse a man whom he described as responsible for an attack on American democracy?  

The answer is that McConnell has two major goals - to help Republicans hold on to power and to further increase his own wealth, and the wealth of other fat cats.  If you recall, when Barack Obama first took office as president, McConnell stated that "my number one priority is making sure Obama's a one term president."  It is not surprising, therefore that McConnell has chosen to endorse Trump.

Mitch McConnell did not say that his number one priority was to serve his country and o make life better for Americans.  Oh no!  Not McConnell.  He'd do anything to make Democrats look bad, even if it hurt his fellow Americans.  

Mitch McConnell

There are no words to express how sad and disgusted I am about the political situation in the United States.  The hypocrisy of Trump's Republican colleagues knows no bounds, especially now that Senator McConnell has decided to endorse Donald Trump for president, a man he once blamed for the  "disgraceful" January 6, 2021 attack.

How low can the so-called Republican Party go?  It is no longer a legitimate political party.  It is a cult movement, completely under control of a would-be dictator.  Those so-called Republicans are so completely beholden to Trump and power-hungry that they are willing to allow him to destroy American democracy.  They are willing to throw Ukraine under a bus because their Dear Leader, Trump, is a great admirer of Vladimir Putin.  If, God help humanity, Trump become president again, he will allow Putin to crush Ukraine.  An emboldened Putin will attack other countries.

With Trump's record, how many countries would allow such a corrupt and cruel man to run for president?  What is wrong with America?.  A great deal, I'm afraid.  Americans have parents and grandparents who made great sacrifices to stop Hitler and fascism.  Yet, many Americans are supporting a man who wants to bring fascism to America.  Trump has made no bones about it.  He has made it abundantly clear what he attends to do if he get his hands on power again.  The question American voters will be deciding in the nest election will be: Do you want American democracy to survive?

- Joanne

Champion of Working Men and Women?

Trump’s track record with unions isn’t as simple as he’d like to paint it. Though he spent much of the 2016 campaign railing against free trade deals and neoliberal economic policies that contributed to the decline of the American manufacturing sector and the outsourcing of blue-collar jobs, that’s just about the limit of his union-friendly perspective. As president, he sided with capital and managerial interests over labor at nearly every turn, appointing corporate-friendly lawyers to the National Labor Relations Board, supporting right-to-work laws that limited union organizing and dues collections in Republican states, and promising to veto the PRO Act, a bill that would override those state laws and boost labor organizing rights. Even at his rally, he talked up the tax cuts he passed in 2017, without mentioning that they disproportionately benefited corporations and corporate leaders.

- Christian Paz, Vox, September 28, 2023

Donald Trump likes to portray himself as a champion of the working class, and an astute businessman.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  However, Trump's supporters don't care about the facts.  They support him out of raw emotion, fueled by fear.  The facts do not resonate with those who have been fed a steady diet of lies from Fox News, although moderate Republicans and independents may be persuaded not to vote for Trump.

A 15,000-word New York Times report contradicted Trump's portrayal of himself as self-made billionaire who built up his fortune from a $1 million loan from his father, Fred Trump.  According to the 2018 Times report,  Trump and his father evaded gift and inheritance taxes by establishing a sham corporation and undervaluing assets.  In other words, they committed outright fraud.

According to The New York Times, ex-President Donald Trump procured at least $413 million from his father through the years, much of it from tax dodges.  The Times' information on the Trump finances was obtained  from over 100,000 pages of financial documents, including private tax returns.

If you think Trump is a clever businessman, think again!  Trump has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection six times for his companies.  This has been fact-checked buy The Washington Post.  During the 1980s, Trump was considered to be a dashing real estate investor.  When the state of New Jersey legalized gambling, Trump made a huge bet that Atlantic City would enjoy prosperity.  Accordingly, he obtained possession of three casinos, The Taj Mahal, the Trump Plaza and the Trump Castle, which by 1991 couldn't pay their debts.  By 1992, they had all declared bankruptcy.  

Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows companies to restructure or wipe out much their debt to other companies, creditors and shareholders while remaining in business under the management of a bankruptcy court.

Trump's debt was restructured, not liquidated.  

In November of 1992, A fourth property, the Plaza Hotel in New York, also declared bankruptcy after accumulating millions in debt.  A 49 per cent stake in the luxury hotel was given to Citibank and five other lenders.  Trump remained chief executive, but without being paid.  His role in the everyday operations of the hotel was taken away.  

Trump married his second wife, Marla Maples, at the swank property, overlooking Manhattan's Central Park.  According to Newsweek, Trump officially relinquished ownership of the Plaza Hotel in 1995.  He sold it for $325 million, losing around $83 million in the change of ownership;

Trump's three casino bankruptcies occurred during the recession of the early 1990s and the Gulf War, which further exacerbated the difficulties in Atlantic City's gambling industry.  After 1992, Trump placed his casino holdings into a new company called Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts.  It went bankrupt in 2004, after amassing $1.8 billion in debt.  Trump Entertainment Resorts, the company that emerged from that restructuring declared bankruptcy in 2009 after being hit by the 2008 recession.  

Trump has never filed personal bankruptcy, only corporate bankruptcy associated with his business dealings.  He claims that he has never gone bankrupt, which is probably a half-truth.  However, the way his current legal woes are mounting, he may be forced to declare personal bankruptcy as he struggles to pay the $454 million he owes from his New York fraud trial.

It is a total fallacy that Donald Trump is a champion of working men and women.  Would a champion of the working man support tax breaks for billionaires?  During the recent autoworkers strike, it was President Joe Biden who stood alongside the picketers.  Biden became the first sitting president of the United States to join a picket line.  

- Joanne

Number 16 Oscars Quiz 2024

The 96th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024.  The live show will start at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. on ABC and will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  It will also be live-streamed on the ABC app, which requires a cable subscription.  Streaming services such as Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling TV and DirectTV Stream will also provide access to the event through ABC on their platforms.  This year's Oscars will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.  As you prepare for the big night, why not challenge yourself and try Number 16's 12th annual Oscars quiz. There are 11 questions. Good luck!

NUMBER 16 OSCARS QUIZ

1.  A new category will be added to the Academy Awards beginning in 2026.  What is the category?

A.  Best Box Office Success

B.  Best Musical

C.  Achievement in Casting

D.  Best Historical Documentary Film

E.   None of the Above

2.  Which film earned Steven Spielberg his first Academy Award for best director?

Steven Spielberg

A,  Schindler's List

B.  E.T: the Extra-Terrestrial

C.  Saving Private Ryan

D  Jaws

E.  Close Encounters of the Third Kind

3.  Steven Spielberg was one of the producers of  film that was nominated for Best Picture in 2024.  Name that film.

A.  The Fabelman's

B.  Maestro

C.  The Holdovers

D.  Anatomy of a Fall

E.  Oppenheimer

4.  In which year were the Academy Awards first broadcast internationally?

A.  1966

B.  1959

C.  1965

D.  1969

E.  1970

5.  How many Academy Awards has Clint Eastwood won?

Clint Eastwood

A.  3

B.  4

C.  2

D.  1

E.   None

6.  Paul Giomatti has been nominated in 2024 for a Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in The Holdovers.  Has Giomatti ever won a Oscar?\

Paul Giomatti

A.  Yes, he won an Oscar on 2006 for  Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cinderella Man.

B.  Yes, he won an Oscar in 2005 for Best Leading Actor in Sideways.

C.  Yes, he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Illusionist in 2007.

D.  Yes, he won a Best Leading Actor Oscar for Best Leading Actor for American Splendor in 2004.

E.  No, Paul Giomatti has never won an Osccar.

7.  In 2024, Ryan Gosling was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ken in the film Barbie.  Where was Ryan Gosling born?

Ryan Gosling

A.  Chicago, Illinois, USA

B.  Los Angeles, California, USA.

C.  London, England, UK

D.  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

E.  London, Ontario, Canada

8.  Did Hollywood star Ginger Rogers ever win an Academy Award?

Ginger Rogers

A.

B.

C.  Yes, she won an Oscar for Best Actress for the leading role the 1940 film Kitty Foyle.

D.

E.  No, she never won an Oscar.

9.  Who was the first woman to host the Oscars solo?

A.  Jane Fonda

B.  Whoopi Goldberg

C.  Liza Minnelli

D.  Goldie Hawn

E.  Shirley MacLaine

10.  For what film did Whoopi Goldberg win an Academy Award?

A. The Color Purple

B.  Sister Act

C.  Ghost

D.  None of the Above

E.  She has never won an Oscar.

11.  How many Spanish-born actors have won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading or Supporting Role.

A. None

B.  3

C.  2

D.  1

E.  4

ANSWERS

1.  C

Achievement in Casting is the new category.  It will begin in 2026, for films released in 2025.  This is the first new category created by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science since 2002 for Best Animated Feature Film, which was won by Shrek.  

With this new category, casting directors will finally get the recognition they deserve.  The Casting Directors Branch, formed in 2013, has almost 160 members.

2.  A

Steven Spielberg has received eight Academy Award nominations for Best Director, including two wins.  He won his first Oscar in 1994 as director for the 1993 film Schindler's List.  In 1999, he won his second Academy Award for Best Director for the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan.  Spielberg received Best Director nominations for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, West Side Story, Lincoln, and Munich.

3.  B

Spielberg was one of the producers of the film Maestro, which is based on the life of conductor Leonard Bernstein.  Spielberg was originally set to direct Maestro, but he decided to let Bradley Cooper, who plays 

4.  D

The  Academy Awards were first broadcast internationally in 1969.

5.  B

Clint Eastwood has won four Oscars.  He has received Academy Awards for Best Director  for Unforgiven in 1993, Best Picture for Unforgiven in 1993., Best Director for Million Dollar Baby in 2005 and Best Picture for Million Dollar Baby in 2005.

6,  E  

No, Paul Giomatti has never won an Oscar.  His nomination for the Holdovers is his second nomination.  In 2006, Giomatti was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cinderella Man.

7.  E

Ryan Gosling was born in London, Ontario, Canada on November 12, 1980.  His nomination for Barbie is his third Oscar nomination.  He was previously nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Half Nelson in 2007 and La La Land in 2017.

8. C

Ginger and James Stewart with Oscars in 1941

Ginger Roges won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1941 for her performance in the 1940 film Kitty Foyle.

9.  B

Whoopi hosting the Oscars in 1994.

Whoopi Goldberg was the first woman to host the Oscars solo in 1994.  Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, Shirley MacLean and Liza Minnelli all served as co-hosts.  Goldberg hosted again in 1996, 1999 and 2002.

10.  C

In 1991, Whoopi Goldberg won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1990 film Ghost.  In 1986, She was nominated for a Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1985 film The Color Purple, but did not win.

11.  D 

Javier Bardem

Only one Spanish-born actor has one the Best Actor in a Leading Role.  In 2008, Javier Bardem, born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for his performance for the film No Country for Old Men (2007).  

- Joanne