Kohail to be murdered by Saudi state ?

In a defiant show of utter disdain for any form of common sense, the Saudi justice system just delivered the country's already tainted image another blow. Mohammed Kohail's lawyer was thrown out of court after the reading of the appeal form, and the session proceeded without him. As if this wasn't enough, the CBC reports that the lawyer was also threatened with revocation of his license, I assume he is guilty of defending a potential source of international trouble and kicking up a fuss about the mediocrity the Saudi judiciary floats on.

If this travesty is allowed to proceed as many fear it will do, this amounts to nothing short of state-sanctioned murder of a person whose burden of guilt no-one cared to assess. Until the point of no return, hoping it never comes, Canada should use all diplomatic channels to plead for a fair trial.

Dan McTeague, criticizing Stockwell Day's raising of the issue with the head of the Saudi intelligence service shows once more the short-sightedness of the Liberal perspective. States of the like of Saudi Arabia rely on oppression, fear, snitches and secret information to keep them from imploding, thus the head of the intelligence service probably has more access to the highest ruling elites than the most senior member of government. Furthermore, Day merely used the chance to raise the issue with a member of the Saudi clique, as I am sure is being done at all levels.

We can only hope pragmatism shines some light into the Saudi cave of mediocrity and allows everyone to finally know what happened in that schoolyard and who is to blame.

Long Knives in the Liberal Camp

Liberal leader Stephane Dion desperately tries to maintain some order in his caucus by demoting capable critics and allowing rumours of major reshuffles to spread, hurting his most capable potential heirs such as Michael Ignatieff. Meanwhile, the CTV also presents us with some damning poll data from Dion's home province and his own hometown, Quebec city, showing the Liberals rock bottom and the Tories trailing the withering Bloc. L. Ian McDonald commented:

A leader without a base is like a prophet without a homeland

It is in dark times such as these that a wise leader abandons ego and desires for control and embraces the age-old wisdom: the best way to stay in power is to surround yourself with people brighter than you. People who can galvanize support, inspire trust and cast an image of professionalism and ability to discharge great duties. Dion is attempting to do the exact opposite, removing popular aides in order to give more prominence to the likes of Bob Rae. Although that might make him a little more popular in Ontario this is not a successful strategy for the remaining provinces.

It is not a safe route either, as Rae is an ambitious politician who no doubt eyes up the Liberal leadership without necessarily coming across as a viable alternative to Stephen Harper. A Rae leadership, though more colourful than Dion's, would be easier to fire on judging by the man's record in Ontario.

It is time for Dion to realize the danger he is putting his party in, resheath the knives and let a capable team of charismatic true leaders overshadow his blatant inability to keep a party caucus in line.

PEI pregnancy prevention programme to continue

I am currently overwhelmed with university duties but wanted to share a little piece of good news and common sense. The PEI teenage pregnancy prevention programme whose forecoming closure I mentioned a few weeks ago will be receiving funds after all and will be able to continue, as per CBC reporting.

I'm glad this cheap yet efficient initiative was not allowed to go down the drain, and I wish to see more such programmes throughout Canada. Owing to the small investments needed, I am adamant to see them more or entirely funded by generous private donations, thus freeing them from dependence on federal or provincial funds. Maybe then we'll avoid repeating this kind of bungle.

Luca's take on Tibet and China

I have recently been web-silent. This was mostly due to grad school duties taking over most of my time, but also an overwhelming confusion regarding my thoughts on the events in Tibet. It would be very disrespectful on my part to post on anything other than this unexpected turn of, let's say it, history after a prolonged inactivity.

I always maintained that exporting democracy and ideology is a mistake, first and foremost because one can never know what's best for another country, another culture and a different mindset. So far we managed to export a squabbling circus to Ukraine, a dodgy melange of pseudo-democracy and autocracy to Georgia. I cannot comment on several Central Asian republics for genuine lack of knowledge. Serbia is possibly the only experiment that went kind-of-right, and I believe it could give us a lesson or two.

Confusing ends and means has never been a good idea. Aiming for small government through smaller political entities will not achieve greater personal freedom or satisfaction for the entities' citizens, and aiming for democracy through the creation of brand new institutions will not create a sense of civic duty and a democratic mindset overnight. Those on whom blessings are bestowed shall not appreciate their value as much as those who had to fight, bleed and cry for them.

Why the talk of democracy export? Because the cause of Tibet's independence or autonomy and religious freedom for Tibetan Buddhists is truly universally shared throughout the Western world, and I assume many a country would vie for the title of "those who helped Tibet to freedom". Interfering would have been a mistake earlier and it would still be a mistake now for the issue is, from a pragmatic (but not humanistic) point of view an inherently Chinese internal problem. We should keep it that way.

The information age has contributed to punching holes in the wall of secrecy that China has built around itself, and despite bans and threats of arrest I am certain a large number of urban and/or net-literate Chinese are aware of the happenings, and are also aware that while the international community is up in arms decrying what's going on, China's ill-earned sovereignty is not under threat from outside. This is a precious historic opportunity for the Chinese to witness how the image of the all-powerful and unshakable State collapses like a house of cards, coupled with the evident signs of the weakening grip on people's freedoms.

It is unsurprising that two of the most recent (and sadly bloodiest) revendications of freedom have originated in the most oppressive regimes, led by leaders of the respective societies. We did not plant people there with the purpose of instigating anti-governmental revolt, nor did we bankroll opposition movements. Yet nevertheless people are demanding what is rightfully theirs and are standing up to governmental oppression, and are sadly paying the price in blood and tears.

Amid the consternation and powerlessness I feel, there's a light. These events are nothing we've engineered. They are spontaneous uprisings that cannot go unnoticed and cannot be censored. What they now require is not Western help but organization, leadership, strategy and integrity. Mobilizing a large chunk of the population will have a much greater impact than simply constituting pockets of resistance, because there is a difference between fighting rebel groups and outright genocide. The Tibetans know it, and the Chinese know even better. The Tibetan population needs a leader from within who'd act as an expression of popular feeling and command respect and influence while maintaining the highest moral ground in the face of the despicable oppression we've all witnessed.

Tibet is something to watch and pray for. The ball is rolling, and we should push for it to keep rolling without attempting to steer its course. Tibetans will fight how, when and whom they want. Chinese strength and authority in their own borders is imploding, the State is losing its grip on what were at first just a few loose ends. The upcoming Olympics turned from a gigantic PR opportunity into possibly one of their biggest bothers. The Olympics are not an end in themselves, and possibly neither a means. But they are definitely an iron ball chained to the State's leg which will not go away once they're finished.

The spotlight's on and the crap is in plain view. The sight will not be forgotten by us. But, most importantly, it will not be forgiven by the Chinese and Tibetans. The Chinese government is slowly losing its credibility and influence over people's minds. While Tibet marches toward a victory of its own, this, above everything else, is a great victory for those of us outside who want to see change not only in Tibet but in China as a whole. And we are getting it without firing a shot.

an attempt at video posting

I have to share this episode from Prime Minister's Questions this Wednesday in the UK House of Commons.

The full video can be found on the ParliamentLive website. I apologize for the crappy video quality, still getting to grips with the whole recording and streaming stuff.



Stephane Dion claimed last year that Tony Blair's government is an inspiration. Surely he'd take a few tips from Blair's heir.

UCL spits in the face of the Armed Forces

The Students' Union of my alma mater, University College London, made a laughing stock of itself recently by voting a motion to ban all military personnel from campus freshmen activities such as the Freshers Fayre. The reason behind all this is that a significant proportion of military staff are recruited through campus activities such as the Officer Training Corps, and the Stop the War Coalition is eager to reduce the inflow of new blood into the already highly strained British military forces.

Officially the motion stated that allowing recruitment into organizations associated with the armed forces equals support for an aggressive war. Notwithstanding the objections raised regarding the conduct of the meeting such actions are, as Gordon Brown aptly put it, highly disrespectful of those who serve the country and are giving their lives to protect our security. One of the very few instances when you'll find me agreeing with him.

I am saddened that my beloved UCL has to be laughed at or scorned due to the irresponsible use of student representative bodies. As always, terror-loving fearful appeasing lefties strive to make the world a more miserable place, bit by bit.

Whatever happens at UCL in the future, such sabotage should be exposed for what it really is: denying students greater opportunities to interact and socialize, an assault on the efficiency of the british armed forces, a plain statement that students are too stupid to decide for themselves. Last but not least, this action is exactly what the Stop the War Coalition has mastered: bloody nonsense.

No referendum, huh?

Pauline Marois wants the PQ to abandon its referendum pledge for the time being. Unsurprizing.

Having realized the continued impunity with which Quebec can pursue its most questionable discriminatory objectives through indiscriminate (pardon the pun) use of the notwithstanding clause and provincial prerogative, Pauline Marois is contemplating maintaining the status quo.

Why? My guess is Madame Marois has the wonderful idea of continuing to wrestle with Ottawa, claim more and more prerogative, continue applying or proposing her insane policies such as the law on Quebec citizenship without the province being hailed before an international body and held accountable for its despicable course. In its perverseness, the current situation allows Quebec's harassment of English speakers and potentially many other categories to be shielded from global ridicule by the cover of the Canadian umbrella and the notwithstanding clause. Smart as she undoubtedly is, Marois has all the interest in preserving Quebec in Canada in order to continue scaring us with insane legislation without fear of reprisal and build up the party's support base.

Marois' stance on pushing the referendum back in the priority list is a decoy, and everyone knows it. Except Dion, of course, who appears to contemplate an independent Quebec sometime:

In Ottawa, of all places, Marois's plan received a somewhat more favourable
reception.
"I think it's a good move," Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion told
reporters after a caucus meeting.
"I think a responsible secessionist leader should not rush to a referendum, should first build strong support, a clear majority for separation and once it's done, it's time to go to a referendum."

Referendum time has passed, people don't want to leave Canada. Unless Dion wants more businesses to move to Toronto his remarks are a destruction of his credibility as a federalist. If he were a chameleon I'd say this time he's shown his true colour.

Canada will plead for Kohail

Good news for Mohammed Kohail, sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. Canada, in line with its policies regarding the death penalty, will seek clemency for him. The CBC states that

His case marks the first test of the Conservative government's new policy of not asking for mercy when Canadians are sentenced to death in democratic countries with a strong rule of law.

Saudi Arabia is an undemocratic country with a feeble rule of law and a strong rule of mediocrity. The Government's decision ios no surprise because it was obvious right from the beginning. However the CBC keeps on trying to distort the truth by continuing to compare this case with Ronald Allen Smith's conviction, the sentencing to death by fair trial of someone who cold-bloodedly assassinated two men in the United States.

The remarks were in response to the case of Ronald Allen Smith, the only Canadian on death row in the United States. He faces lethal injection for the 1982 murders of two men.

His lawyers argue that Day's statements show tacit approval of Smith's execution, which they say violates his constitutional rights as a Canadian and his rights under international law.

Didn't Smith violate the constitutional right of two men not to be shot and have their car stolen? Not seeking clemency is not a tacit approval of the execution and this kind of reporting is strikingly inappropriate. It is merely an acknowledgment of the fact that a Canadian went abroad, committed a heinous crime, was charged, defended himself and was found guilty by a fair jury.

I am an opponent of the death penalty myself, but I do not tour the media espousing diplomatic interventionism in the name of common good, social justice, ideology or any other driver of human behavior. Smith had rights under international law to be in the US without being bothered. He killed two people. He must pay. Mohammed Kohail had no chance to prove his innocence, and the evidence points to his complete absence of guilt. He must be re-tried at the very least, according to basic standards of common sense.

Luca's own FAQ about Russia

One of my home countries is frequently misrepresented in the media and frequently harms itself for no apparent reason. For those puzzled Canucks out there I'll offer my perspective on various issues. This is my gut perspective, take it as a conversational way to put a different viewpoint through.

So, huh, was there really an election these days?

There's never been any. The country went through 900 years of czarism and 80 years of communism, people never chose the country's ruler and they surely didn't begin last weekend. The benevolent and liked ruler anointed his trusted successor and people rubber-stamped the decision. As has always been, if they were ever asked to rubber-stamp something. At least I hope Putin, the intelligent chap he is, appointed a trustworthy lad to succeed him.

So is there democracy in Russia?

They tried in 862 AD. Didn't quite work. Novgorod township rebelled against viking rule and chose self-governance. So efficient was their governance by popular assembly that they sent a delegation to the Rus viking tribe in the same year with the words "Our land is vast and fertile, but there's no order. Come and rule us!" The same dynasty ruled until 1917. Not much democracy on the national scale since then.

Will there ever be?

My money's on the 23rd century. I love the country and its people, and that's why I think I understand their inherent desire for stability at the expense of choice. All they want is someone to care about the country and its wellbeing. Having had no government, many governments at the same time, tyrants and benevolent dictators aplenty I guess they'd be very happy for the state to buzz off and leave them alone, at least until it's time to help them out of some trouble. And I don't think they have high hopes for that either.

Putin revoked people's right to elect their local governors. That's outrageous!

Greatest thing to happen to the country in a decade. Local mafia and morons monopolized the local legislatures and got a seat in the federal upper house. Now he nominates the governor and takes personal responsibility for the guy's conduct. Local assembly rubber-stamps the choice as per script. The number of former local governors prosecuted on all kinds of charges from murder to embezzlement and bribery since this new law ranges in the dozens.

What happened to those businessmen who were persecuted and jailed?

The government turned a blind eye to their shady dealings in the 90's and tax evasion on an unprecedented scale, on the proviso they didn't rock the boat. They did, so the deal was off and they were presented with a hefty tax bill, plus some craftily tailored charges and framings. Now I know the trials were shady and pretty cooked up. It was all a sham. But they were in for 90's style sell-offs and grabbings, and ultimately if you don't pay your taxes you go to jail. Some fled, others decided not to rock the boat. Berezovskij, the big one, is in London, bankrolls the incompetent Orange Revolution gang and just as incompetent Russian oppositioners, hangs out with wanted terrorist Zakaev and gives interviews to national TV. Khodorkovskij faced the consequences of breaking the deal, got tried and is serving his time, God save him and may he live long and prosper. Abramovic tried to get something done in Chukotka (the region that faces Alaska, note) and seeing his efforts go to nothingness bought a UK football club and sodded off to London. Go figure.

Why does Russia bully its neighbors with gas and oil supplies?

It didn't. They don't pay and poke fun at Russia for added injury. These freeriders got gas at $50 per thousand cubic metres while the world price is ten times as much, while at the same time straining relations with the supplier. When Ukraine decided to make the quick buck and charge Russia market prices for gas transit to Europe Russia said it was fine, provided market relations extended to gas supplies as well. When the southern folks realized the bungle it was too late and the free-ride season was over. Without a signed contract you don't supply, right? So Russia reduced the gas going through Ukraine to the level destined to Europe alone. Ukraine siphoned off its cut as if nothing had happened. Societe' Generale de Surveillance has the records. Ukrainians stole gas they didn't pay for and Russia got the blame.

But BBC, CNN, CBC, etc said.....

Free information (definitely freer than Russian one) doesn't mean more impartial or more objective information (CBC docet). When you hear about or from Russia, always use common sense and some salt. For all the bad things Russia can be it's got enough problems of its own to squabble with its closest neighbors of its own initiative. Its tactics and interests may seem antiquated or damn stupid, but I wouldn't see her as a gratuitous bully.

So what is it then?

A BBC correspondent aptly described it as "an enormous country with an inferiority complex just as big". It has generally been wary of change and of foreigners. It is anxious about NATO and EU expansion, about foreign investment and anything you might think of.

They behave as if we owe them something.

As a matter of fact I think we do. 27 million dead in World War 2 alone aren't easy to forget. They gave us communism, the iron curtain, the Molotov pact and God knows what else as well. But they'd rather remember the Great Patriotic War. I say we give them a break and let them bask in memories of glories past.

Where is Russia going?

Five years ago I would have said down the drain and recklessly fast. Male average life expectancy dropped below 60 years, births took a nose dive. Russia is the only country that has suffered a net loss of population since the beginning of the 20th century. No surprise. 5 million dead in WW1, God knows how many in the Revolution, civil war and famine that ensued, above 15 million in the Stalinist repressions, 27 million in WW2. Entire generations wiped out. Alcoholism, crumbling economy, poverty and disastrous health care did the rest.
Today I'd say it's kind of steering the right way. The economy is stable, business is slowly rebuilding the middle class, young people are ambitious and motivated, the government is implementing economic liberalism bit by bit.

Is doing business safe in Russia?

Depends where you are, how you do business and what sector you're in. If you go into oil and gas you're asking for trouble, Government's eyed it all up for itself and its selected partners. I bet ten bucks to your loonie there's farmland the size of three Albertas completely abandoned and up for grabs. The Russian side of my family bought a full-blown house, fully inhabitable, with two acres of adjacent land 400 miles northeast of Moscow. 1000 US dollars for the lot. I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd throw away their unused land for peanuts and flee to the city. People are coming in from as far as India to farm in Russia, no joke. As per script, they are greeted with skepticism and distrust. Once money start flowing in and the land starts producing everyone is eager to work again.

You seem to like Russia so much, why don't you practise what you preach and return there?

No, and that's final. I stand up for her when I feel she gets an unfair rap. I attempt to identify the problems and the solutions. I have grown away from the country and yes, I'd much appreciate the possibility of staying in Canada thank you!

Just a frank and honest perspective. I don't want to be rigidly scholarly, although I strive to keep quite accurate. I am a tory, but I'm also a realist and try to perceive the country through a Russian's eyes and perspective. Maybe I fail, and I don't really goddamn care.

Credit to McGuinty when credit is due

I guess I rarely say this, but Dalton McGuinty might be drifting toward the right track here. He plans to create long-term re-training programmes to help laid-off workers acquire new skills, parallel to the federal government's unemployment benefit that runs out in 36 weeks.

Credit to Stephen Harper for not giving in to the welfarists (although a little concession for those who are in the process of full time skill re-training might be in order) and credit to McGuinty when due. Instead of clinging onto welfare he might be on the road to rowing Ontario out of its manufacturing rut. Maybe, just maybe.

Canadian sentenced to death after sham trial

The Globe and Mail will report in tomorrow's print edition that a Canadian citizen has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, charged and found guilty of murder. The Liberals are seizing the opportunity to bash the Tories regarding their stance on not pleading for Canadian citizens sentenced in democratic countries through due process and fair trial.

Firstly, Saudi Arabia is a rotten absolute monarchy with a sick joke for a penal code, as well as having a farce of a justice system and being a bankroller, sponsor, breeder and host of international terrorism of the worst sort. Therefore Canada's government should double-check the trial proceedings to see if it was done according to the standards of rule of law.

However the Globe's reporting is incomplete. The news feed came to my reader 30 minutes ago, despite Google News indexing THIS ARTICLE over 8 hours beforehand providing much more detailed insight into the story, also showing how rotten the trial was.

Curiously, Regina Leader Post, Toronto Star and National post all refer to William Marsden from the Montreal Gazette, but how selective their reporting is! If the Regina Leader Post is to be trusted, Canada has not only every right but the moral obligation to expose the Saudi rotten perception of justice and plead for a retrial or for a full dismissal of the case. An excerpt dealing with how justice Saudi-style is administered:

He said the court proceedings were unjust because the accused were never allowed to present witnesses.

He also said that out of nine court appearances, defence lawyers were permitted to attend only one.

"We have two witnesses who will testify that Mohamed never hit the victim," the relative said.

The autopsy showed that the victim died from bleeding to the bladder complicated by a weak heart.

Evidence before the court showed that the victim was never struck in the head.

The coverage of this story is erratic. I recommend reading the Globe and Mail for more political and historic coverage, Leader-Post for details of the trial and Toronto Star for details of how the brawl erupted. Incidentally, the coverage on the National Post website is the blandest, not to say most imprecise of all.

Moreover, an article from the Montreal Gazette by Sikander Hashmi gives some pieces of the interview with the dead youth's uncle, quoted as saying that

The Saudi Arabian authorities don't need anyone to teach them what to do.
They are not idiots and they know what they are doing. They have all the
facts and the rules.

Some facts and some rules if you ask me! And some intelligent and well-informed supporters of the tragic circus they call a justice system.

If the details of how the trial was conducted are indeed as reported the Canadian government has to make all efforts to secure Kohail's release and the family's safe return to Canada. I'm sure they'll never want to see that homeland of theirs even through a binocular.

More coverage on the Stop Child Executions blog. The video of the brawl in question has been removed from YouTube.

And can someone please give the Liberals a brain functioning enough to spot the difference between this case and Ronald Allen Smith's death conviction in Montana? Just a thought.

Democrats bash NAFTA and Canadian Gov't

This is too funny to be made up, honestly!

Democratic wonk Bob Shrum is hinting that the Canadian Government is trying to help John McCain win the White House by downplaying the Democratic candidates' pledges on scrapping NAFTA, citing a CTV report on Barack Obama's promises being hot air.

Leaving aside the simple fact that the latter is true, I fully agree with David Frum's definition of Democrats and liberals as thriving on division, differences and discord. Where there's distrust, fear, alienation there's the liberal octopus, the Liberpus if you like, extending its welfarist, statalist and isolationist tentacle. It is no surprise that the Democrats are trying to woo blue-collar workers to the ballot box in November by promising to abolish consumer sovereignty and foreign development opportunities. It is no surprise either that having realized the soundness of McCain's arguments they are attempting to discredit him as a receptor of foreign influence. Having no chance to alienate both Canada and Mexico by destroying NAFTA, they are going for the 50% mark by upsetting Canada.

Scrapping NAFTA would make it more difficult for US companies to sell abroad and increase the price of Canadian and Mexican imports, paradoxically damaging the same blue collars that today advocate NAFTA's demise. Both Clinton and Obama know it, and wouldn't dare damaging their country once in office.

As any other trade agreement, NAFTA can be improved. But let there be no doubt that free trade is the only way for countries to realize their full potential and progress on the path to greater development. If Obama bashes free trade so eagerly, let me remind him that were the US to open up their agricultural markets fully and unlimitedly to Kenyan produce his Kenyan kin would enjoy greater demand for their products, bringing greater prosperity to that African country. Without any need for foreign aid out of the taxpayer's pocket, with greater choice and lower prices for American consumers. The public wins, government wonks and lobbies lose.

If this is Bob Shrum's best shot at campaign strategy I'd classify his pay as welfare rather than a wage. Because his strategy isn't worth a dime.

Networking Conference '08

This weekend I attended the Canada Networking Conference in Ottawa, brilliantly organized by the Manning Centre. About 150 delegates gathered to share views and experiences, as well as to hear from the likes of Preston Manning, Tony Clement, Mike Harris, Bernard Lord, Richard Prebble and many other distinguished politicians and members of the public who are involved in shaping public opinion and representing groups or constituencies.

I was particularly impressed by Tony Clement's recalling of his campaign and victory in the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka with the smallest majority in the current Canadian House of Commons, a precious 28 votes achieved through tireless campaigning and literally "going the extra mile", often uphill in bad weather.

The healthcare panel discussion included Mike Harris, Quebec's Joanne Marcotte and the Canadian Medical Association President Brian Day, whose presence at our conference will doubtlessly be contested in the coming days. The speakers drew attention to many of the issues affecting Canada's Medicare and the funding system that generates the perverse perception of the patient as a cost rather than a customer. Surprisingly Quebec was singled out as one of the frontrunners in the introduction of greater private care and competition among hospitals. The recent Castonguay report highlights Quebec's desire to experiment with new approaches to tackle the difficulties faced by the province's Medicare.

Saturday saw Mark Textor from Australia and Richard Prebble from New Zealand sharing their political experiences and analyses, the session being aptly titled "Lessons from Down-Under". Prebble's remark about getting rid of agriculture subsidies drew a spontaneous round of applause and the obvious question as to how anyone could have managed to butcher such a sacred cow. Hon. Prebble maintained his humorous style and remarked that since there wasn't a gradual, painless and bloodless way to kill a cow (or something to that effect) they just shot it. If only EU countries could do the same to the CAP!

This was followed by Stephen Taylor's presentation on how blogging and social networking contribute to political activism and by a panel session on campaigning techniques. Unfortunately I was the victim of a post-lunch sleepiness attack half way through the latter and couldn't follow the discussion as closely as I would have loved to.

Former Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm's moving speech about the origins and present situation of democracy in Canada and Preston Manning's closing remarks wrapped up a fantastic two days.

I was delighted to meet fellow Blogging Tories Stephen Taylor, Sara of Choice for Childcare, Steve of Officially Screwed and Roy of Dr Roy's Thoughts. My views on gun ownership and general weapons policy were positively challenged by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association and I also met several Tories from other universities as well as local riding association coordinators. All in all an excellent opportunity to meet new people, learn more about canadian and worldwide conservatism and gain new insight into political activism. I very much look forward to next year's conference on the 13-14th of March 2009.