Saturday, 13 September 2025

Ipsos: Six In Ten Canadians (58%) Approve of the Liberal Government’s Performance Under PM Carney.


Sorry, but like Angus Reid, I'm not buying either of these polls. Carney is the ultimate pushover, a master at climbing down from a fight without getting a win or even anything in return. Carney is a tower of jelly. Just blow on him and he'll fall down. So much for Elbows Up!

He took Canadians for a ride in the election, and women were betrayed. This guy definitely isn't a red or pink Liberal, much less a blue one. And no, boys and girls, he isn't a Progressive Conservative. He's a captive of big business interests, a disciple of multinational and large corporations. Again, a plurality of Canadians voted for that without being aware of it. 

Trump, a master of weakness posing as a tower of strength, has Carney pegged as someone who can't take the heat and who has to rapidly leave the kitchen. End of story. So, expect no deal anytime soon, and if one ultimately comes, it will be because Canada caved to get any kind of deal. And if you think this country will be on the losing end, that's nothing compared to what's coming next year when USMCA (CUSMA) gets renegotiated. My prediction: no agreement with Trump tossing USMCA into the trash.


Thursday, 11 September 2025

Bolsonaro verdict: Brazilian democracy is now on trial.

In many ways, Brazil is a smaller microcosm of the United States. Both countries are highly polarised nations, where the dividing lines between left and right are very clear and not conducive to political compromise or the exchange of goodwill and collective good faith, both between themselves and in relation to the country's constitution.

In any civilised society, the importance of justice is fundamental and unequivocal. Sentences must reflect not only the justice applied in a court of law, but also the appearance that, given the facts and the law, the verdict handed down was proportionate and fair, considering the charges that led to that person's conviction. In short, it must be perceived that justice has been done for the decision to be considered legitimate and well-founded. 

In this case, the defendant is seventy years old. Bolsonaro was duly convicted of crimes of the highest order, but can it really be said that a sentence of more than 27 years is based solely on judicial considerations and the application of the law? My view is that this verdict is unfair and unreasonable. The defendant is undoubtedly guilty of the charges against him, but this sentence smacks of revenge, an effort to settle political scores within the august confines of the judiciary.

Brazilian democracy should know better than that. Bolsonaro will exercise his constitutional right to appeal before a full panel of eleven members. However, the grounds for a successful appeal cannot be based on a retrial based on the merits of the facts. The appeal is procedural in nature and can also be argued on the basis of the court's competent jurisdiction. If legal irregularities cannot be proven, evidence based on the facts cannot be overturned on appeal. If his appeal is denied, Bolsonaro could receive a sentence of up to forty years.

In the meantime, Bolsonaro remains under house arrest, with his supporters hoping that his party will win next year's presidential elections. This could lead to a future amnesty or pardon law after the fact, which would not be considered entirely legitimate under the law. In practice, this power belongs to the president and, if exercised, cannot be revoked during that president's term. However, a subsequent government could overturn these actions with a future parliamentary majority. Both chambers would have to approve such a law.

And then there is the question of Trump: will the American president make an effort to spirit Bolsonaro out of the country in order to politically contest and reverse the court's verdict? It would be inadvisable for Trump to proceed in this manner, as it would have monumental consequences for relations between Brazil and the United States, but unfortunately, at the end of the day, Trump is Trump.

Veredicto Bolsonaro: a democracia brasileira está agora em julgamento.

Em muitos aspectos, o Brasil é um microcosmo menor dos Estados Unidos. Ambos os países são nações altamente polarizadas, nas quais as linhas divisórias entre a esquerda e a direita são muito claras e não propícias ao compromisso político ou à troca de boa vontade e boa fé coletiva, tanto entre si quanto em relação à constituição do país.

Em qualquer sociedade civilizada, a importância da justiça é fundamental e inequívoca. As sentenças devem refletir não apenas a justiça aplicada em um tribunal, mas também a aparência de que, dados os fatos e a lei, a sentença proferida foi proporcional e justa, considerando as acusações que levaram à condenação dessa pessoa. Em resumo, deve-se perceber que foi feita justiça para que a decisão seja considerada legítima e bem fundamentada. 

Neste caso, o réu tem setenta anos de idade. Bolsonaro foi devidamente condenado por crimes da mais alta ordem, mas será que se pode realmente dizer que uma sentença de mais de 27 anos se baseia exclusivamente em considerações judiciais e na aplicação da lei? Minha opinião é que esse veredicto é injusto e irracional. O réu é, sem dúvida, culpado das acusações feitas contra ele, mas essa sentença cheira a vingança, a um esforço para acertar contas políticas dentro dos augustos limites do judiciário.

A democracia brasileira deveria saber melhor do que isso. Bolsonaro exercerá seu direito constitucional de recorrer perante um painel completo de onze membros. No entanto, os fundamentos para um recurso bem-sucedido não podem se basear em um novo julgamento com base no mérito dos fatos. O recurso é de natureza processual e também pode ser argumentado com base na jurisdição competente do tribunal. Se não for possível provar irregularidades legais, as provas baseadas nos fatos não podem ser anuladas em recurso. Se seu recurso for negado, Bolsonaro poderá receber uma sentença de até quarenta anos.

Enquanto isso, Bolsonaro permanece em prisão domiciliar, com seus apoiadores esperando que seu partido vença as eleições presidenciais do próximo ano. Isso poderia levar a uma futura lei de anistia ou perdão após o fato, o que não seria considerado totalmente legítimo perante a lei. Na prática, esse poder pertence ao presidente e, se exercido, não poderia ser revogado durante o mandato desse presidente. No entanto, um governo subsequente poderia anular essas ações com uma futura maioria parlamentar. Ambas as câmaras teriam que aprovar tal lei.

E depois há a questão de Trump: será que o presidente americano fará um esforço para tirar Bolsonaro do país, a fim de contestar politicamente e reverter a decisão do tribunal? Seria desaconselhável que Trump procedesse dessa maneira, pois isso teria consequências monumentais para as relações entre o Brasil e os Estados Unidos, mas, infelizmente, no final das contas, Trump é Trump.

Legault travaille-t-il pour la CAQ ou le PQ?

À la suite du remaniement ministériel, des rumeurs circulent que Legault prépare à déclencher des élections anticipées. Il est clair que la CAQ n'a pratiquement aucune chance de gagner. Legault envisage-t-il cette option parce qu'il subit des pressions internes pour démissionner de son poste comme chef, ou s'agit-il d'une manœuvre visant à empêcher le PLQ de former un gouvernement ?

Beaucoup d'entre nous pensent que Legault reste souverainiste dans l'âme. N'ayant obtenu aucune concession du gouvernement fédéral depuis le début de son mandat, il n'est pas déraisonnable de conclure qu'il n'aurait aucun problème avec un futur gouvernement du PQ.

Si le PQ forme le prochain gouvernement, nous entrerons à nouveau dans une période souverainiste au Québec. PSPP envisage un référendum au cours du premier mandat d'un gouvernement du PQ.

Quant au PLQ, Rodriguez a besoin de temps pour reconstruire son parti. Des élections prématurées seraient contreproductives. Des élections en 2025 augmenteraient les chances du PQ de former le prochain gouvernement au Québec. Telle est la réalité des choses.

Charlie Kirk.

What a horrible thing. The perpetrator, once convicted, will hopefully get the death penalty.

Cooler heads must prevail on both sides. Country first or no country in the end.