Tag: politics

Dawn of Generation and Change of Guards

Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

September marks a time of somber thoughts, reflections. I am a Pole, Canadian Pole, European Pole – but Pole to the core, through and through. September is not only about approaching fall, of yellow and brown leaves, flowers fading and days getting shorter every evening.

For a Pole of my generation September is reminiscence of great and terrible world war, the one with number ‘2’ attached to it. Always, for as long as I remember: the national martyrology, almost a quasi religion: dark, mournful, full of pain. Yet, it is a true heavy feeling, not something you do because it is polite or out of obligation. No, it is not faked and it is not just laying wreaths at the bottom of some cenotaphs. It is happening at homes and inside the deep crevices of your soul.

The war was still inside us, our parents and grandparent lived through. It is true that there were also official circuses and commemorations to impress someone, to score some political points. Nonetheless, even these theatrical motions were performed by these people, who after returning home still had to go themself through these somber and sad moments. No one could escape it. After all, they were not remembering some magnificent Middle Age battle or campaign. No, the Second World War was a private Loss for everyone. It was such a total war, it touched all who lived through it and it touched their children. When I was a child – it touched me, touched my sisters, my cousins, all my friends. Us, young people, who were not even alive during the years 1939-45. We were all born mostly in years 1947-65, the majority of us during the 1950’s.

For generations of my grandparents it was particularly tragic and painful memory. They lived through the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, through the rebirth of Polish state in 1918, the victorious Polish-Soviet war of 1920. Now they are all gone, the last one was my grandma Wanda, who died in 1972.

But the truth is that for my generation all these previous wars were an ancient wars. Yes, exciting (particularly the battles for independence and the heroic Warsaw Battle against the Bolsheviks, which save Western Europe from communist oblivion) but at the end it was an ancient history, like the Greeks battle of Troy.

  Yet, that war, the last world war – was still alive everywhere; in my childhood not all cities and towns were fully rebuilt. Finding partial ruins or bombed house was not difficult, the same as partially rusted shells in forests, on shallow shores of rivers, streams. Nor was surprising finding every day fresh flowers on some streets, where Nazis did some executions by firing squad or public hanging. These flowers were a daily routine. They marked places were their friends, their lovers, sons or daughters perished. For our parents, and grandparents these people were their friends, lovers, husbands, wives and children.

By the time I was fifteen I used to go on my own need almost once a week to lay a flower (sometime stolen from a city flowers box – sorry, did not have always in my pocket an extra five or ten zlotych[i]) on an exact street corner in front of an enormous building of National Opera, where a young Warsaw poet was shot in 1944 – Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski[ii]. He was shot almost fifteen years before I was born. Yet for me, he was my slightly older friend, very dear and close. Now – I am old but still think of him as my friend. More, I think that I actually loved him as person. Is it possible to be in love with someone, whom you never met and who died years before you were born? I think – yes, it is.  After all I am still in love with Alexander of Macedonia, and that boy-king died not centuries but millennia ago!  

Back to the subject though, the subject of changing guard, of generational exchange. We are on the last leg of a run through life. Mind you, it is not yet the proverbial ‘one leg in the grave’. We are still running. No, it is not an Olympic sprint anymore. Some might still have a desire to dance and to fall in love with another person if they are single, some are still working – but almost all are in a official retired age, but we are also the next echelon of humanity that starts to leave the train of life on a regular pace. It is normal course, nothing tragic, part of the journey. The cycle of generations continues.

Of course there must be a caveat: It is true that there are still very few among us, who remember the war as seen through their eyes, but those were eyes of very young children. They are now in their late nineties or over a hundred years old. My oldest cousin was born still in Vilno (now capital of Lithuania, then a large Polish city) in 1944. But he is gone now, too. It is next to impossible that he could have remembered anything of the actual war and he never pretended that he did.

The reality and the fact is that for practical reasons people, who lived during that war are gone. Now it is us, the next echelon of humanity that’s starting to leave the train of life on a rather regular pace.  It is normal cycle of the generations.  In a few years, maybe a decade, we will cease to be intellectually and emotionally the engine of the society. Matter of fact we are no longer the main engine, just the extra smaller ‘enginette’. When we will stop being that canister of our memories of post-war reality a silent social revolution will take place, silent, yet very powerful change will occur.

We are the last ones, who were personally affected by the war. A war with silent battlefields, and silenced guns – a war, which long shadows still lingered on our streets; in our neighborhoods, in our homes and during family gatherings.  

The next generation – our children, nephews and nieces are free from the shackles and chains of that trauma. There are even free for most part from the memory of the abnormal reality of about forty years of living in the grey and absurdly tragicomical reality of PPR – Polish People Republic, a quasi-sovereign state in the years 1945-199o. Mind you – that quasi independent state was the only Poland I knew, were I was born, went to school, had my first romances. At the same time it must be stressed that this Polish state was sort of abnormality among all other Soviet satellites. There were even officially sanctioned other political parties that were not ideologically communist (unheard of in other Soviet satellites), there was a powerful Catholic Church, which resisted and maintained its independence with very powerful Church hierarchy, to a shock of the very first non-Italian pope in hundreds of years who was … a Polish cardinal – Karol Wojtyla, better known later as John Paul II. Stalin must have turned in his grave, LOL. Polish universities were of high scientific standards and a place of vigorous political and ideological debates – if not during formal classes then certainly on the corridors and courtyards. It comes to no surprise that the amazing first free trade union called ‘Solidarity’ was born in that ‘communist’ country. I had a small part in it being this union organizer in Warsaw. Even more important is that we, Poles, spoke freely at homes and on the streets. With caution – but freely. It was our daily rejection of the absurdity and abnormality of the Soviet system. In some strange way I could say that to a certain degree my generation of that Poland was perhaps freer than young people on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Not in laws and privileges given to us, but in cherishing and clinging to our internal freedom.

We also believed in certain civic decency. At that time a young intelligent Pole could not and would not call himself/herself a fascist.  That was a Rubicon we would never cross[iii], regardless whether you were even an ultra right in your political views. In our eyes fascism was synonymous with Hitlerism. That was as plain as the difference between night and day.

The II world war changed that word, that rightwing ideological view forever. It wasn’t, as in the pre-war times anymore that fascist view was tolerated. Before the last war fascism was interchangeable with ultra nationalism, with hurray type of patriotism. That changed after the experience with that total war. Just Italian Il Duce[iv], Spanish Franco or Portugal Salazar could not have achieved what Hitler achieved with that movement. He himself made it synonymous with crimes unspeakable, horror indescribably. It was an abandonment of humanity beyond any scale.

Fascism was the gate to the Factory of Death of Humanity. A Gate that had its name: Arbeit macht Frei.  Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau. All of these names, places have one denominator: fascism.

That what my generation knew, understood. It came as the biblical Commandment you shall not kill, that we knew instinctively, that those who do kill are fascists, as simple as that.

An individual thief, a murderer, rapist – that is not the same. Those are individual crimes against society, crimes that could be judged, adjudicated and punished. Aberrations that, by proper education, could be avoided or corrected, minimized. 

Fascism was a symbol of Gates to Hell, to Hades.

                What I wrote above comes from one’s plea, one’s need to exalt in the reader of the next, younger generation this simple truth of History: fascism must be stopped, must be ostracized, must be condemn eternally. We, my generation and the generation of my parents knew that by heart, by true experience of what it is if it will ever get a free ride in public life, in public discussions. Yes, it could be discussed and taught in schools, universities as a painful lesson of history – a very tragic lesson. But it has to be stopped of having a right to be part of any public political platform of dangerous propaganda.

There are all these fascist or semi-fascist parties, movements, fascinations all over in Europe now: in France, even in one Land in Germany (sic!), to my horror in my dear Poland – has all the world gone crazy?

Wake up my dear Citizen, wake up and stop this aberration, this sickness that will devour your heart and mind. Don’t’ listen to these lies about patriotism that these people constantly spew from their mouths. The love of one’s country also means the love of all citizens of your country. But they profess only love of these citizens, who represent their sick minds. Only the whites, preferably the tall, only those born in very particular geographic location. So on and so on, to the exclusion of everyone else. But we all came from one and the same seed: the short ones and the tall, the white and the black, the blond and the brunette (and the red-hired too, of course), them of whatever sexual orientation, left-handed and right-handed, poor or rich, weak or strong, the Jew and the Gentile, the Muslim and the Christian (and Buddhist, of course) and don’t forget the ever more numerous non-believer.

Once you start making distinctions, selections, you are giving a moral right for others to judge you, to deselect you – to cast you aside. For what reason, you may ask?  Yes, I will answer that question. Remember – when I was mentioning that horrible place, the apogee of fascist thought: Auschwitz? When a train arrived to that Hell on Earth carrying hundreds, maybe thousands new prisoners there was a man there awaiting them. He was a medical doctor called The Angel of Death or simply Josef Mengele. He examined the prisoners and with one flick of his hand he decided, who will be killed instantly and who will live for a while. Thousands upon thousands of people went through that decision. Every time you start making these distinctions among other human beings – you start growing inside you a new Doctor Mengele – the Angel of Death. That is exactly what being fascist means.  

post scriptum

The picture that is attached to the article is somewhat symbolic. It is a simple exercise book, a typical ordinary school book to write in. I used it for some time now to write some of my texts, my poetry. I hardly ever leave home without carrying one of this type of notebooks. Have many of them laying around near my bed, my table. An old habit. That one is with the graphic symbol of Warsaw’s fighters in 1944 during Warsaw Uprising against fascism, the print below the graphic simply says: against fascism.

I started using that notebook around the time of first full term ultraright government in modern Poland in 2015. The first text in that notebook deals with growing dangers of far right politics and ideologies. This text you are reading now is the on the very last pages of that notebook. I think that the cover of the notebook is a fitting symbol of the same subject: protect freedom, protect rights of all. Otherwise a state becomes a gulag, prison.               

[i] ‘zloty’ is a Polish currency

[ii] Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński – Wikipedia

[iii] Crossing the Rubicon – Wikipedia

[iv] the popular title given to Italy’s dictator, Mussolini

Speech of the Prime Minister of Canada

Speech of the Prime Minister of Canada

Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski

Canada and United States have been involved for many months with negotiating a new bilateral Trade Agreement or extending the still legally existing trilateral Agreement between Canada, Mexico and USA.

As we know USA (and vice versa Canada for USA) is our largest and most important trading partner. The USA has huge industrial base, huge – in comparison to Canada – population and therefore larger market for both domestic and imported goods. Our large and mostly undefended border stretching between two oceans provides for easy transport of goods and services. Canada has a vast quantities of numerous natural resources badly needed in the USA.

For many years huge numbers of Canadians and Americans would cross our border in almost unrestricted manner, efficiently. Bringing needed dollars to American grocery sellers and to Canadians from large Americans visitors.

History made us different politically – we are confederate monarchy, they are a confederate republic. They had slavery and very long racial segregation decades longer than we did. They are a military superpower involved constantly in some sort of conflicts all over the globe; we have neglected our military numbers and strength for a long time, yet being recognized internationally as a peacekeepers either in United Nations Blue Helmets or other peace-making missions.

Of course, there was always a big dose of competition between our countries and societies. But never to the point of outright hostility. Until now. Until the last Administration in Washington..

Now, two words of my private story as a Canadian. Spent here almost my entire life here. Definitely (except maybe early-5-6 years) my entire adult life, my working life and now retirement. To summarize – Canada is my home. Home I cherish a lot.

I lived here through many Canadian governments (starting here with last months of famous Pierre Trudeau till now very competent Mark Carney.

In my now long life I remember – when I was still a boy back in Poland – US President Kennedy making a speech about the US war in Vietnam, remember President Johnson ending that bloody war, remember pivotal visit of President Reagan in Poland; remember Nixon resigning his Office; both Bushes; improbable and extremely important Barack Obama, Jeff Clinton, George Bush.

Some I liked, some disliked. It was always plain that for all of them – for better or for worse – they were Presidents, leaders of their country, who believed in that country and in the old values of the republic.

Until Donald Trump. Nothing was the same, nothing is. I stopped crossing the border, which seems at times resembling a border between East and West Germany, when there was Soviet Union.

Laws, customs, norms – all of it stopped being obvious, certain. Diplomacy? What is it in current Administration? Nobody is sure anymore.

Friends among nations? Who needs friends if you can have puppets?

Sure, it is a subject of funny jokes, agitated conversations. But at the end it is … very sad. Sad and tragic because we need the old, familiar America. America needs the old, pre-Trum America. For better or for worse but societies do need stability, knowing what tomorrow might bring, progress (even if very small and slow).

You need a country, which is much more than Exchange, Auctions. Country starts with idea, grows with love and respect. Country is people. Much more than land it posses. People make a country and their leaders serve the people. In a democracy, anyway.

Sometime countries disagree with each other, but otherwise they still respect each other. There established mechanisms to resolve these disputes. Accepted, with frames, norms.

All these norms, these mechanisms formed incrementally after I and II world wars. So we can avoid the next gargantuan war. With the demise or kept for historical attachments of Kings – the people took the reins in their hands. By the people, for the people … .

Than comes Donald Trump. Nothing matters anymore, nothing is important, that cannot have the weight of gold , precious stones, or rare minerals.

Mark Carney walks away from this type of ‘talks’ and took with himself entire Canadian delegation. When there are no rules but just whims of the obviously stronger and bigger opponent, there is no sense engaging in any discussion. One person dictate is not a discussion.

Thank you Mr. Carney for representing me as a Canadian. I am glad you did, what we expected you to do.

Canada is not for sale. To anyone.

Prosecutor of ICC issues arrest warrants in case against PM of Israel and it’s Defense Minister for war crimes against humanity.

Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

(from Editor)

Below is a copy of official text from the ICC Prosecutor Office of the International Criminal Court in Hague. I believe the case documentation and prosecutorial arguments speak better for itself, than any commentary and debate. It’s past debate. Now it is time for the wheels of justice start moving. The Statutes of Rome, when the Court was set up, make it abundantly clear that even state that did not sign to the jurisdiction of the Court – do de iure fall under it’s jurisprudence. No one is and no one should be above the international law, and above human rights. People can avoid it for a time – but not escape at the end. These are the tenants of world order – otherwise it would be total chaos and mass murderers running the streets of our cities.

Today, on 21 November 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (‘Court’), in its composition for the Situation in the State of Palestine,unanimously issued two decisions rejecting challenges by the State of Israel (‘Israel’) brought under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute (the ‘Statute’). It also issued warrants of arrest for Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant.

Decisions on requests by the State of Israel

The Chamber ruled on two requests submitted by the Israel on 26 September 2024. In the first request, Israel challenged the Court’s jurisdiction over the Situation in the State of Palestine in general, and over Israeli nationals more specifically, on the basis of article 19(2) of the Statute. In the second request, Israel requested that the Chamber order the Prosecution to provide a new notification of the initiation of an investigation to its authorities under article 18(1) of the Statute. Israel also requested the Chamber to halt any proceedings before the Court in the relevant situation, including the consideration of the applications for warrants of arrest for Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, submitted by the Prosecution on 20 May 2024.

As to the first challenge, the Chamber noted that the acceptance by Israel of the Court’s jurisdiction is not required, as the Court can exercise its jurisdiction on the basis of territorial jurisdiction of Palestine, as determined by Pre-Trial Chamber I in a previous composition. Furthermore, the Chamber considered that pursuant to article 19(1) of the Statute, States are not entitled to challenge the Court’s jurisdiction under article 19(2) prior to the issuance of a warrant of arrest. Thus Israel’s challenge is premature. This is without prejudice to any future possible challenges to the Court’s jurisdiction and/or admissibility of any particular case.

Decision on Israel’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court pursuant to article 19(2) of the Rome Statute

The Chamber also rejected Israel’s request under article 18(1) of the Statute. The Chamber recalled that the Prosecution notified Israel of the initiation of an investigation in 2021. At that time, despite a clarification request by the Prosecution, Israel elected not to pursue any request for deferral of the investigation. Further, the Chamber considered that the parameters of the investigation in the situation have remained the same and, as a consequence, no new notification to the State of Israel was required. In light of this, the judges found that there was no reason to halt the consideration of the applications for warrants of arrest.

Decision on Israel’s request for an order to the Prosecution to give an Article 18(1) notice

Warrants of arrest

The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest.

The arrest warrants are classified as ‘secret’, in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. However, the Chamber decided to release the information below since conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing. Moreover, the Chamber considers it to be in the interest of victims and their families that they are made aware of the warrants’ existence.

At the outset, the Chamber considered that the alleged conduct of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant falls within the jurisdiction of the Court. The Chamber recalled that, in a previous composition, it already decided that the Court’s jurisdiction in the situation extended to Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Furthermore, the Chamber declined to use its discretionary proprio motu powers to determine the admissibility of the two cases at this stage. This is without prejudice to any determination as to the jurisdiction and admissibility of the cases at a later stage.

With regard to the crimes, the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu, born on 21 October 1949, Prime Minister of Israel at the time of the relevant conduct, and Mr Gallant, born on 8 November 1958, Minister of Defence of Israel at the time of the alleged conduct, each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.

Alleged crimes

The Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that during the relevant time, international humanitarian law related to international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine applied. This is because they are two High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and because Israel occupies at least parts of Palestine. The Chamber also found that the law related to non-international armed conflict applied to the fighting between Israel and Hamas. The Chamber found that the alleged conduct of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant concerned the activities of Israeli government bodies and the armed forces against the civilian population in Palestine, more specifically civilians in Gaza. It therefore concerned the relationship between two parties to an international armed conflict, as well as the relationship between an occupying power and the population in occupied territory. For these reasons, with regards to war crimes, the Chamber found it appropriate to issue the arrest warrants pursuant to the law of international armed conflict. The Chamber also found that the alleged crimes against humanity were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.

The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024. This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal. The Chamber found that their conduct led to the disruption of the ability of humanitarian organisations to provide food and other essential goods to the population in need in Gaza. The aforementioned restrictions together with cutting off electricity and reducing fuel supply also had a severe impact on the availability of water in Gaza and the ability of hospitals to provide medical care.

The Chamber also noted that decisions allowing or increasing humanitarian assistance into Gaza were often conditional. They were not made to fulfil Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law or to ensure that the civilian population in Gaza would be adequately supplied with goods in need. In fact, they were a response to the pressure of the international community or requests by the United States of America. In any event, the increases in humanitarian assistance were not sufficient to improve the population’s access to essential goods.

Furthermore, the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that no clear military need or other justification under international humanitarian law could be identified for the restrictions placed on access for humanitarian relief operations. Despite warnings and appeals made by, inter alia, the UN Security Council, UN Secretary General, States, and governmental and civil society organisations about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, only minimal humanitarian assistance was authorised. In this regard, the Chamber considered the prolonged period of deprivation and Mr Netanyahu’s statement connecting the halt in the essential goods and humanitarian aid with the goals of war.

The Chamber therefore found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

The Chamber found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies, created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, which resulted in the death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration. On the basis of material presented by the Prosecution covering the period until 20 May 2024, the Chamber could not determine that all elements of the crime against humanity of extermination were met. However, the Chamber did find that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the crime against humanity of murder was committed in relation to these victims.

In addition, by intentionally limiting or preventing medical supplies and medicine from getting into Gaza, in particular anaesthetics and anaesthesia machines, the two individuals are also responsible for inflicting great suffering by means of inhumane acts on persons in need of treatment. Doctors were forced to operate on wounded persons and carry out amputations, including on children, without anaesthetics, and/or were forced to use inadequate and unsafe means to sedate patients, causing these persons extreme pain and suffering. This amounts to the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts.

The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that the abovementioned conduct deprived a significant portion of the civilian population in Gaza of their fundamental rights, including the rights to life and health, and that the population was targeted based on political and/or national grounds. It therefore found that the crime against humanity of persecution was committed.

Finally, the Chamber assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza. In this regard, the Chamber found that the material provided by the Prosecution only allowed it to make findings on two incidents that qualified as attacks that were intentionally directed against civilians. Reasonable grounds to believe exist that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant, despite having measures available to them to prevent or repress the commission of crimes or ensure the submittal of the matter to the competent authorities, failed to do so.

Background

On 1 January 2015, The State of Palestine lodged a declaration under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute accepting jurisdiction of the Court since 13 June 2014.

On 2 January 2015, The State of Palestine acceded to the Rome Statute by depositing its instrument of accession with the UN Secretary-General. The Rome Statute entered into force for The State of Palestine on 1 April 2015.

On 22 May 2018, pursuant to articles 13(a) and 14 of the Rome Statute, The State of Palestine referred to the Prosecutor the Situation since 13 June 2014, with no end date. 

On 3 March 2021, the Prosecutor announced the opening of the investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine. This followed Pre-Trial Chamber I’s decision on 5 February 2021 that the Court could exercise its criminal jurisdiction in the Situation and, by majority, that the territorial scope of this jurisdiction extends to Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. 

On 17 November 2023, the Office of the Prosecutor received a further referral of the Situation in the State of Palestine, from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti, and on 18 January 2024, the Republic of Chile and the United Mexican State additionally submitted a referral to the Prosecutor with respect to the situation in The State of Palestine.

Actors, directors, writers and the public. Spectacle of the past and the future:  2023 versus 2024 – the English version

Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski

In ancient Greece, there was a special, feared temple in Delphi, where the women serving as the foretellers of tomorrow and fate would tell you what yours would look like. Pythia was seldom very clear in her oracles. I will try my best to be less confusing and complicated. Also, unlike a proper Pythia, I am not a user and therefore I am not high, as I write the story, LOL.  

But before we get to 2024, let’s look back to 2023. Normally, talking about history would seem to be very safe. Nothing could be more wrong than that wisdom. History, my dear reader is only objective about plain facts. You can say safely only one sentence: i.e. the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066. Anything else would be your opinion of the battle, not facts.

So maybe it is better to ‘use’ and be high and talk about the future. At least no one can say with a conviction that you are wrong or even a liar.

But I will try nonetheless to say a few things that I hope will be reasonable, seasoned, and not too emotional.

2023 in Canada

Eighth year of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. From happiness and joyful youth of hope at the beginning (that was very much needed at that time) to Covid years, social upheaval (Truck convoys, occupations of Ottawa, and border crossings), and polarization of the entire Canadian society. Not many could have survived it. He did. But badly damaged. I also think that he has become tired and not as enthusiastic about bringing a sunny future to Canadians. I doubt very much if he will be able to beat his father’s record of longest-serving PM in modern Canadian history.

2023 was a series of setbacks for our Government. On the domestic scene and international scene. Most of them were probably beyond anyone’s ability to solve or remedy. But in politics, excuses are seldom granted for those in power.

In the last two years, prices of everything just skyrocketed. And so did interest rates. But food and shelter become the biggest scare of all. That certainly was not a Canadian phenomenon – similar things happened everywhere in the developed world.  In Germany, France, Poland, in the USA. Originally a lot of it stemmed from the COVID years and total breakage in world transport of goods across continents and oceans. But once that was established  – the habits of raking huge profits became entrenched in the pockets of the oligarchs of domestic and world food distributions. Owners of supermarkets, car sales, oil and energy, landlords of apartments both big ones and individual ones. Almost overnight rents went up ten, twenty, and fifty percent higher. The high prices of home ownership were already habitually high putting us all at constant risk of collapse and financial crisis of the banking system (remember what happened in the US many years ago?). But it used to be in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Suddenly it happened in Halifax, St. John, and Fredericton – for no economic reason whatsoever since none of the Maritime Provinces experienced even a semblance of any economic boom – to the contrary.  I guess greed is a part of human nature. Not a nice one – but it is.

Eventually, wages went up, too. Not nearly enough – but surely. All of it made the fight against inflation even more difficult – but the Bank of Canada stayed its course and no serious inflation ever occurred. It wasn’t popular – but necessary. That is the difference between politicians and high-ranking Officers of the Crown (like national banks presidents). Politicians are at the mercy of voters; appointed Officers are at the mercy of only their terms, thus often doing what is right and not what is safer for them.

The result? 2023 was very expensive for ordinary Canadians. And definitely more expensive for ordinary citizens of most countries in the world. Regardless if the governments were rightist, leftist, or centrist.

I strongly believe that we managed as well as we could thanks to the unusual partnership between Jagmeet Singh of NDP and Justin Trudeau of Liberals. It wasn’t a coalition by any means (probably smart for Singh) but a careful partnership. But when you have a minority government your position as an ally is stronger. It was also an astute choice for Singh as he built his profile and popularity among voters.

Therefore my first choice in politicians of 2023 in Canada goes to him – Jagmeet Singh. Second to Justin Trudeau –  if for anything than for surviving. It was a very bad time for all politicians. Last by any margin of error – but most popular in recent polls, Pierre Poilievre. I understand that when people are angry and scared they run toward the one who is even angrier and scarier. But really? Is that what you want? The most fanatical, the one lacking on any cohesive policy for the massive challenges awaiting us in 2024? God have mercy. It is so easy to criticize existing policies and governments in times of global crisis. But to offer workable and logical, economically sound alternatives – not so much. Certainly, in the case of Poilievre, they are not forthcoming.  The few that he sort of mentioned are just absurd. They have no economic or social value. On the contrary – I think that it would create a much harsher situation for most of us  (very few very rich ones would absolutely gain a lot from it) in 2024.

Canada’s worst ‘enemy’ in 2023 in order of dangers:

  1. Huge forest fires and floods as a result of climate change – stretching from ocean to ocean to ocean. There was no escape. Ecological catastrophe and financial disaster for Provincial and Federal governments.
  2. War in Ukraine. On many fronts most difficult and terribly expensive in recent Canadian history. Our support for Ukraine extended well beyond our ability. And, of course, at the worst possible time. It is one way to be generous during ‘good times’ and a different thing to be generous in ‘bad times’.  Paying for armaments, munition, training, fulfilling obligations to NATO, and sending Canadian regiment to Estonia is very expensive, too. At a time when our Forces need very badly a large amount of budget in Canada to fix years of not doing enough. By all recent federal governments, Liberal and Conservative. Yet – we did not choose that war. The war is not only in Ukraine, somewhere very far away. The war is at the borders of NATO countries to whom we have an obligation. We either support the Ukrainian army, which is much smaller than that of the Russian aggressor – or we might end up doing the fighting ourselves if Russians overcome their defenses and attack NATO country or countries.  Remember a lesson from the 2 world War – if Europe (France and England) and the USA attacked Hitler when he invaded with almost all his armies Poland, maybe the war would not lasted almost six years but only a year or two. And maybe millions of people would have survived it. Just saying. Sometimes – sadly – starting a war against an evil aggressor makes the war shorter and less bloody. Now the ‘hitler’s name is Putin.  (Don’t forget that Stalin’s Russia was Hitler’s ally and invaded Poland from the East two weeks after Hitler started his invasion. If not that Hitler two years later changed his mind and attacked Russia – Stalin would have stayed by Germany’s side)
  3. The global crisis of economies, raising poverty and hunger.

Challenges in 2024

  1. This time the one that is unavoidable. One that dwarfs every other challenge. Climate change. One that can’t be stopped because we are not able to stop or reverse cosmic forces, forces of the Universe. Earth is not a world in itself. It is part of our solar system, our galaxy, and part of the Cosmos known and unknown.  Earth is a ‘living’ thing. Never stopped being one. Constantly changing its form, shape, and look. Just in a different time frame than our human perception. But from time to time it speeds up. It has been done many times before. Usually with very disastrous effects for the life forms, that exist in such times. Then life comes back, some species survive, and some new ones emerge. But one life form became so powerful in the last million or so years that affected that normal, cosmic timeframe. People. We. We can’t stop that change. But we shouldn’t speed it up, as we do.  This time it is not freezing in glaciers, not gigantic volcano eruptions followed by hundreds of years of darkness and acid monsoons. This time it is simply warming. 2003 was already the warmest in kept records. According to geological archeologists, it reached the level last seen 100,000 years ago. That will affect the entire planet, all humankind. It couldn’t care less about any states, borders, or nations. By acting accordingly, wise, and understanding the truly existential nature of that change we might have a chance to adapt, to survive, maybe even flourish later.  But we must. We. Everyone. Governments and international organizations can’t do that for us this time. We must elect only politicians, who are very serious about it, who accept that challenge as the most important one, who follow the plan and do not change it come every election. We can’t say: it must be China most; India most, Brazil first; Europe, Africa, and on and on. No. It must be Canada’s first in Canada. Yes, nations should develop and plan globally. But we can’t afford the time when all agree. We must do now, here. And it will cost money. Will cost us. Les if we start now, more if we start five years from now. By us, I mean us individually, not just some government in some town called Ottawa. Traditional oil-driven or coal-driven energy should be more expensive. And you can’t expect that all the costs will be covered by the government. If the government covers the full cost it means it will cut other services. You know that arithmetic very well. The National Bank doesn’t really just print money. If we fail that test and we will speed up the warming process everything else stops having any sense. Millions of people will die of starvation, hundreds of millions will become poor and desolate, and immigration will just overcome any national borders and border walls. It will be chaos on many fronts. Forest fires and floods? You have not seen anything, yet. Some nation-states are already disappearing in front of our own eyes. I mean – they are truly sinking out of the map.
  2. Two wars that must be stopped by any means. I mean any. Russia must be punished so harshly by all allied states (Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and any other true ally that we have) that would cripple their economy. That will stop the war much faster than any rockets or tanks sent to Ukraine (but we must continue to support Ukraine in the meantime before the sanctions are formed and executed). That is possible and is in our best interest. Current sanctions are just a patchwork of here and there and this and that. We can’t wait for the majority of the world to agree to that. It might never come. We must use our own strict ‘club’ of Western Powers of democratic states and do it fully, comprehensibly, and at once. It is possible and it is doable. We must demand it from our governments.

 Israel – the massacre of Palestinians must stop. No ceasefire, no ‘more careful killings’. This is insanity and it serves no one. Except for one person – the disgusting malfeasant and populist Netanyahu. Now a war criminal.  United States is acting in an abhorrent way aiding in the massacre of people, who already suffered unspeakable theft of land, opportunities, and basic dignity. I do understand that Israel is a linchpin of US policy in the Middle East. But it is all based on old times of rivalry between East (communism and USSR) and West.   But regardless of that anachronistic policy – it is in the best long-time interest of Israel to have peace with Palestinians. It is the only solution to lasting peace there. What happened in December with the atrocious Hamas attack – happened. It has been dealt with. It cannot justify the unspeakable horror of what is happening in the ruins of Gaza City and all other cities and towns in the Gaza Strip. It is abhorrent.  Our, Canadian government can’t be part of it. There is no room to be ‘a little pregnant’ in this conflict. Children and women are dying in hundreds daily, hospitals are bombed as they tend to the wounded and dying, and starvation is happening now.  No medicine, no fresh water, no fuel, no food. The trickle that is coming (never sure if it is coming, and aid trucks have been already bombed, too) is only a fraction of what is needed. It is truly insanity and I can’t understand that some of us are even trying to discuss it politely that maybe this or maybe that, that it is all very complicated. No. It is not complicated at all. It kills innocent people. In thousands. People, who were already suffering. Including suffering from Hamas hands. During the history (a very short one after all) of Israel, it gathered a lot of support. People knew and remembered what was Holocaust, what were pogroms. That Jews deserve their own state. Safe state. And now a lot of it evaporates in thin air. A normal person just watches with astonishment and disbelief. For the sake of not only Palestinians (but mostly for them because they are being massacred) but also the secured and respected Israel – stop it. Kick Netanyahu to the garbage bin of history and restore peace. Both nations deserve it.

  • Last but not least – India. The largest democracy in the world. But is it? The USA wants it to be a counterbalance to China’s ambitions in Asia. I don’t trust this guy at all. Arrogant, populist, and ethno-religious chauvinist. I think that he is the worst that could have happened to this amazing subcontinent with thousands of years of history. How can you have a democracy if the leader is an authoritarian trumpist? Ask me, a Canadian Pole who observed from Canada for the last 10 years the democratically elected government of populists, religious fanatics, and idiots in Poland. They lost power in massive elections and popular protests in October last year. Now is January. It is absurd what is happening now in Poland. The party that lost occupies buildings in Warsaw, occupies the Public TV (equivalent to CBC in Canada), and daily emits anti-government programs. There is legal chaos as part of the Judiciary was chosen by the former chauvinistic government and wants to stop the new government from any normal governance. Democracy is not a panacea for everything. It works only if everyone respects the same rules. Not only the rules it likes.

OK, it looks like the morning is lurking in my window. Time to go to bed.  Enough for today. Good night and sleep well. Hope you can after reading this, LOL.