Faithful readers will appreciate (or not appreciate) that world politics has not gotten much attention from me in recent days (or perhaps weeks). I am mindful that most of my readers reside in either the United States or Canada, so it is about time I paid at least some attention to the political mess in both countries.
Along came Al Jazeera. Jumped right into my Inbox with the following message. Only days remain until a new year —and with it comes dramatic changes for the Americas. For nearly a decade Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has led his Liberal Party from atop the Canadian government. But with elections looming and poll numbers drooping, does this year spell an end for Trudeau’s political career?? To the south, in the United States, another big shake up is coming to the government as well, with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. What do these changes mean? And what can we expect from the year ahead? Follow along with Al Jazeera’s American team for all the latest updates.
Canada was headlined initially: How Trump’s tariff threat pushed Canada’s Trudeau to brink of resignation
We are urged to Read On after this introduction.
Pressure had already been mounting on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside as elections near. But a new complication arose last month when US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25-percent tariffs on Canada. Will that threat doom Trudeau?
I did Read On and will now provide you with the conclusion.
The prime minister held a meeting with his cabinet on Monday evening in Ottawa, where several Liberal MPs urged him to step down, according to a report by CBC News. Sources told the public broadcaster that Trudeau has yet to make a decision. While it remains unclear what happens next, Trudeau is on arguably shakier political ground than ever before and many experts are questioning how long he can stay on as leader after losing one of his top political allies in Freeland. “This episode cannot help but shake those most loyal to Trudeau. Not sure he survives the end of 2024,” Stewart Prest, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, wrote on social media on Monday. “By the end of 2025, we’ll be reflecting that a single post from Trump put in motion the events that will have finally brought an end to the Trudeau era.”
You, of course, can real the entire article by going to Al Jazeera.
Then south to the United States for this headline. Enabling genocide? Former Biden officials reflect on the president’s legacy.
We are urged to read on after this Introduction
As US President Joe Biden prepares to conclude his first and only term, a shadow looms over his tenure: his unwavering support for Israeli’s war in Gaza. Three former administration officials speak to Al Jazeera about how that stance led to their resignation. .
I did read on and will now provide you with the conclusion.
“As he reflects upon his time in the Biden government, Smith notes a stark contrast between Biden’s support for war-torn Ukraine and his lack of support for Gaza, where entire neighbourhoods have been levelled. “When we talk about Ukraine, we can condemn the bombing of hospitals. We can talk about the resilience of the people who are being attacked. We can talk about the perpetrators who are attacking them,” Smith said. “But when it comes to Gaza, we don’t talk about those people. We don’t plan for their health systems to be rebuilt.”When he voted in the 2024 presidential race, Smith knew he could not back Biden’s vice president, Harris, fearing a continuation of the president’s policies.His home state of Maine employs a ranked-choice system, allowing residents to offer support to multiple candidates. Smith used his ballot to rank Harris as his last choice, behind the third-party candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein. Smith explained he has a grim view of Biden’s legacy will be perceived in the years to come. “He will be remembered as the US president who manufactured a genocide against children in Gaza.”
Continuing in the real world I am having an exceptional time at this hotel. Today I did something not done for at least ten years. I ironed. I have a photo to prove it one you shall see. Did not notice what the sign above my head until later: What Goes Around, Comes Around. The sign above the check in desk says: Say Hi I was seated downstairs in the lounge by the check in desk. Saw something I could not quite believe. The luggage trolley was crowded with suitcases and a couple of cardboard boxes, tied together with string. Honest to goodness, one of them was a Kotex box. One would think they would at least cover over the letters, but no. Again, there will be a photograph to prove it. As they say seeing is believing.
I typed seeing is believing into the search engine of the blog, there were 19 entries, spanning the years. The May 17, 2022 title had to be the MOSt unbelievable. Back to the Minor Signs But These Signal the Signs of Appearance of Mahdi. Which Will Herald the Great Tribulation; Not Knowing When the Next Shoe Will Drop Explained; The 51 Frightening Signs; But Hope Because of Appearance of Mahdi; View from the 23rd Floor of My Chateau
I have no idea what it is going to say, but you can link it and see for yourself. Another one from December 23, 2022 has an intriguing title: Straddling Both Worlds: News From Canada with an Another Beautiful Eloquent Indigenous Poem; Eloquence Defined; Alberta Premier Smith First Act, the Introduction of a Bill That Could Bring Chaos; Gary Wills Speaks of Holy Ignorance; Statistics Showing Great Numbers of Views and Viewers; Two Photos from Mecca
The first blog that appeared was October 29, 2023. My New Identity: I am a Waif: Wikipedia Waif Article Discusses the Many Reasons I Qualify for the Distinction in Literature, Botany, Legal and and Music Categories: This Blog a Distraction; Distraction Defined: I Am Suddenly Distracted by my Statistics Which Are So Saudi Amazing; The Statistics as Photo and a Painting on the Wall of the Oberio Hotel
Getting the impression that I have said everything already. Maybe I should quit while I am ahead.
“Quit while you’re ahead” means: “stop when you’re in an advantageous, winning position.”
There are quotations that apply to quitting a job.
“Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” – Jim Rohn.
“Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it.” – Katharine Whitehorn.
“Ambition is the steam that drives men forward on the road to success”
But my blog is not a job, I do work hard on myself. I write and love writing. but do not need someone to pay me. I have retirement income. I have ambition and am on the road to success/
Oh well. Thank you anyway “Thank you anyway” is a polite way to express gratitude even when someone was unable to help or a situation didn’t go as planned. It acknowledges the effort or intention while accepting the outcome.
Little or no mention of religion in this blog. I shall retrieve some of my old photos of Medinah. Probably my best shot, the one of the Prophet’s Mosque at sunset was taken from Mr. Marwan’s office, when he was not there. He was seldom there. Hahaha. My YouTube channel has at least one conversation recorded at the Hotel Oberio, one is called Arab Breakfast and can be found under Shorts.
