Canadian Election Results 101 For Americans

I'd like to take the time to explain it myself in more detail, but BBC News does an excellent job of touching on all the high points of the election that saw a Canadian Conservative party majority government for the first time since the 1980's.

If you are interested in why Canada is slowly leaning more right, start here.  It's an excellent high level explanation. The only thing I would add is that Canada, under Prime Minister Harper has weathered the 2008 recession much better than other G20 economies.  The stimulus effort was muted compared to the U.S. and almost done as an obligatory "yeah, we're doing something" effort.  Now the conservatives can return to their conservative efforts less impeded my a minority status.  Those efforts include efforts  to lower corporate and personal taxes, continued oil product, and a commitment to stronger national defense - including a continued combat role in Afghanistan unlike many coalition partners.

Obama the tough?

Is Obama already in pre-election mode? Is Obama the apologist now Obama the tough? Or at least trying to be? Think about what has happened over the last month in foreign affairs. No peace brokering between Israel and Palestinians. It has swung 180 degrees from that type of talk from the White House to an invasion of Libya and the killing of Bin Laden.

Has someone in the White House looked at some polling data and decided to boost Obama's foreign policy credibility? Is the calculus that Obama seems too much like Alan Alda and not enough like Iron Man?  If this Obama the tough is meant to shore up some moderates (read - the not paying attention crowd) then it may have some small effect. And if that's the case then is there more to come?

Hope and Change in Canada?

At 10:17 p.m. Canada's parliament seats have the Conservative party at 150 seats, The socialist NDP at 91 seats, the Liberal party collapsing at 30 seats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois also collapsing at 4 seats.  The seat totals aren't all in yet but there are two major implications:

Some thoughts on Bin Laden's death

Just a few quick points on Bin Laden's death;

• This is not a victory for Obama, this is a victory for the United States.  I suspect President Obama will try to take credit for this and will get a boost in the polls because of this, but the real heroes are the intelligence community and the team who successfully killed Bin Laden.
• Why was Bin Laden buried at sea?  I know there's no point in a gruesome video and photo proof, and maybe there will be some evidence come out BUT this will have as many conspiracy theorists arise as both truthers and birthers.
• What reaction will this cause in the Muslim world?
• Why was Bin Laden hiding where he was? Apparently it is a town in Pakistan where a lot of high ranking former military officials living in the same town.  How does that happen?
• The aggressive interrogation techniques used against Khalid Sheik Muhammad apparently helped play a part in the intel leading to the killing of Bin Laden
• How will this be portrayed in Pakistan
• This doesn't end anything.  Some Muslim portrayals of Bin Laden as a martyr will no doubt have repercussions down the road.

Been Laden!!

Finally, Osama Bin Laden is dead.  Via ABC;

Osama bin Laden, hunted as the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, has been killed, President Obama announced tonight. 

The president called the killing of bin Laden the "most significant achievement to date" in the effort to defeat al Qaeda.

"Justice has been done," Obama said.

Bin Laden was located at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, which was monitored and when the time was determined to be right, the president said, he authorized a "targeted operation." 

"A small team of Americans carried out the operation," Obama said. "After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body."

Steven Crowder's Latest

Barack for Brazil.  Brilliant, Funny.  Worth watching.  Plus I'm too tired to post anything original tonight.  But seriously.  Watch this.  It's funny.  It's insightful.