Last week I posted about the Canadian government's frantic attempt to shore up support for their killing spree in Afghanistan. Turns out they haven't convinced anyone. The National Post's headline is "Harper's visit with troops did little to boost public support for Afghan mission". Actually, they did nothing at all:

While it didn't hurt his delayed honeymoon with the public, Stephen Harper's recent visit with Canadian troops in Afghanistan failed to boost waning public support for the mission, a new poll says. The Ipsos Reid poll, conducted for CanWest News Service this week, shows that support for Canada's stepped-up military mission in Afghanistan actually dropped 2% nationally, down to 52%, on the question of whether they backed the use of troops for security and combat efforts against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Support softened significantly in Ontario and B.C., dropping eight points in each province, down to 57 and 52%, respectively. Quebecers, at 62%, are the most likely to believe the troops should come home immediately.

One reactionary deserves another

This shows Canadians are deeply skeptical of their government's 'peace or we kill you' strategy. As they should be, given how the government's backing one set of warlords against another. And it may be a spillover distaste at the American army's ongoing brutality in Iraq. Let it never be said that 'ordinary people' are stupid and reactionary: many times, they draw the right conclusions. (It's also significant that Quebec has the least pro-imperialist support. As victims of the Canadian state themselves, it's easier for them to be critical of it, a fact the English-Canadian left ignores at their peril.)

These poll results put a brake on the Dark Lord Himself, aka Michael Ignatieff and his vision for global domination. He will be announcing Thursday that he'll run for the leadership of the Liberal Party. However, given he's a mealy-mouthed apologist for imperialism, it may make Liberal party activists think twice before voting in the Anti-Christ.

Not just handsome, but evil incarnate - Michael Ignatieff

Finally, I saw V for Vendetta last night. I can honestly say I was impressed. It was the most blatant depiction of fascism I've ever seen, outside of a WW2 film. It showed the kind of rhetoric fascists use, and states explicitly how fear of the Other is a weapon in their hands - in this case, fear of Muslims and homosexuals, which is the catalyst for the fascist bid for power. It was great to finally see an acknowledgement of Islamophobia as a real threat (and tool for racists). The film has serious weak points - a convoluted conspiracy mystery which gets dropped mid-way through, and the creepiest case of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever been expected to empathize with. But it also marks a transition for the Warchowsky Brothers. Gone are the passive, sheep-like, human batteries of The Matrix that Neo had to kill to get to the truth. Now, ordinary people have minds of their own: they've been scared into accepting fascism, but equally important, they still have the power to confront evil. They're agents, not passive victims. I await the Warchowskys' movie on building revolutionary socialist movements.

Buzzcuts look good on some people - Natalie Portman, in between crying jags