Wednesday Night #2145

The beloved Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte was a man with an overflow of charisma, grace, beauty, and God-given talent. He was a warrior for justice. Not just for his people, but for all people.
And his was a voice and expression so clear that small children listened to and loved him. – Willis Sparks

Today, 26 April, Israel marks the 75th anniversary of its founding.
Meanwhile, as the country Celebrates 75th Birthday, Tens of Thousands of Pro-democracy Protesters Hold Demonstration Party
Canadians ambivalent about Israel on eve of the Jewish state’s 75th birthday celebration – Despite the prominence of Israel in global affairs, political agendas and international news, and its often-polarizing place in the world, there remains in Canada an ambivalence, according to the National Post-Leger poll.

The situation in Sudan is dire. At least Canada seems to be somewhat better organized than during the Afghanistan fiasco (Canada sending up to 200 troops to support evacuation of civilians in Sudan). Global Affairs says that up to 1,800 Canadians are trapped between the warring parties in Sudan and roughly 700 of them have indicated they want out, but doesn’t really know, and all Minister Joly can advise is to get in touch with GAC (but how?).

The latest from Ukraine: China wants peace talks, Xi tells Zelenskyy
China said that it would send representatives to Ukraine and hold talks with all parties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the conversation with his Chinese counterpart “long and meaningful.”
We will wait and see…

So, President Biden will run for a second term. No surprise, but many concerns between now and the election. Best commentary we have seen so far: Thomas L. Friedman: Why Kamala Harris Matters So Much in 2024
There are three things that absolutely cannot be allowed to happen: Israel cannot be allowed to turn into an autocracy like Viktor Orban’s Hungary; Ukraine cannot be allowed to fall to Vladimir Putin; and Donald Trump cannot be allowed to occupy the White House ever again.
It’s through this lens that I want to talk about Joe Biden’s announcement on Tuesday that he is running for re-election, joined again by Kamala Harris.

For those who enjoyed Fred Headon’s participation in last WN and those who were not able to join us, this interview on CJAD gives an excellent picture of a highly experienced, well-rounded and credible candidate who does not carry the baggage of too close proximity to the Trudeau inner circle.

Cause for celebration: the unlamented departure of Tucker Carlson from Fox News. But he will not disappear in ignominy. Hook-up with Steve Bannon?

Congratulations to Beryl Wajsman and The Suburban
“60 years of The Suburban! Couldn’t be prouder of our paper and working with the best team in the news business that puts it out! Pick up a copy today at nearly 1000 locations across the island and read this special commemorative section. This is a keeper. On to the next 60 growing bigger and better!”

Why limited to the U.S.?
In a recent plan to revive downtown Manhattan, experts envisioned child care in emptied offices and retail spaces to better support working parents returning to the office. It’s one example of how some cities could address a shortage of child care facilities in the US that’s driven partly by steep building and maintenance costs. The challenge is “quite literally at the sector’s foundation,” contributor Kendra Hurley writes. How to Fix Crumbling Child Care Infrastructure

Belated Happy Birthday wishes to Peter Frise and Guy Stanley!

Exercises like jogging or weight training may help addiction recovery
The study, published Wednesday in PLOS One, found that incorporating simple workouts such as jogging or weight training into treatment improved the likelihood of recovery from a variety of substance-use disorders, including to cocaine, opioids, cannabis and alcohol.
The idea for the new study took root when Florence Piché, its lead author and a kinesiology doctoral student at the University of Montreal, began outside work as a therapist at a Canadian substance-use disorder clinic. A student of exercise, she suspected physical activity would aid in patients’ recovery but wished for scientific backing.
She didn’t find as much as she’d hoped. Many previous scientific studies and reviews focused on exercise and tobacco, but not other drugs.
So she and her colleagues decided to write their own, gathering past experiments comparing substance-use disorder treatments that included exercise to those that didn’t.

Events
24-30 April
2023 Cities Summit of the Americas
Denver, Colorado will become a global hub this week as mayors and other city leaders from across the Western Hemisphere gather at the same table as federal officials, ambassadors and international policymakers. They’ll discuss topics like sustainable infrastructure, the energy transition and affordable housing — issues that are local but have regional and international implications.
While the presence of the Mayor of Calgary is noted among the representatives of highly diverse municipalities – there is no mention of a senior representative from Montreal. Why not?

Thursday, 27 April, 5:30 pm
Atwater Library
Tickets are $50 In support of the University Women’s Club of McGill
Terry Mosher (Aislin) and Boris (Jacques Goldstyn) are giving a bilingual, illustrated talk on the importance of cartooning as a communication tool, followed by a short reception

Wednesday, 3 May, 17:30-18:30
Organized by John Buchanan, CIC MONTREAL PRESENTS
Professor Ross McKitrick, Professor of Economics and CBE Fellow in Sustainable Commerce at the University of Guelph where he specializes in environment, energy and climate policy, and a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute.
Global Energy Security and Net Zero.
Why is it so difficult to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions?
Hybrid event For those who cannot join in person, the event will be streamed on Zoom. Reservation/Details

Ron Meisels recommends
Netflix again offers the Oscar-winning documentary about the Holocaust: The Last Days.
“It concentrates on the Hungarian Jews, who were the latest to be deported to Auschwitz (the Germans only entered Hungary in 1944).
One of the survivors to tell about the horrors is Tom Lantos, who left after the war, settled in California and became a Congressmen and Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“One of Mr. Lantos’s first acts after being elected to Congress in 1980 was to introduce legislation naming Wallenberg an honorary United States citizen.”
Every person who denies the Holocaust should see this documentary.”

Long reads
Harry Belafonte, calypso star and civil rights champion, dies at 96
Belafonte’s legacy as an arresting, charismatic singer and actor, which was sealed with the release of the landmark album “Calypso” in 1956, spanned more than six decades. … By the early 1960s, Belafonte had become a force in the civil rights movement. Already a confidant to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he campaigned for Sen. John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign, and after Kennedy was elected, he became an intermediary between King and Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

National Post: At 75, Israel remains a beacon of freedom and democracy
As Israel marks the 75th anniversary of its founding this year, the National Post is hosting a five-month celebration of the “startup” nation, telling the remarkable story of its rebirth and resilience against all odds.
Israel at 75

He [Lee Kuan Yew] Made His Country Rich, but Something Has Gone Wrong With the System
Benevolent dictators are hard to find. There’s no guarantee that they will stay benevolent or that their successors will be as competent. After a country successfully transitions its economy, the advantages of this system seem to fade. But by then, a system of nearly unchecked power at the top has become entrenched.
Singapore is a case in point. Lee Kuan Yew contended that people don’t pine for democracy. First and foremost, he said, “they want homes, medicine, jobs, schools,” according to the 1998 book “Lee Kuan Yew: The Man and His Ideas.” He provided those things by pairing business-friendly policies from the West (predictable courts, low taxes, zero tolerance for corruption and an embrace of meritocracy) with socialist-leaning policies from autocracies (heavy government involvement in economic planning and little tolerance for dissent). He
The World Beyond Ukraine
The Survival of the West and the Demands of the Rest
By David Miliband
The traditional transatlantic alliance of European and North American countries has mobilized in unprecedented fashion for a protracted conflict in Ukraine. It has offered extensive humanitarian support for people inside Ukraine and for Ukrainian refugees. And it is preparing for what will be a massive rebuilding job after the war. But outside Europe and North America, the defense of Ukraine is not front of mind. Few governments endorse the brazen Russian invasion, yet many remain unpersuaded by the West’s insistence that the struggle for freedom and democracy in Ukraine is also theirs. … Western conviction about the war and its importance is matched elsewhere by skepticism at best and outright disdain at worst.