http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/what-the-re-election-of-the-bc-liberals-means-for-the-future-of-proposed-pipeline-projects/ 
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/cameron-eu-reform-ukip-conservative/ pointed out by Business of New Europe amongst other “realities” regarding migrants in the UK. Essentially, there’s a strong argument for the positive contributions foreign investment has had for Britain and it shows that myths related to migrant workers in Britain, pandered to by certain parties, are used for political ends other than for an immediate solution to mass unemployment.Under the pretext of fighting abuse of the National Health System and government welfare, and stopping illegal movement and residence of migrant workers, the elusive Referendum regarding Britain’s affiliation with Europe stands as an example of what has become a very radical Conservative agenda. The fact that the Queen’s Speech and David Cameron, for that matter, did not choose to address the Referendum as promised or address economic reform, which worked against Cameron's formula of pushing for a tempered EU relationship, promotes the image of an indecisive, lacking Party that wants to "have its cake and eat it too" : a sentiment that appears conducive to further instability and that overshadows Britain's need for macro-growth.The popular Radical RightThe United Kingdom Independent Party (UKIP), considered to be quite radical, right wing and dubbed "anti-migrant" by Cameron,surprised Parliament by gaining 14% of the votes in local elections, while the Conservatives' popularity drastically dropped, as they secured a mere 30% of the seats. UKIP has caused wide ripples in British politics given that it is a 'protest party' and radically right wing. Recent polls and several public endorsements later, UKIP has indeed influenced many Conservative MP votes towards an anti-EU perspective, away from Cameron’s goals of global interconnectedness.Should there be a Referendum?Most Conservatives are turning Eurosceptic because they claim that affiliation with Europe is an unnecessary outflow of money that could be used to stimulate the British economy. However, given that Cameron has continued George Osborne’s 2011 plan for growth which includes making the UK a hub of private investment and business start-ups, encourage investment, decrease imports and increase the level of education amongst students and the workforce, remaining Pro-European could be conducive to attaining such stimuli.Pro-Europeans and Eurosceptics have one thing in common: they are both promoting their stances on immigration based on extreme perceptions of immigration. Eurosceptics (UKIP and Conservative converts) are winning in popularity polls because they are utilizing the appeal of over-simplified solutions, which is helping build their public clout, but not their political validation. By drawing distinct lines from the EU membership directly to the problem of unemployment in the UK, they spread the belief that Britain can survive without the EU - a belief that becomes rooted in short-term reprieves rather than in long-term strategies for growth.On the other hand, Cameron and other Pro-Europeans are focused on macroeconomic goals, which are not as clearly linked to more practical unemployment issues, and are therefore rejected by the British public. One thing is for sure, the issue clearly has a distinct economic subtext beyond the lack of jobs which is not being conveyed to the public, and whilst David Cameron is one-armedly trying to push his gospel of Pro-European logic, this unclear situation is what opens the door to the rise of radical protest parties like UKIP.Given that Cameron is having a hard time maintaining solidarity amongst the Conservatives, one wonders how the chips will fall in 5 to 7 years time when the Referendum on EU membership does actually make it to the table. The question that should be addressed within the next decade is if Britain can survive without Europe. For Cameron, it is possible to "reform the EU"; may we dare ask what will happen once the British public realizes that the restrictions on migrant-workers do not ease the burden of 1.1858 trillion pounds net public debt any more than they appease nation-wide unemployment?-Hiba Ganta Featured photo: 
The Prime Minister's Office, Creative Commons, Flickr
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/the-middle-easts-chemical-romance/ Kurds in the 1980s and early 1990s, most prominently in the Halabja massacre.Chemical weapons are often classified with biological weapon, such as germs and mycotoxins, as “toxic agents”; George W. Bush even extended the definition, including both, along with nuclear weapons, in the category of “weapons of mass destruction”. Chemical weapons have a few features that make them more feared than conventional weapons.First, chemical weapons cause damage in horrifying ways. Gases that corrode flesh, suffocate screaming civilians taking shelter in basements or shut down an opponent’s nervous system create deep-seated terror in a way that bombs and bullets do not.Second, chemical weapons are seen as “unfair”, especially to the patrician framers of the international laws which bar their use. While a gun battle is “fair” in some sense, suffocating an enemy in clouds of poison gas, without giving them the chance for an honorable fight is seen as somehow wrong.Third, while chemical weapons are designed to cause mass casualties just like conventional weapons, they are also known for creating large numbers of sick, wounded and permanently disabled people, in ways that internationally sanctioned conventional weapons do not. Sarin for example, reportedly used in Syria, can cause permanent neurological damage. This, especially in the confused and cruel environment of a civil war, means that tens of thousands of both soldiers and civilians in dense urban areas may suffer grinding agony and burden an already-overwhelmed refugee medical system.For these reasons, chemical weapons use has been seen since the end of the First World War but especially since the Second World War as “beyond the pale”, with an international prohibition on their possession or use. However, this has proven broadly ineffective. Chemical weapons are relatively cheap to produce, and can be manufactured by any country with a functioning civilian chemical production capacity, including basic goods like synthetic fertilizers. Chemical weapons are so easy to produce or improvise from civilian chemicals that even insurgent groups like the Tamil Tigers have used crude versions, while more complex and lethal weapons have been mass-produced even by poor countries like Syria and Iraq.This international standard has also proved immensely flexible. Britain and France used poison gas in Iraq and Morocco during their colonial rule; the U.S. military carpet-bombed whole regions with highly toxic “defoliants” like Agent Orange in Vietnam; and Iraq has received Western support for their use of chemicals in their long bloody war with Iran. As well, use of chemical weapons has never prompted actual intervention; ironically, the only military intervention based on possession of chemical weapons (among others), the 2003 invasion of Iraq, failed to uncover Saddam’s purported chemical weapons stockpiles.In today’s Syria then, perhaps chemical weapons should not be a “red line” to intervention. Chemical weapons, while terrifying, are no more lethal than conventional tools; whether people are being killed by mustard gas or machine gun fire makes very little actual difference to the dead. Chemical weapons are not necessary for wholesale slaughter; while Saddam Hussein relied on them, Bashar al-Assad’s father and predecessor Hafez al-Assad calmly butchered 20,000 people in three weeks during the 1982 Hama uprising with just artillery fire and bullets. Finally, a commitment to intervene only with the use of chemical weapons reeks of hypocrisy and is highly inflexible. International intervention should be based on how many lives are at risk or on actual threats to regional stability, not on the manner in which lives are ended or what particular tool brutal dictators use to fight a dirty war. Whether or not the United States should commit itself to al-Assad’s fall is unclear, but chemical weapons should not be the catalyst for such a reaction.- Alex Langer Featured photo: jenspie3, Creative Commons, Flickr
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/perlemoen-view-form-the-precipice/ 
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/bouillon-weekly-5/ 
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/the-preliminary-hearings-of-luka-r-magnotta/ Homolka case, pleaded guilty for posting the names of the sexual assault victims on his website. He received a three-year suspended sentence and was ordered to do 70 hours of community service.On a different note, Quebec Superior Court has reinforced the ban on tweets, which now prohibits journalists from sending out any information as of April 15th. According to Brian Myles, president of the Quebec Association of Journalists, the Quebec Court system is “actively trying to muzzle journalists”. Details on this can be found in Mick Côté’s article: Quebec courts shutting up journalists.Inside the Court RoomThe aspect of the Magnotta story which perhaps created the most surprise is the amount of supporters Luka Rocco Magnotta actually has. Some are prepared to drive a long way, enter Canada illegally, and risk having their own mug shots tweeted, simply to see the man handcuffed in a glass box. After the Political Bouillon inquired about the fan named Kyle, who received the most media attention, the police suddenly wanted him out of Canada. By then, the young man had quickly returned to North Carolina, or so said his blog. The morning after the PB tweeted mugshots, security at the courthouse was clearly waiting for the fan. One must say that the line-up to access the court room is sometimes rather creepy. It is dotted with individuals with a bizarre and inexplicable admiration for the accused. The media avoids providing them with a spotlight: a video interview with Kyle by Xtra is available on Youtube. However, members of the public who had a genuine interest in the court proceedings included students of law, criminology, medicine and others.
The VictimConcordia Student Jun Lin. Jun Lin was, according to his family: lovely, outgoing, very kind, enthusiastic and generally open to helping people. He participated as a volunteer in the Beijing Olympics. Before leaving China, he took French classes at the Alliance Francaise cultural centre in order to prepare for possible immigration to Quebec. Above all, Jun Lin was a romantic according to an article in The Globe and Mail, his principal objective in life being to find love. He posted on Weibo (a Chinese social media) pictures of himself, mostly alone.On the other hand, he also posted a picture of a horrible image on St-Valentine’s day with the caption “My self-portrait” and another of an empty subway car with the caption “midnight cannibalism train” according to another article: “The Many Sides of Montreal Murder Victim Lin Jun”. This last picture brought some to speculate that he was “foreshadowing” what was coming. His nickname on Weibo was “Justin the Villain”. Unfortunately his path eventually crossed Mr. Magnotta’s.What to expectMagnotta has pleaded innocent on all accusations. His defense lawyer Luc Leclair, who did not speak to the reporters on April 12th, attempted to have the murder charge downgraded from first degree to second degree stating a lack of direct evidence. However, Judge Lori-Renée Weitzman, because of overwhelming circumstantial evidence, did not accept the motion. Crown prosecutor Louis Bouthiller stated the crown was satisfied with the court’s decision to go ahead with a trial and stick with the initial charge of first degree murder.The news that there was a letter from a Toronto-based psychiatrist submitted as evidence when Magnotta was facing fraud charges in 2005, stating he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia as a teenager, does not seem to have changed anything so far. The media fought hard for the release of this document. Magnotta’s current defense attempted to stop the media from accessing it before Ontario Court Judge Fergus O’Donnell ruled it could be released.At the moment the entire process is paused, the next date to keep in mind is April 29th, when the trial dates should be established, expected to be in early 2014. There is some palpable public anger and confusion at times on Twitter regarding the case. Many tweets call for the death penalty, such penalties do not apply in Canada. If Magnotta is found guilty as charged, he may well find himself behind bars for as long as 25 years. Criticism about the media providing too much attention to Magnotta bears little importance. Whether Magnotta collapses or cries in court, if he waves every day to an unidentified woman in the front row, or chooses to wear a white shirt with Versace’s logo splashed across it, white jeans and white Lacoste shoes---all this is quite insignificant. He will be judged.-Mathieu Paul Dumont Featured Photo and Victim Photo (Credit: Facebook)
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/the-green-line-blurs-fading-hope-for-a-two-state-solution/ celebrated among segments of the left and right always hostile to the plan, while being decried and lamented both by many members of the foreign policy establishment who supported the Oslo process through thick and thin, and by liberal elements of the Western Jewish establishment. As Israeli settlements continue to secure “facts on the ground” by gobbling up expropriated Palestinian farmland and blurring the Green Line, the 1967 armistice line separating occupied territory and Israel proper, a viable Palestinian state seems less and less likely.This is compounded by political disunity and dysfunction on the Palestinian side. Division between Hamas, an Islamic extremist faction which rules Gaza, and the secular nationalist Fatah in the West Bank has made it impossible to create a united Palestinian representative in negotiations; this is only made harder by technocratic Prime Minister Salam Fayyed’s recent and abrupt resignation. Finally, both Israel and the Palestinians, with extremely difficult choices ahead, seem unable to come to a compromise of any type on any issue, let alone the gut-wrenching compromises over borders, refugees, religious sites and compensation that would entail a final agreement for a two-state solution.What Alternatives to the Two-State Solution?Over the years, a wide variety of solutions have been suggested to end the conflict, each with its own ideological grounding, advantages and disadvantages. One solution, commonly called the “one-state solution”, proposes a single, secular, democratic state including both Jews and Palestinian Arabs as equal citizens, stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. This solution has been proposed primarily from the left side of the political spectrum, and was the official policy of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from its inception until 1988.A one-state solution has the advantage of simplicity. Issues like refugee flows and border tensions disappear when everything is united under a democratic framework. Critics rightfully point out that this state would be the end to a Jewish state. Others claim that it would be a recipe for disaster, with ethno-religious violence and civil breakdown inevitable. This is borne out by public opinion both in Israel and Palestine, which broadly rejects a one-state solution.Another solution, partway between a one and two-state solution, is a bi-national or confederal state. Under this framework, Palestinian Arabs and Jews would be largely self-governing, with some shared institutions responsible for trade, borders, security and potentially foreign affairs in a sort of confederation. A variety of outlines exist within the confederal or bi-national framework, from a patchwork of partially segregated cantons to a consociational system like Lebanon to a loose, EU-style union.
davidsotokarlin, Creative Commons, FlickrPhoto 1: 
Synne Tonidas, Creative Commons, Flickr
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/a-shameful-senate-how-the-nra-asserts-its-influence/ $500,000 in advertising campaigns aimed at criticizing Obama’s gun policies. The gun lobby also spent the past several weeks lobbying and campaigning with the suggestion that any form of gun legislation will lead to a national registry, which leads to weapons being taken by the government – the ultimate fear for most gun owners. This statement is a complete lie, as the proposed bill specifically outlaws any form of national registry. In fact, as President Obama aptly pointed out, much of the information about this bill being spread was wrong.Even if the gun lobby “willfully lied” about the bill, as the President put it, the senators themselves should still be able to look over the bill and realize for themselves that this legislation does not lead to any form of national registry. They haven't. Why?The NRA, due to its highly organized structure, strong presence in Washington and financial means, exerts sufficient pressure to directly influence a senator's opinion. With 4 million members and with millions in donations each year, the NRA can use its large funding to “donate” in order to persuade. In 2012, a total of 261 candidates from both the Senate and House of Representatives received donations by the NRA, totaling to approximately $650,000 in that year alone . Since 1990, 60% of candidates have received donations, totaling to a whopping $4.3 million. Looking at these figures, its no wonder senators are afraid to vote against the will of the NRA.Ultimately, this means that each year a wealthy and organized minority is “donating” to senate campaigns in order to secure their will in legislation. This is anti-democratic, and should not be allowed, especially when it goes against gun legislation that 90% of the American people have shown support for. The forceful lobbying of the NRA should be met with response, but the majority in favor of commonsense gun laws has little organization or funding to do so.Logic commands that Washington have accountable representatives, who allow for the majority of people to voice their preferences. After all, isn't the essence of a government “by the people” that it responds to its people’s will?- Michael Swistara Featured photo: the|G|â„¢, Creative Commons, Flickr 
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/congress-interrupted/ Monsanto Protection Act. This act set a precedent, where in a court challenge about the distribution of genetically modified crops, the Department of Agriculture must allow a corporation, like Monsanto, to continue selling genetically modified food. What’s really shocking is that when Congress admitted to having little knowledge of this matter, it was because they didn’t review the provision. As it turns out, lawmakers in Congress don’t always review the laws they are passing. In this case, they were more eager to continue their own funding than to really take the time to analyze the laws that Americans have to live by. The fact one of the most powerful countries in the world is passing unrevised bills is troubling; the fact that so many lawmakers show so little interest in the bills that they themselves are passing indicates a serious problem with the way the American government is working.Continuing resolutions are so commonplace because Congress sees them as 'Get Out Of Jail Free' cards to be used whenever they want. Since 2003, there have been 36 C.R.’s passed. The consequences are cyclic: Congress stops reviewing C.R.’s, so lawmakers find it permissible to slip in certain provisions that further their own ends, which go unrevised because Congress stops caring about C.R.’s, so they stop reviewing them, and so on and so on. Not only does this impose certain impermissible provisions on the American people, it also lets Congress procrastinate on finding a solution, which we all know only exacerbates the problem at hand.That Congress can just throw up their hands in defeat every few months, say “I don’t know, let’s try again in a little while,” without any real repercussions for them makes this all seem acceptable. Congress can wait until an answer comes to them, instead of actually searching for the answers.But in order for this vicious cycle to end, C.R.’s need to stop being so commonplace, and Congress must face actual repercussions for not coming to a decision. In other words, there must be a limit on how many C.R.’s are allowed per year. That way, Congress will not be able to take a federal time-out and procrastinate finding a solution.Lawmakers need to start taking lawmaking seriously. Republican senator Mitch McConnell said in 2010: “Americans want us to take our time and get things right.” In 2013, Democrat senator Tom Harkin agreed: “I believe the Senate ought to be a place where we slow things down.” Well, clearly, it’s time that they start.- Zoë Knowles Featured photo: SpeakerBoehner, Creative Commons, Flickr 
http://thepoliticalbouillon.com/en/neighbourhood-watch-why-the-eus-assistance-policy-in-the-mena-region-deserves-credit/ Neighbourhood Watch: Why the EU’s assistance policy in the MENA region deserves credit on April 14, 2013 in The European Student Think Tank, a PB cooperation partner Featured photo: EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, Creative Commons, Flickr 
Quebec-Bashing: The National Pass-time of Anglo Media | posted on March 21, 2013
Dystopia: a dreadfully misunderstood Quebec within Canada | posted on December 19, 2012
David Cameron’s “EU Reform” backfires at home | posted on May 14, 2013
What the Re-Election of the BC Liberals Means for the Future of Proposed Pipeline Projects | posted on May 18, 2013
Christy Clark and the Liberals surpassed the BC NDP to win a fourth consecutive majority government on Tuesday night, despite the initial predicted NDP win heading into the polls. The scandal-plagued election holds some hope for energy companies in regards to the future of pipeline prospects in B.C., as Clark remains committed to keeping [...]
The question of whether Britain will survive without the European Union has become a major issue of contention within British politics, culminating in the rise of anti-migrant sentiments in Britain, as well as an international concern for the stability of Europe. This year’s Queens’ Speech for the opening of Parliament has become a symbol for [...]
Recent revelations that Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as well as potentially the Syrian opposition, has used chemical weapons on a number of occasions, has sent the international community into a panic. Almost a year ago, Barack Obama warned that the use of chemical weapons constituted a “red line” that would trigger international intervention. While Obama has [...]
This article regarding black market economy in South Africa has been written by Kimon De Greef for the Cape Town Globalist, a South African student magazine and PB partner. *** “Those guys never think of the consequences. It’s about easy money and living a party lifestyle: dive, get paid, and blow it on drugs, women, [...]
Dear Readers, it’s been awhile since you’ve had an update and a lot has happened in the last several weeks. For the most part though, American news has occupied our radar. A tragic act of terrorism at the Boston Marathon left the America reeling on April 15th, and the question of how to treat the surviving suspect: [...]
